All automobile enthusiasts love the thrills and passion offered by Italian cars such as Ferrari. The same automobile enthusiasts appreciate the high reliability and easiness in used offered by the Japanese vehicles. It’s been almost two decades since Honda tried to meet all those expectations and offered us the NSX. The Japanese supercar became in the mean while a true automobile icon. As age sooner or later affects even the best, Acura is preparing a brand new successor for the NSX that is rumored to get into production 20 years after its predecessor, in 2010.

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Specifications
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  • Model: acura-nsx

2009 Acura NSX

Specifications
  • Horsepower: 550
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The first clue for the next generation NSX was offered by Acura with the introduction of the HSC (High-Performance Sports Concept) at Detroit in 2004. The advancement towards a production version has been deduced as several test mules have been spotted in tests on Nürburgring. Although using S2000 body panels, the overall sizes and mid-engine placement of the mule indicate that it is a possible successor for the NSX, the only Honda with middle positioned engine.

The original NSX was a revolutionary concept when it was introduced and it expected that the new model will be the same. It will feature a body composed of carbon fiber panels over an all-aluminum unit body frame. Short overhangs and a large wheelbase maximize handling and agility.

What engine will be used in the car is still a subject of debate. It is expected that Honda will use its Formula 1 know-how and will develop a 5.5 liter high-rev V10 producing around 550 bhp. Most likely it will also feature Honda's VCM (Variable Cylinder Management) technology, allowing the engine to run on only 5 cylinders, boosting fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions. That will allow the NSX to compete with others models that are allready sold on the US market, like Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo and the new Maserati GT.

The NSX's 4.5 liter V10 engine will smaller than current BMW’s M5 and the upcoming Lexus V10. It will have a V angle of 95º, similar to F1 engines.The car should reach around 120HP/L with max output of 550Hp. Top speed is expected to be arround 200 mph and the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.8 seconds.

With the V10 the new NSX will be the most powerful Honda ever.The carmaker is aiming for the top in producing engines. The new Honda/Acura NSX will move upmarket, and will target Aston Martin.

The design of the new NSX is said to be more in the line of British GT’s than Italian Ferraris. It will have similarities with other cars on the road, but you could say it’s an Acura, but that you couldn’t think of it as a NSX successor.

The use of Honda’s "Super Handling AWD" system is also a possibility. SH-AWD is capable applying a greater percentage of overall torque to the rear wheels in aggressive driving situations. The SH-AWD technology is fantastic for high performance vehicles. The technology was first used on Acura’s RL model. It worked so well, that they have decided to apply the technology to some of their more high-performance vehicles.

The Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept presented at 2007 Detroit Auto show features 19 inch front and 20 inch rear performance tires which are mounted to custom billet-machined, polished aluminum wheels. Powerful, ventilated carbon ceramic brake discs and eight-piston calipers accent the wheels. Bold wheel arches and flares add to the concept’s aggressive appearance.

The low slung cabin is constructed entirely of tinted glass and sits flush against the body. Door handles are also flush mounted, allowing the sports car to retain a clean and aerodynamic appearance. The Advanced Sports Car Concept features a carbon fiber underbody and the rear is finished with aggressive quad exhaust pipes and integrated rear diffusers, further communicating its high performance potential.

The images we present you are computer generated by our artists and are suppositions on how the future car might look like, based on available information and on the latest design tendencies from Acura.

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History

Acura shocked the exotic car world when it introduced its NSX in 1991. Honda designers started with the basic exotic car wedge (championed by the Ferrari Testarossa and 308), that would remain basically unchanged for its entire life and could only be described as "beautiful." To back up the gorgeous styling, the mechanical specifications were right out of a race car. The NSX featured a super-light all aluminum chassis, body, and suspension, a first for a production car.

The suspension was a double-wishbone suspension, mounted at both ends on aluminum subframes, just like Formula 1 cars. And the standard race-inspired V6 engine was mounted midship and featured Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC), six individual coils, and titanium connecting rods. This was the first application of VTEC in any production vehicle, but Honda's experience with the VTEC system in the NSX would eventually reach all other Honda and Acura vehicles.

In 1995 a Targa version was added, named the NSX-T. The removable roof looked great but hurt the chassis rigidity of the NSX and added about 100 pounds of weight. Nevertheless, the NSX-T was the only NSX available in the U.S. for 1995 - coupes were not available. All roofs were now body colored instead of black and several new colors were available. The automatic transmission now received a new "SportShift" Formula 1-inspired shifting system, which was controlled by a small lever behind the steering wheel.

In 1997 the engine was upgraded for the first time. Now the NSX was powered by a 3.2 liter V6 engine and the power was increased up to 290 hp. A six speed manual transmission replaced the previous five speed unit and a new single disc clutch replaced the previous twin disc clutch.

The 1999 year brought an extremely rare model: the Alex Zanardi Edition NSX. Only 50 units were built to honor Alex Zanardi, a driver for Honda's CART racing team (he would later leave then come back to Honda). The main appeal of the Zanardi edition was its several weight reducing measures which included a fixed roof (no Targa top), lightweight BBS alloy wheels, lighter rear spoiler, single pane rear glass, a lighter battery, and a manual rack-and-pinion steering system instead of the electric power steering. These changes resulted in a 149 pound weight reduction over a NSX-T.

And finally an exterior refresh was made in 2003. It received a facelift with fixed headlights and various other cosmetic refinements such as xenon HID headlamps (see photo from LA Autoshow 2003). The fixed roof NSX was dropped for the 2002 model year. The suspension was revised and the NSX received larger wheels and tires. In addition, the NSX was now available in a number of exterior colors with either a matching or black interior to provide a number of possible color combinations.

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Competitors



2008 Lexus LF-A

The Lexus LF-A is going to be powered by a 5.0 liter V10 engine, developed from the engine in Toyota’s F1 cars, which is thought to develop over 500bhp and give 200mph-plus capability. Although the engine is front- rather than mid-mounted, the LF-A will be rear-wheel drive, and Lexus has promised "the ultimate weight balance", "extravagant comfort" and "precision operation."

When the car will go on sale it will feature an eight-speed manumatic transaxle gearbox. The 0 to 60 mph sprint is going to be made in less than 4 seconds. We don’t know yet if the car will have a 2wd or a 4wd, but according to the acceleration time it probably be a 4wd.

After the 500 hp V10 LF-A will go on sale, another hybrid version it is expected to go on sale in early 2008. It will be powered by a V8 engine combined with an electric power with batteries with a huge capacity.

2007 Nissan GT-R

The production GT-R is said to debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in Fall 2007, followed by the U.S. and Canada in Spring 2008.

The car will use some form of Nissan V6 in the VQ family. It will be based off the same award-winning VQ35DE powerplant that is used in practically every Nissan in production. It won’t be the 3.5L naturally aspirated mill that we’ve seen in the 350Z and G35. It will use a larger displacement 3.7-4.0L version of the same engine mated to a twin-turbo setup. Tuning and engineering has been done by the racing experts at Cosworth. The car will have at least 400 hp and up to 500. No torque figures have been announced.

2008 Maserati GT

At the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, Maserati will unveil a replacement for the current Maserati Coupe/Spider. The GT will go on sale in early 2008 at an estimated price of $110.000.

The GT’s engine is based on the Ferrari’s 4.2-liter V-8, the same used in Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. The engine range will include a 4.3 liter V8, a 5.0 liter V8 engine producing 470 bhp (a bored-up 4.2). Also a V6 Biturbo (approx. 400 bhp) based on the new V6 of the Alfa Romeo 159 is being considered. The Spyder version will be offered with a 5.0 liter V8 engine. The 0 to 60 mph will be made in 4.2 seconds and will have a top speed of 192 mph.

Later, in 2009, a Spyder version it is also expected that will be a coupe-cabriolet with folding hardtop and only two seats.

Ferrari F430

The Ferrari F430 is an aluminium-constructed, mid-engined two-seater, with a compact, 90-degree V8 engine, though with some 483bhp, it’s significantly more powerful than the 394bhp 360 Modena, as Ferrari tries to keep pace with the car’s nearest rival, Lamborghini’s 493bhp Gallardo.

The F430 is powered by a completely new 4308 cc engine. The new V8 delivers a massive 490 hp and a specific power of 114 hp/l. Its performance is absolutely excellent too: 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) acceleration in four seconds flat and a top speed in excess of 315 km/h (196 mph).

Porsche 911 Turbo (997)

The new 911 Turbo meets the highest expectations in terms of engine performance. The classic flat-six unit develops 353 kW (480 bhp) at 6,000 rpm from a 3.6-litre displacement. Maximum torque of 620 Nm is available between 1,950 and 5,000 rpm.

To achieve that capability, we’ve combined VarioCam Plus with twin turbocharger units featuring Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) – a totally new technology on a petrol-engined car. With a standard manual gearbox, the new 911Turbo requires just 3.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph). Equipped with the latest optional Tiptronic S transmission, the car is 0.2 seconds quicker on the standard sprint. Benchmark times to 200 km/h (124 mph) are 12.8 and 12.2 seconds, respectively. Maximum speed with either transmission is 310 km/h (193 mph).