Honda NSX breathing down Nissan GT-R's neck
An all-new Japanese supercar is on the horizon, and it could deliver a knockout punch to GodzillaThe Nurburging lap time wars continue. We recently told you how Nissan's storming new GT-R lapped the daunting Nordschleife (northen loop) in 7min 29sec (more here) and how Cadillac's CTS-V accomplished the same feat in 7:59 (more here).
Well, now it's Honda's turn as reports emanating from Europe suggest a prototype of its all-new NSX supercar (which will be badged as an Acura) has lapped the 'green hell' in a brisk 7min 37sec.
This would be partially pleasing for Honda, as it shows the new-age NSX is on the pace, but company CEO Takeo Fukui is reportedly determined that the car must eclipse the feats of Nissan's latest-gen Godzilla.
As per the GT-R (but unlike the original NSX), the new Honda/Acura supercar features a 'front-midship; mounted engine, but rather than a twin-turbo V6, the latter is propelled by a V10 (it's rumoured to displace around 5.5 litres and pump out over 400kW).
Recent spy pics of the taped-up mule (pictured here, courtesy of Carparazzi), reveal a low-slung coupe with short-ish front and rear overhangs.
Some clues to how the NSX will shape up were provided at last year's Detroit motor show by the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept (pictured longside), and its maker confirmed at the time that the concept featured a powerful front-mounted, V10 engine and a new high-performance, rear-biased version of Honda/Acura's 'Super Handling All-Wheel Drive' (SH-AWD).
Word has it the V10 is hooked up to a new eight-speed sequential transmission, and the latest spy pics revealing the interior of the Nurburgring mule reveal paddle-shifters tucked behind the steering wheel.
The saga of the NSX replacement has been a long, drawn-out affair, as the company trundled out the HSC (High-performance Sports Concept) as long ago as the 2003 Tokyo motor show and many industry watchers speculated that it was conceived as the company's next uber-sportster.
However, the mid-engined V6 coupe concept seemed to fade into obscurity, and Honda's supercar project appeared to have been shelved until the appearance of the 2007 Advanced Sports Car Concept.
When will the production version finally arrive? A 2009 debut is being tipped, which suggests we may see it next year's Tokyo motor show...
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