The Acura NSX->ke307 is widely regarded as one of the finest handling and fun-to-drive sports cars of the bygone era. Acura is the last brand that comes to mind when it comes to mid-engine, purpose-built sports cars, but that's what it did back in the 90s, and it took the world by surprise.

Until then, Acura, and its parent Honda, were attributed to affordable, reliable and economical modes of transportation for the masses. Then, they rolled out the NSX with a mid-mounted, V-6 and close to 300 horsepower. Now, the car maker plans to launch a replacement for the legendary NSX and promises not to disappoint.

The production of the NSX ceased back in 2005, and it left a long legacy behind. Building on the legacy of legendary sports car is no easy feat. And that's exactly what Honda and Acura engineers are faced with when it comes to the new NSX.

Little has come out in the public as far as the development of the 2016 NSX is concerned. That said, those at the helm of the project have their sights set firmly on some of the biggest names in the business. Ferrari->ke252, Porsche->ke1, Nissan->ke62 and Audi->ke14 already have cars that are competing with each other on the global scene, and Acura is shooting to offer all the qualities of a Ferrari 458->ke3479 at a highly competitive price tag.

Ted Klaus, the person in charge of the development Acura->ke10 NSX, was talking to Autocar recently, and he said “The NSX has never been about a set of figures on a piece of paper,” he said. “As with the original, the eventual power figure won’t grab headlines, for instance, but the qualities that you can’t write down, such as driver involvement and pleasure, are the ones that will matter."

"As engineers, we like numbers, but I’m acutely aware that if we build this car against a set of criteria that has been written down, we will lose our sense of focus.”

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Acura NSX

2016 Acura NSX

Acura has been teasing us with the concept of a new NSX for longer than we feel confortable with, but when it revealed the racing prototype earlier this year, we knew it meant business.

Only a handful of details are available on the 2015 NSX, so most of the information we have is speculation and rumors. We do know that the the NSX will remain true to the original with a mid-mount six-pot behind the seats, and a super-sporty look that will give the Audi R8 a run for its money in the sexiness category. Rumors are pointing toward the NSX's V-6 engine and trio of electric motors pumping out about 400 horsepower, but that remains unconfirmed.

We do know that the Acura NSX will be built in a 184,000-square-foot Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio.