Call it a case of sibling rivalry. The new NSX is certain to enliven Acura showrooms when it arrives late this year, but what about Honda? Sure, the brand will be getting the new Civic Type R and possibly also a tiny mid-engine two-seater, the S1000, a more powerful export version of the Japanese-market S660 kei-car roadster. But how about a real, dedicated sports car that could be a halo model for the Honda brand? Well, it appears Honda will get exactly that, in the form of a slightly smaller, less expensive mid-engine sports car that is in effect a junior NSX.
-The edgy Honda coupe boasts similar proportions to Acura’s new supercar. It also incorporates technology from the all-wheel-drive hybrid performance flagship. The image above is a rendering from Holiday Auto, based on the latest inside information.
-A source close to Honda tells us that the Japanese carmaker not only has been debating the viability of a third mid-engine model for several years, but that the green light for development has finally been given. Unsurprisingly, the United States—which will be the car’s primary market—was the driving force behind the decision to develop the coupe.
-With development underway, engineers are leaning toward a longitudinally mounted 2.0-liter turbocharged VTEC four-cylinder taken from the Civic Type R but tuned to generate an even beefier 330 horsepower. Additionally, the baby NSX will employ a version of the SH-AWD (Super Handling AWD) system from the upcoming Acura “sports hybrid,” with two electric motors driving the front wheels, while the engine and a third electric motor power the rear wheels. Total system output is expected to be 400 horsepower or better. A nine-speed dual-clutch automatic handles the shifting. (For reference, we expect the NSX to produce “more than 550 horsepower,” while the Civic Type R is rated for 306 ponies.)
-To keep weight down, the car would use a bespoke aluminum space frame wrapped in body panels of aluminum and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. The special construction is one reason why the baby NSX would be assembled alongside its bigger sibling at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio.
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- Hai Performance: A Visual History of Japan’s Hottest Sports Cars
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- More 2016 Acura NSX Details Announced at SAE World Congress
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- Acura NSX Research: Everything You Need to Know About the Much-Anticipated Supercar
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The target price for the Honda brand’s halo sports car is less than $100,000, which would put it up against the Alfa Romeo 4C and upper-end versions of the Porsche Cayman. We could get our first look at this happy product of sibling rivalry at the 2018 Detroit auto show.
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from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1QtOeuB
via Agya
