Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept: 2009 Honda NSX?

Motoring Channel Staff - 11/Jan/2007

Detroit, USA — Honda used the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to take the wraps off a brand-new sports car, one that promises to entrench the Honda nameplate with the world's greatest sports cars.

Called the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept, the dull and boring name is nevertheless laying the groundwork for the next generation NSX, which will be badged a Honda outside of North America, and an Acura within.

As Honda states, the dynamically styled concept provides a preview of the design direction for the successor to the Acura NSX.

The Japanese company says that the car was created to take exotic sports car styling to a new level. The concept is designed to incorporate a powerful front-mounted, V10 engine and a new high-performance, rear-wheel-drive based version of Honda's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system.

"The Acura brand will always be a home for people who love to drive," said Takeo Fukui, president & CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. "As we advance toward building a car like this, I can tell you it will feature advanced technology matching our passion for performance."

The idea of a V10 engine makes less sense now because Honda's Formula One race car uses a V8 engine, so to create an F1 parallel between the two will be more difficult. But the prospect of a Japanese-built 10-cylinder engine should be enough to make most followers of the modern car scene weak at the knees.

Honda has relied on 6-cylinder engines as it's biggest and strongest yet, so a switch to a V10 engine would be very interesting, and would be capable of revving to very high levels, perhaps around 9500rpm. Generally speaking, most Honda engines are high revving, typified by the Integra Type S.

The Advanced Sports Car Concept's exterior demonstrates a dynamic fusion of advanced technology and emotion, says Honda, where the long, pronounced hood features deeply sculpted lines and embossed air vents, both of which hint at the powerful engine beneath. The exterior shoulder line runs the length of the body, creating a ribbon-like effect from the front headlights to the rear wheel arches, evoking a feeling of movement and power according to the Japanese car maker.

Although modern in its appearance, the Advanced Sports Car Concept retains the subtle cues associated with its predecessor, the NSX. The concept's slim, LED headlights are pushed wide and designed to mimic the pop-up headlights found on the first generation NSX. Other styling hints include a modern take on wraparound rear taillights and the all black cockpit, plus bold wheel arches and flares add to the concept's aggressive appearance.

"Our intention was to design an exotic sports car that gracefully combines advanced technology and strong emotion," said Jon Ikeda, principal designer at Acura Design Center. "The technical, machined surfaces and keen-edge design are balanced with sweeping curves and dramatic lines, all of which results in the ultimate exotic sports car."

Wide and low to the ground with a 2764mm wheelbase, the concept is anchored by 19-inch front and 20-inch rear performance tyres which are mounted to custom billet-machined, polished aluminum wheels. Powerful, ventilated carbon ceramic brake discs with huge eight-piston calipers accent the wheels, and showcase the improving braking technology that filters down from the Formula One paddock. 

The low slung cabin is constructed entirely of tinted glass and sits flush against the body. There are inherent safety concerns with an entirely glass cockpit, but this is still a concept car, and nothing has been confirmed for production yet. 

The door handles are also flush mounted, allowing the sports car to retain a clean and aerodynamic appearance, and hinting at its super car status, the vehicle even has a Ferrari-like carbon fibre underbody and the rear is finished with aggressive quad exhaust pipes and integrated rear diffusers, further communicating its high performance potential.

A rear-wheel drive, V10-powered Honda sports car? It would have been an impossibility a few years ago, but with this new concept, the reality just got a little closer. The vehicle also has a subtle resemblance to Nissan's upcoming GT-R, which is expected to change the status quo in the exotic performance coupe segment, something that Honda has now decided it wants to be a part of.

The Advanced Sports Car Concept was designed by the Acura's Los Angeles-based design team that was working at the new Acura Design Center. If built, the car would be marketed as a Honda outside of the United States.

Related articles:
- Honda Civic Type R (2007)
- Honda REMIX (concept)
- Honda's Customised Cars: SEMA (2006)
- Honda Civic Hybrid (Road Test)
- Honda MDX (2007)
- Honda CR-V (2007)
- Honda Legend (2006)