NSX sports car on track

The run showcases the steady progress being made toward the planned 2015 launch of Honda’s next-generation, mid-engine hybrid supercar, the company said in a statement. 

“With leadership from our R&D and manufacturing teams here in Ohio, we are developing a next generation sports car that will be equally at home on the street and on the race track, so it is natural for us to showcase the prototype vehicle here at Mid-Ohio,” Ted Klaus, chief engineer of Honda R&D Americas Inc, said. “It is exciting for us to see the prototype running on track, reflecting the great progress we’re making toward the 2015 global launch of the NSX, as we engineer a new sports-car experience for customers around the world.” 

Targeting next-generation supercar dynamic capabilities with advanced environmental performance, the NSX will be powered by a mid-mounted, direct-injected V-6 engine mated to Honda’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) system. Honda says that this is an all-new, three-motor high-performance hybrid system that combines torque vectoring all-wheel drive with advanced hybrid efficiency through the use of three electric motors – one motor integrated with the V6 engine and its all-new dual-clutch transmission (DCT) driving the rear wheels, and two motors driving the front wheels. The system enables instant delivery of negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering to achieve a new level of driving performance unparalleled by current AWD systems. 

Global development of the NSX is being led by engineers at Honda R&D Americas Inc in Raymond, Ohio. Honda’s next-generation sports car will be produced in nearby Marysville using domestic and globally sourced parts at its newly established Performance Manufacturing Centre, which is under construction.