[2003 Honda HSC Concept pictured above]
Finally, Honda has stopped beating around the bush and has come out in the open about the successor to the NSX, revealing more details about its forthcoming sports car.
The bottom line is that: the new NSX is coming; it will be a real sports car in the vein of the original (that is, lightweight and easy to drive); it will probably use next-generation hybrid technology; its unveiling is imminent and it could go on sale much sooner than anyone suspected.
The head of Honda’s R&D department, Mibe Toshihiro, confirmed to British magazine Autocar that the company is already working on a flagship sports car modeled after the original NSX.
The news comes only a few weeks after Honda’s CEO, Takanobu Ito, said that the new NSX is indeed being developed, but would be quite different in character to its lightweight predecessor.
Toshihiro’s statement does not necessarily contradict that of his boss: “President Ito has already mentioned a new NSX, and we have looked at that in the R&D department”, he said.
“We are now at a point where we can consider the next generation of electric and hybrid vehicles. It would be an interesting project: electric or hybrid vehicles can be as fun as economical. I cannot say more than that,” Toshihiro added.
According to reports, a thinly disguised concept version of the new Honda (Acura in the US) NSX could be unveiled at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show, with the production model going on sale as early as next year.
The same sources stressed, however, that the schedule may change since Honda, along with all other Japanese car manufacturers, is still facing supply problems after the March earthquake despite production capability of its domestic plants returning to normal.
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