Exactly a year after Acura first displayed a conceptual study for a new NSX sports car at the North American International Auto Show in 2012, the Japanese company returned to Detroit today with a redesigned version of the study that includes a complete interior.
When we first saw a set of leaked, low-quality pictures of the NSX Concept II earlier in the morning, it wasn’t clear if the car featured any changes to the exterior design.
As it turns out, it does, beginning with a new front fascia featuring a much less pronounced version of Acura’s beak-like grille with a new carbon fiber structure that also appears on the side vents of the front and rear bumpers. Acura also inserted clear turning signals up front, and an LED strip in the center of both taillights.
At the back, we also find a new diffuser made from visible carbon fiber as well as a new see-through plastic surround for the license plate section.
As mentioned previously, this is the first time we see the interior of the concept, which sports a minimalistic design without a lot of knobs and controls, and is dressed in a combination of leather and Alcantara with carbon fiber trims used on the dashboard, the elevated center console and the door panels.
“The interior package boasts outstanding visibility, an exotic driving position, and an intuitive ‘Simple Sports Interface’ that minimizes interior clutter, allowing the driver to focus on the driving experience,” Acura said in a statement.
There are no changes to the car’s hybrid powertrain that connects a mid-mounted, direct-injected V6 engine to Acura’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) system with three electric motors – one integrated with the V6 engine and two driving the front wheels, along with an all-new dual-clutch transmission (DCT).
“This further evolution of the Acura NSX Concept design is remarkably true to the original concept styling,” said Mike Accavitti, Acura vice president of national marketing operations. “We’re making great progress in delivering on the expectations we created a year ago, with advanced technology that will bring new levels of performance and a unique, dynamic experience to the exotic sports car market.”
The production version of the NSX, which will be sold as an Acura in North America and under Honda’s nameplate in the rest of the world, will be manufactured at a new production facility in central Ohio, with sales to begin in late 2014 or early 2015.
