Honda’s NSX Is Back: Now SeXier Than Ever

2015 is fixing to be a huge year for Honda.

First the company is returning to Formula 1 as engine supplier to its old partner, Team McLaren. Back in the late 1980s, the McLaren-Honda alliance dominated F1, winning forty-four Grands Prix and four Constructors’ and four Drivers’ World Championships from 1988-1992. In 1988, the first year of the partnership, the combination actually won 15 out of 16 GPs.

But as awesome as Honda’s return to F1 is, perhaps just as noteworthy is the return of the mighty NSX mid-engine supercar to Honda’s lineup.

The company unveiled the new NSX (to be sold under the Acura banner in the States, but as a Honda everywhere else) on Monday at the Detroit Auto Show. Like the original, the new NSX is a high-tech automotive masterpiece inspired by racing engineering and ideas.

For example, the car’s new twin-turbo V6 has a 75° angle between its cylinder banks. This angle is unusual for V6s, but Honda has used this layout to great success in IndyCars for the last few years. Also race-inspired is the dry sump oil system (designed to mitigate against high-Gs during cornering, acceleration, and braking). The new NSX also has the benefit of F1-style electric power boosting in the form of a trio of electric motors. That means this NSX is capable of hybrid and all-electric motivation as well. Two of the electric motors are tied to the front axles – yep, this NSX is all-wheel drive, as opposed to the old one’s rear-wheel drive layout – which will aid handling and traction as well as acceleration.

Honda’s new supercar also features a nine-speed semi-automatic transmission. A dual-clutch design – yet another nod to Honda’s racing pedigree – will ensure the NSX will have the quickest, smoothest shifts possible.

A final nod to racing inspiration is the fact that the NSX is constructed with racing car materials and techniques. The spaceframe is made of aluminum augmented strategically with high-strength steel, and a carbon fiber floor adds stiffness and rigidity. The body, meanwhile, stays lightweight with the use of Sheet Molding Composite (SMC) and aluminum. Speaking of the body, the styling is far more aggressive than the original NSX design, with a cab-forward look that evokes images of a predator poised to strike. The body is also festooned with air intakes and outlets, suggesting that the aggressive form actually follows optimized aerodynamic priorities.

Honda hasn’t released any vital statistics regarding the NSX’s power output, fuel mileage, electrical power figures, and range. Nor has it revealed when the car will go on sale, but one thing we do know is its price: $150,000. Start saving.