Inside Line does its thing on the $160k Acura NSX
The new Acura/Honda NSX may still be a couple of years away, but when talking about the sequel to such a dynamically legendary supercar, time won't stop speculation from ramping up and details from leaking. True to its name, Inside Line has put together what it believes is an accurate depiction – both visually and technically – of the newest challenger for Japanese supercar domination.
The first thing to know about the new NSX is that its emphasis will be on aerodynamics. Honda's F1 team may have yet to reach the pinnacle of success on the circuit, but that doesn't mean the company hasn't learned a few tricks in the process. For starters, the entire rear end of the car is tipped to act as a giant wing, generating prodigious amounts of downforce where soon-to-be archrivals Lexus LF-A and Nissan GT-R use heavy rear transaxles to keep the tail planted and the weight balanced. At an estimated 3256 lbs (you know, give or take), the NSX is also expected to come in a good 550 lbs lighter than Nissan's beast. Based on sources within Honda, Inside Line has come up with what they feel is an close prediction of how the NSX will look, and then proceed to call it boring. What lies underneath, however, is tipped to be a 5.5-liter V10 pumping more than 600 hp and 433 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the company's Super Handling AWD system.
With an anticipated $160,000 price tag, the new Honda supercar will have some dangerous competition. However developmental test mules of the NSX have already reportedly managed to lap the vaunted Nurburgring Nordschleiffe in a blitzschnell 7:37 on their first attempt. Once everything's tweaked to perfection, though, the NSX is easily expected to drop below 7:30. How far below will remain to be seen. With Japan, America and Europe's best vying for the top slot, the heat is on.
Gallery: Spy Shots: Acura NSX
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Kumail 2:03PM (7/29/2008)
i dont see the point of this car, i mean who is going to buy it? the people that can rather buy a gtr spec v, a xkr, a vantage, 2 911's? i just dont see how this is going to work. yes, it is a good track car, but i would settle for the others listed above, and some i left out.
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nastinupe1 2:28PM (7/29/2008)
The NSX is going to be a great performer, however, it's price will be it's downfall... just like the last generation.
The NSX is no longer a giant killer, it's a midget in stilts trying to walk with the giants. Yea, he's as tall as a giant, but no one wants to date him.
For a lot of money, the GT-R car be bested, however, that's not the point. Why come out with a car that can marginally beat the GT-R for over double the price?
Where's the lure in that? Usually it's the name or good looks or pedigree that alures potential buyers, but what is this car's lure? Nobody really respects Honda anymore in the sports car world, the NSX faithfuls are all a bunch of butt holes that live in a shed and saved the Motortrend articles from 1991 calling the NSX a giant killer. They still think that the previous NSX is the best car in the world and no other car can match it performance wise. They won't like this car no matter how fast it is because they would have to admit that it's better than the previous generation and they won't do it because the engine is in the wrong place... which doesn't really matter IMHO.
Next people will be complaining about the placement of batteries and radiators. Or the placement of gas caps and radio knobs.
Who the hell cares as long as the car is balanced and handles well? But of course they don't. The car can have 50/ 50 balance and they would still complain.
Anyway, back to this car. The car is going to be nice, but it's going to cost too much. So who is going to buy it other than Jay Leno and people with 10 other car's who just want the newest thing.
R 3:34PM (7/29/2008)
@nastinupe
Thanks for the straw man.
Lee Gibson 5:04PM (7/29/2008)
I'm glad Nastinupe isn't a sports car designer. Somebody would have to explain "polar moment of inertia" to him, and his brain might asplode.
Nuieve 9:56PM (7/29/2008)
I hope the final car looks different... Original NSX looked exotic, this one look like yet another luxury GT...
naggs 12:42AM (7/30/2008)
50/50 is an arbitrary number propagated by performance sedan builders to make their sedans seem some how 'optimized'
actually, the optimal layout for performance is closer to 60R/40F and polar moment is just as important as weight distribution
Mino 2:06PM (7/29/2008)
Going to be an amazing car, but $160k worth?...Is yet to be seen imho
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azzo45 2:56PM (7/29/2008)
Agreed... the last gen. NSX was a bit pricy, but 160K
WTF???
I mean Honda & Acura offer reasonably priced cars & trucks There customer base can "move up" the corporate ladder as their pay scale does...
... only a select few will move up to 160K. They need to rethink this. there are a helliva lot of very good performance cars UNDER this 160K price
MachinaDC5 5:21PM (7/29/2008)
Its lap time is slowly proving its value. I'm pretty astounded so many people can't see beyond the badge on the car, especially people who can't praise the Z06/ZR1 enough. I guess these are the kinds of people who would also ask "What kind of value does a Koenigsegg have?" I'm pretty sure the proof if in the laptime- ie. a car faster already than the McLaren SLR with a populated track.
jordan 6:29PM (7/29/2008)
@MachinaDC5
It's not just about that. Assuming they can best 7:30, you're just now getting close to the V-Spec's 7:29...and that has a $40k-less MSRP. Obviously both cars will sell for well above their MSRP, but you're still looking at a huge price difference. Also, I'd like to hear about its ability (or lack there-of) to be a daily driver, compared the standard GT-R (I haven't heard how the V-Spec handles as a DD).
jordan 6:30PM (7/29/2008)
Whoops...I mean the 7:29 was to the standard GT-R... so yea, good luck with that...
azzo45 6:31PM (7/29/2008)
The Z06 is $68-72,000. The ZR1 is $105,000 The NSX is 55K more than the MSRP of the "Blue Devil".
Its not getting hot for a Corvette badge & pissing on Acura's. Its pissing on parent company Honda's brass balls to charge $160,000 for their super car vision.
A number of "super cars" are coming in between 70K & peaking around 110K ... is Honda 50K better???
R-Yo 6:48PM (7/29/2008)
The 7:29 was the stock GT-R, not the V-SPEC
Blah 11:39PM (7/29/2008)
The GT-R's time was not on a populated track, and the extra 40k you are paying for is the daily driving ability and the luxury amenities that the V-Spec completely lacks. You can expect Lamborghini materials and build quality with the NSX. Plus, if Honda says they are going to best the GT-R, you better bet that they will follow through with their promise, don't forget they're an engineering company first, so don't doubt their performance, just their styling department needs a kick in the ass.
geo.stewart 2:07PM (7/29/2008)
Honda now means "butt ugly" in English.
The GTR is no supermodel but just about everything that came after the Civic is vomit-inducing
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KeatMP 2:22PM (7/29/2008)
I agree. I don't know a honda that looks good these dayss.
And for Autoblog to associate "legendary" with the old NSX, you must be smoking something. The thing only had a freakin V6 that never topped 290HP. I swear honda does not know how to make a performance anything. Hopefully this will change that but for 160k? Dang.
Franz 2:55PM (7/29/2008)
@ KeatMP:
I think you completely missed the point of the original NSX. It was never designed to be the most powerful car. Consider that it's final iteration (NSX Type R) ran the Nurburgring in 7:56 with less than 300hp and you'll start to understand the point of the NSX. And when it debuted, even though it's power output seemed modest, light weight (the worlds first all aluminum production car), amazing handling (suspension developed by F1 drivers Ayrton Senna and Satoru Nakajima) and dual personality from it's VTEC engine (first variable valve timing system in the US, plus titanium connecting rods and a screaming 8000rpm redline) meant that it could outperform the best that Europe had to offer on most circuits at the time, yet be fuel efficient and tractable in daily driving. And it brought something to the table that no other exotic could boast: reliability. Say what you want about it but almost every automotive publication I've ever read has credited the original NSX as being the reason Ferrari, Porsche and the like had to build better cars, because Honda proved that reliability issues and performance weren't synonymous. It was indeed legendary.
azzo45 3:33PM (7/29/2008)
keat: Honda can't build ANYTHING performance oriented?
The David Brabham driven Acura ALMS P2 car winning Lime Rock overall (beating Porsche & Audi) proves you wrong! Anybody that saw Senna & Prost win 15 out of 16 F1 GPs in 1988 proves Honda has indeed figured out performance... "SOMETHING"!!!
JMO
Mino 3:40PM (7/29/2008)
@ Keat
hmm yet another ignorant person of Honda's Race Bred history as well as Racing history
Vintage 4:00PM (7/29/2008)
Keat, if the old NSX is such a dog, why is it they have higher resale values than more poweful japanese supercars like the 300ZXTT, RX7TT, Supra MkIV, 3000GTVR4, etc etc etc.
The NSX is a scalpel. Not a sledgehammer. It wasn't made to have a billion HP and be fast in a straight line.