Honda NSX prototype emerges

HONDA has uncovered a prototype version of its forthcoming second-generation NSX supercar ahead of its official debut at an IndyCar Series event in the US this weekend.

The all-new hybrid coupe will be sold in the US under the Acura brand from late next year, followed by other global markets in 2015.

These include the UK, where orders opened in April, but Honda Australia is still to confirm its introduction here.

Shown in a single photograph released by the Japanese car-maker last week, the prototype NSX (with “custom graphics”) will hit the racetrack at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on August 4, for a quick lap of the track just prior to the commencement of the race.

The vehicle is being developed at Honda’s North American R&D centre in Raymond, Ohio, and will be built nearby at the new Performance Manufacturing Centre in Marysville.

“The prototype model maintains the styling and proportions of the NSX Concept that debuted at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, while packaging the production vehicle’s mid-mounted V6 engine mated to Acura’s innovative new three-motor Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system,” the company said in a statement.

One of the electric motors from the hybrid system will sit between the engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, while the other two electric motors will drive each of the front wheels.

The near-production NSX concept’s design is reminiscent of the original NSX while giving it an entirely modern, almost futuristic look for its second incarnation.

The first-generation model went on sale in 1991 and became an iconic model for the Japanese car-maker, undercutting most of its more expensive European rivals on price while delivering exciting performance from its 3.0-litre mid-mounted engine.

It received a facelift in 2002 before being officially discontinued in 2005.