Honda has done some amazing things with engines over the years, with a string of silky-smooth powerplants that, despite their small size, pump enough juice to the front wheels to keep even the ardent enthusiast happy. Perhaps even more exciting is that Honda manages to provide pop at the pedal, while consistently showing up at the top of the fuel economy charts.
If there was ever a vehicle that Honda could allow to be a bit of a gas hog, it would be the next-generation Acura NSX, which is rumored to be powered by a 5.0L V10 with 500hp. But with all the success Honda has enjoyed as an environmentally-friendly company, management and engineers decided not to rest on their laurels. The goal for team Honda is to achieve a combined fuel economy of 23.5 mpg, which would be great for most vehicles, much less a low-volume supercar. To put 23.5 mpg from a free-revving, 500hp V10 into perspective, the V10 Dodge Viper averages 12/20 city/highway. Heck, the previous generation NSX struggled to achieve 20 mpg, and it had a 3.2L V6 rated at 276 hp.
The folks over at Honda have created quite the stir surrounding the soon-to-be-unveiled NSX, and with 500hp and great fuel economy, we're more excited than ever for this year's Tokyo Motor Show.
[Source: Left Lane News via Winding Road]
Spy Shots: Production Audi TT Clubsport Quattro
Chevy Camaro getting early unveil at Indy in September
James Garner recovering from mild stroke
VIDEO: God's ringtone is a V10-powered Audi R8
IIHS releases official results on the smart fortwo
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang
Future Classic: 1984 Chrysler Minivans
First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
_thumbnail.jpg "Lamborghini Reventon unboxed in Las Vegas")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Mike @ Apr 25th 2007 9:42AM
wow, that's right up there with the Corvette's that have been on the lot for the last 5 years...
Mike @ Apr 25th 2007 9:44AM
from Yahoo Auto's:
2007 Chevrolet Corvette Summary
The 2007 Chevrolet Corvette is a 2-door, 2-passenger sports car, or convertible sports car, available in 7 trims, ranging from the Coupe LT1 to the Z06 LZ2.
Upon introduction, the Coupe LT1 is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, V8, 400-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The Z06 LZ2 is equipped with a standard 7.0-liter, V8, 505-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 26-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard.
Mike @ Apr 25th 2007 9:48AM
Funny...505HP corvette that will probably have 3x the torque of the new NSX gets 21MPG average (23MPG average in the regular 400HP model), but people always talk crap about it. Too bad the older NSX had to die a sad death...it needed another 75HP (and looked beter than this)
Mike @ Apr 25th 2007 10:00AM
"To put 23.5 mpg from a free-revving, 500hp V10 into perspective, the V10 Dodge Viper averages 12/20 city/highway."
You are also comparing a 8.4l to a (rumored) 5.0l, and the 8.4 has 600HP/580tq, easily tunable with mopar parts to 650+hp, AND meets federal Tier 2, Bin 5 and California's Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) 2 mandates, and is expected to better the '07's 12/20mpg
Viper power curve:
RPM HP TQ
2400 225 495
3700 410 550
4800 524 570
6000 613 535
Annonymous @ Apr 25th 2007 10:07AM
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm
The best 2007 Corvettes have a combined gas mileage of 21mpg. If Honda is using the same rating system then it would be better.
Mike @ Apr 25th 2007 10:12AM
so, with two more cylinders, 2 liters less displacement, and *estimated* equal power, this car may (has a target of) 2mpg more than the corvette... a car slain by the import lovers for its antiquated pushrod engine.
Forgive me while I laugh, especially when power and mpg figures come out for the 'Vette SS.
Max @ Apr 25th 2007 10:13AM
The surprising fuel economy figures are due to torque. GM/Chrysler can have these large displacement engines spin at 1600rpm in top gear at EPA highway speeds. As soon as you touch the loud pedal, that all changes though.
The new V10 likely has Honda's new advanced V-tec valvetrain setup on it, meaning it will be a much more efficient engine at all operating speeds and load.
LS7's and Dodge's ASC V10 are great, but they pale in comparison to the technology packed into honda's V10. There is more than one way to skin a cat......GM/Chrysler are doing it one way and companies like Honda and BMW are doing it another.
rob @ Apr 25th 2007 10:14AM
Mike,
Could you maybe have condensed all your comments into one instead of spamming this post with all your blather?
Many thanks and regards,
Rob
Drewboy @ Apr 25th 2007 10:15AM
Reading headlines like this irks me. I own a Honda CR-V with 150 horsepower, yet I only get 21.5 miles per gallon.
Hemidakota @ Apr 25th 2007 10:21AM
Oh man...Honda is a company that is always a day late and never make its mark on the world in the super sport car market.
Next SRT8's will outrun the next Acura
Jason @ Apr 25th 2007 10:23AM
The Acura is going to have a rear-wheel-drive based version of their Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) used on the RL which will reduce the fuel economy but will also make it handle better then any Viper or Corvette ever could. 23.5 seems to be pretty good with the AWD and is better then the base 400hp Vette.
nagmashot @ Apr 25th 2007 10:27AM
silly caliming whores from Japan...
lets see the production model doing real life consuption test... like the Japanese Hypbrid always failing factory claims this will do it too...
BTW if carefull driven you get
Porsche 911 Turbo and Z06 to 25mpg
BMW M5 to 21mpg
that are real world numbers from auto motor und sport tests...from cars in production since a while... and no Autoshow attention whores like the next generation NSX...
Jeremy @ Apr 25th 2007 10:30AM
I find it interesting that you say the Corvette is technologically behind when it can out-run cars that literally cost 2 and 3 times as much. The Z06 runs 0-60 in less than 3.5 seconds. It uses carbon fiber finders, it has titanium in the engine, and it's had tons of money thrown at it for R & D. It seems to me that no matter what any American brand does it will never be "advanced" in your eyes because you, like too many people these days, believe that anything American is crap. Go ahead and build that and watch it fail just like the original. Who wants to pay 80 grand for a piece of crap that can't even beat the base, 50 grand, Vette? And now they have the Corvette SS coming out, I can't wait to be running circles around you when I see you in wanna-be sports car!
Mike @ Apr 25th 2007 10:37AM
It's not that magical actually it's all about the displacement and engine management. A 5.0L V10 is kinda small. Manage the fuel right and you could get 25 MPG highway pretty easily with 500 peak HP. That engine is probably capable of 800 HP.
There was a story not too long ago on here about a 2.0L V10 making 300 HP and averaging 35 MPG I think.
Tyk @ Apr 25th 2007 10:49AM
Doesnt the Corvette force you to shift from 2nd to 6th unless you floor it? Or was that the last gen. Camaro?
And, yea.. the Viper has a truck engine in it running at 1,200 rpm. Gimme the Honda motor any day.
Adam @ Apr 25th 2007 10:53AM
Let's all just pray that the car doesn't look anything like the one in this picture.
snazzum @ Apr 25th 2007 10:55AM
"The M5's 12 mpg (19.6 L/100 km) city/18 mpg (13 L/100 km) highway rating earns it a $3700 gas-guzzler tax."
"911 Turbo is equipped with a standard 3.6-liter, H6, 480-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway."
"Z06 is rated a commendable 16 miles per gallon in town, 26 on the highway. The trip computer in the test car showed 15.1 mpg around town, driven with the modest amount of restraint possible in such a machine." And the Z06 comes with enough plastic to make all my kids' Playskool toys.
Not totally sold on the NSX just yet, but let's see real world results with the SH-AWD.
yakapo @ Apr 25th 2007 10:58AM
Where's all the adolescent import freaks posting comments claiming the pushrod v8 is antiquated technology???
zo6 505 hp and 26 mpg.
0 to 60 in 3.5 sec.
this car is going to have a press release just like the s2000. They won't mention the torque until you pry it out of them.
I can't wait to see the price comparison.
lets compare this car to the great and wonderful "ariel atom" with an AMERICAN (ford ecotec) motor. (I realize that makes about as much sense as comparing it to a bike)
this car looks like one of the "cars of the future" from a 1980's car magazine.
Chet @ Apr 25th 2007 11:05AM
Honda's just announced their production target. You may recall that the last design they showed for the NSX was so thoroughly trounced that they said they went back to the drawing board.
I'm neither surprised nor impressed by Honda's announcement. I would expect them to achieve numbers similar to those the Corvette achieves -- otherwise, why bother?
Most people are shocked when they're told a Corvette gets 25mpg in real-world cross-country ass-hauling. It puts their "sporty" mommywagons into perspective. Who's the conspicuous consumer now?
Glad to see Honda's joining the party. I'm sure many Corvette and Porsche owners will be happy to see a worthy alternative to their current rides.
yakapo @ Apr 25th 2007 11:07AM
woops I meant GM ecotec
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DKBPONygGxI