Honda NSX 2015 Review

Honda NSX

Quick spin
Tochigi, Japan

Two laps of a banked test track at Honda's Tochigi proving ground was nothing like enough to fully explore Honda's long-awaited hybrid sports car, the NSX. But it was enough to leave the six Aussie journalists who sampled the car with broad grins.

The 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 starts with almost a raw, race-car bark, just like a V8 Jaguar or an AMG-fettled Mercedes – and it conveys not even a hint of fuel-saving parsimony as it pins you back in the seat under full-throttle acceleration, the nine-speed
dual-clutch transmission going about its business capably and without fuss.

Two examples of the NSX were available for testing. One was a right-hook version wearing Honda badges, but I drove the left-hand drive Acura version. Both cars were limited to 180km/h around the track, which was more restrictive than it needed to be, given a front-wheel drive 1.5-litre Jade wagon for the Chinese market was pretty settled on the lowest banked lane of the track at an indicated speed of 183km/h.

The transmission already mentioned is operated by buttons in the centre console, using a new configuration that Honda plans to introduce across a range of cars over the next few years. It's quite straightforward to use, but signals that Honda is joining Ferrari in the league of high-prestige sports cars that have done away with the awfully archaic gear lever.

It goes without saying that the NSX was highly stable as it entered each bend. The car's composure was a confidence-boosting trait, helped in no small part by the torque vectoring available from the two electric motors mounted up front. As the car detected a loss of grip at the front, no matter how slight, one motor provided additional torque to the outside front wheel to nose the car over into the corner more – much like the ATTS differential of the company's Prelude coupe from 1997.

As a bonus, this electric wonder car offered tactile steering feel at speed, but the weight could be dialled out at low speeds by opting for one of the operating modes that change the steering assistance and the drivetrain's operating parameters. This system provides several different modes, among them Sport +, Sport, Normal, EV and Quiet. In

Sport mode (and in the more aggressive Sport+), the shift paddles could be used for more engine braking, although the regenerative braking produced that to a significant degree anyway.

Behind the wheel, the NSX is just like any other Honda – good driving position that is quickly and easily sorted, along with snug but comfortable seats. Climbing in proved to be no challenge at all, despite the NSX being a car with a low centre of gravity and just two doors.

Naturally there's little to learn about the car's ride and NVH from blasting around a test track, but notwithstanding the undiluted bellow from the engine, the NSX is quiet. An in-depth assessment of the car will have to wait for a full media launch. What is apparent from even this brief test is that the NSX feels more like a real sports touring coupe than the BMW i8 does.

Everything about this car feels right too. It's fast and competent, but a practical car for every day, as well. That's possibly its one 'flaw' – it lacks the unfinished edginess of some sports cars of similar performance potential.

Honda's decision to go hybrid probably won't earn it more sales, but it's the responsible thing to do – and it will cost the company nothing when the NSX is such a good thing.

2015 Honda NSX pricing and specifications:
Price: TBA
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 turbo-petrol
Output: 427kW*/646Nm (combined)
Transmission: Nine-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: TBA
CO2: TBA
Safety Rating: TBA
* converted from 573hp to SAE nett standard

What we liked:
>> Full-blooded V6
>> Steering, dynamic composure
>> Assertive looks

Not so much:
>> It will cost as much as some serious rivals
>> But it won't have the prestige brand
>> Styling might date rapidly

Also consider:
>> BMW i8 (from $299,000 plus ORCs)
>> Ferrari LaFerrari (N/A in Australia)
>> McLaren P1 (N/A in Australia)