1
NEWS
Honda planning mid-engined threesome
S660 mini sportster confirmed for production – and export – but there's more...What a transformation. From the ho-hum minivan company that pulled out of F1 in 2008 and cancelled its signature NSX and S2000 sports cars, to a car-maker rekindling the winning McLaren-Honda F1 partnership while readying a new breed of sports cars including a hybrid NSX and hot Civic Type R, Honda's turnaround is nothing short of breathtaking.
But the rebirth does not stop there. Unveiled at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, the S660 sports mini-coupe, powered by a turbocharged 660cc three-cylinder engine racks up two mid-engined sports cars for Honda, if you position the minicar under the new mid-engined hybrid NSX. The export S660 model is expected to get a 1.0 litre turbocharged unit generating over 100kW.
According to a source close to Honda, there is another. And it's been in the pipeline for no less than ten years! That's right, a third mid-engined sports coupe is currently under evaluation, and if made, will slot right in between the NSX and S660.
Our insider tells of a ground-breaking project that promises to create one of the most radical line-ups of sports cars ever. In June this year, dozens of Honda's top executives and engineers will convene a secret in-house meeting at their Tochigi R&D center in Japan to discuss the market potential for a medium-sized, mid-engined coupe that will drop right in between the mighty NSX and turbocharged S660. This would create the world's first-ever mid-engined sports car threesome. And from what we are hearing, the potential for this coupe to get a green light is very strong.
Why? Because deep down inside, Honda really wants to make this car. We are told that an early prototype already sits on a revised Accord platform, but significantly modified to cater to a mid-engined V6 powerplant. The exterior borrows sheetmetal from an out-of-production Integra that's been specially sliced to fit the necessary dimensions. But the final production model will incorporate a combination of carbon fiber and aluminium to keep curb weight down while maintaining rigidity.
"Remember the FC Sports design study model that debuted at the 2008 LA Auto Show? Well that name is still a possibility but the study model is not," says our source. That's around the same timing as the global financial crisis struck when cars like the V10 powered NSX were just months away from completion. "What is strange is that the NSX was cancelled, but the 'small NSX' that we're talking about here was not. In fact, the only reason that this mid-engined coupe is still on the table is because there is a much more positive breeze blowing through Honda now and the NSX and S660 both got a green light."
Our source reveals that many of Honda's senior directors believe that if you have 'large' and 'small' mid-engined coupes, then why not build a mid-sized one too? If it is given a green light, and all signs point in that direction, then its main markets will be the US and China, given that the market for mid-sized sports cars is falling on a global scale.
Boasting NSX-like lines but downsized proportionately, this coupe will not get the V6 mentioned above but rather a revised version of the new Civic Type R's 2.0-litre turbocharged engine sending over 260kW-plus of power to the rears. This would help keep R&D costs to a minimum while maximising performance. A modified version of the NSX's SH-AWD (four-wheel-drive) system will distribute power to the fronts, creating a unique 4WD system. It will also employ hybrid technology co-developed in conjunction with its new McLaren F1 relationship.
One race team member close to Honda suggests that this mid-engined coupe will employ a powertrain very similar to that found in the Mugen CR-Z GT competing in Japan's Super GT Series. It packs a 2.8 litre V6 twin turbo hybrid powerplant that's mounted amidship and low right behind the driver. The turbo-hybrid combination neutralises turbo lag completely while improving fuel efficiency markedly. "What you see in that engine bay, including the way the hybrid is set up, is pretty close to what you'll see in the new Honda sports car. But it'll be a four-cylinder so they can differentiate it from the new NSX which has a V6." And to keep production costs down, our source tells us that Honda would consider manufacturing the coupe alongside the NSX in Ohio.
Expected to go on sale in late 2017, around the same time as the Toyota-BMW jointly developed sports car and the next generation rotary-powered Mazda RX7, the mid-engined Honda's price tag should hover around $50,000.
Picture courtesy of Holiday Auto Magazine
Share this article
Written byPeter Lyon
See all articlesOur team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todaySell your car with Instant Offer™
Like trade-in but price is regularly higher
1. Get a free Instant Offer™ online in minutes2. An official local dealer will inspect your car3. Finalise the details and get paid the next business day
Get a free Instant Offer
Related articles
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®Contact
Advertise with us
Local marketplaces
International marketplaces
Scan to download the carsales app
Want more info? Here’s our app landing page
App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo
are trademarks of Google LLC.