TacoBello

Yes, correct. However, I'd be surprised if the 2G NSX doesn't at least have a sunroof. Maybe targa again? Either way, that stiffening does add weight.

Even at 3200lbs, I'd say that would be incredible for the new NSX. The safety requirements alone from 2005 to 2015 are higher, along with so much other stuff. Electronics and wiring harnesses alone I bet are beefier, due to there being more involved with modern cars. I also forgot the batteries that power the electric motors in my previous post.

I can see the weight getting to 3200lbs if three things happen:
1. The NSX has a solid roof only (no targa, no sunroof)
2. The body has numerous components (doors, hood, trunk) made from carbon fibre (I doubt the entire chassis will be CF, not because honda can't do it, but because of ultimate cost)
3. The interior features will be minimalistic. No things such as nav, heated/cooled seats. Basic stereo limited to 4 speakers. Etc.

Every gram counts and we already know the new NSX will be dealing with additional weight from many engine/drivetrain components the previous NSX never had. Even bigger/wider wheels will add weight, and the later NSX already benefitted from forged wheels, so there won't be the benefit of smaller/cast on the old NSX vs. larger/forged on the new.

Seeing as the GTR is above 3800lbs, I can imagine the NSX running around 3500-3600. That's still pretty impressive in this day and age.

MeehowsBRZ

Well, you are special.

Legend2TL

That sounds about right, especially the 590
Also gotta remember when the 1G NSX came it it was less powerful 270HP than it's main competition (911, 348, and Vette). Despite that and because of it's light weight and balance and overall package it was still won comparison reviews.

Modern safety, batteries, motors, AWD, ... most probably weights more than 1G, maybe even 3300-3400lb.

TacoBello

Yes, this is true.

I think the tipping point for the 2G weight will be based on how much carbon fibre is incorporated into the car.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

The 2G NSX would probably come out as a coupe at first, may be there will be a targa version later?

Anyhow, it's possible that there's no sunroof, as shown in the prototype:


It's actually very common for these cars to not have a sunroof....look at R8, 458 Italia, Gallardo, GTR, etc.

TacoBello

Yeah, I know, but it'd be cool if it did have a targa roof... Paying homage to the 1G.

Secretly I'm hoping it does. The 2G seems to have nothing in common with the 1G at all.

kurtatx

The weight thing makes me nervous. That SH SH-AWD system must be heavy.

suspekt360

The weight of 3,200 is quite optimistic I know. But the LFA did come in under 3,300 pounds albeit without electric 4wd and 3.5x the price.

The more I think about, the more I realize Acura painted themselves into a corner with this car. They have little to gain and much to lose.

The should have spent this effort making a road going version of the TLX racer. Meaning:
- "in the f%cking metal" wide body
- twin turbo V6 (the bespoke NSX design will never see the light of day in a regular model)
- SH AWD

A 4 door TLX smoking AMG's is what Acura needed the most.

Love the brand. Own one. Kinda choked tho

fsttyms1

The RLX Sport Hybrid is 350lbs heavier than the RLX


3997 lb. (1813 kg): RLX w/ Advance Package

4354 lb. (1975 kg): RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD w/ Advance Pkg.


Im sure being the NSX they took many opportunities to shed as much weight as possible to make up for the added weight

Black Tire

Before the McLaren P1/Porsche 918. The Lexus LF-A was Top Gears/ Jeremy Clarkson #1 car. It would need something very special from Acura to even come close to those accolades.

TacoBello

I'm thinking the same thing... And also thinking that they should have dropped the NSX name and went for something new. If the car doesn't live up, all they say is "well it's not an NSX. Fuck off"

Yeaaaaah... No. I don't agree with that at all. Acura has many smaller battles to win before it gets to that stage.


Who cares what Jeremy clarkson thinks? That guy is an asshole and who cares what a guy living 7000 miles away thinks about cars.

As already pointed out, the LFA costs 3.5 times more, and the P1/918 cost 7+ times more than the NSX will. The car will simply not compete. It's impossible.

Back in the day, the 1G NSX targeted Ferrari because by the end of the day, people were paying huge bucks for the Ferrari name. Acura decided to offer similar performance without milking a brand name (not that anyone would pay Ferrari prices for a new, Japanese brand anyway).

It's well known that Lexus was losing money on the LFA, but did it more so to show off their capabilities. It sounds like Honda is poised to make money on the NSX, so I really wonder how a car selling for 130-150k (and realistically, a 100-125k car for Honda to manufacture) will compete against a car that costs several times more to even manufacture.

By the end of the day, I think the NSX will be touted as being a good "bang for your buck" in terms of what you get, but it won't be destroying many more expensive cars out there. Even if the P1/918/LaFerrari are being sold for double or triple of what it costs to produce them, it's still a shit ton more than the NSX.

kurtatx

But everyone on Top Gear, including Clarkson, recognized the car was just too expensive.

At the NSX's supposed price point, anything half as good would be taken more seriously.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Well they are both called NSX

On a serious note, NSX stands for New Sportscar eXperimental. The 1G NSX had many innovative technologies. It seems like the 2G NSX will also have many new technologies that are not found in this class of cars (R8, GTR, 458, etc). The most obvious new technologies in this class would be the hybrid system and the electric torque vectoring system. I guess we will find out soon enough if there are other innovations.

Another thing is the driving experience. The 1G NSX was known to be easy to drive and easy to live with compared to its peers back then. The focus was on the relationship between the car and the driver, not just performance numbers and lap times. It seems like the new NSX will be like that too, but we won't know for sure until people start testing it.

TacoBello

Yeah, but design language wise, there is very little, if any, carryover, besides it being a mid engine two seater. It's like Honda was showing (in japan) the new s2000 concept, as essentially being a baby 2G NSX... How you can go from a drop top roadster to a mid engine hardtop and still call it the same name is beyond me.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

ohh lol ya I see what you mean now.

TacoBello

I'm not going to lie- I get frustrated thinking about the new NSX, thinking it's going to bomb and it'll be the worst thing ever... And then I saw the 30 second NSX teaser the other day and I almost wet myself.

I really hope it's good, but it has some big shoes to fill- part of it being because it's been sooooo long of a wait.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, the delayed part just shot up the expectation of this car. People were making fun of it because Honda might have realized the spec they had in mind wasn't going to be competitive in the market, so they chose to delay the production.

Hopefully this car will be AWESOME and have some nicely competitive price like the original R35 GTR!

thomas001

A Closer Look at Honda's Coming New Mid-Engine Supercar

Nexx

i was hoping for real pics... not renderings..

TacoBello

I believe there have been changes made to the car and those renderings are pretty old. The latest teaser video shows different wheels and the headlights were mildly restyled.

Chief F1 Fan

If this is the shape, I'm not too impressed

NSX-Tuner

The rear view is much improved... but I'm still not crazy about it. But that ugly front beak is just plain hideous.

Ken1997TL

Driving visibility will be very impressive compared to most cars.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I like the front end. I wish the rear end was a little more "exotic" looking.

Yumcha

Well, sure...considering most of the car has burnt off, you'll see 360 easily.

Edward'TLS

When the rear license plate of that NSX concept says "NSX Concept", this means the styling of the real production vehicle will be even more tamer.

MeehowsBRZ

I'm so glad the production car won't have those ugly wheels.

TacoBello

I agree about the front.. When will acura finally listen and realize that the whole beak look is horrendous. If I were to facepalm any harder, I'd break my neck...

thomas001

Ya This Is Genuine...

MeehowsBRZ

We really appreciate the genuine outdated renders.

fsttyms1

AZuser

thomas001 is a spammer

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Black Tire

I agree. We have already seen lines like this from cars 7 years ago.

Legend2TL

I'm expecting some CF in the 2G, probably in the hood, decklid, maybe fenders. Prepreg prices have come down alot in the last decade, the main holdup for production CF is shape/size, cure oven time, and labor layup time.

The C7 should be an inspiration for other car designers/engineers as to what exotic car tech can be done without exotic car prices (AL frame, CF floor pans, electronic diff, ceramic brakes,...).

Fibonacci

Countdown to the big reveal...


Fearless pulled out of my @$$ predictions:

1. 530 hp/420 ft-lb torque
2. 3500 lbs
3. $140,000 base price

MTEAZY

There was no S2000 concept.

Those are just pictures of the original 2012 design.


You're all morons.

TacoBello

No need to be an asshole. There wasn't an official concept of the s2, but there were images from japan of such car, apparently being claimed as the next s2. I can't read Japanese- I just go by what I read on nsxprime.

TacoBello

I predict:
1. 560 hp/560 ft-lb torque (twin turbo + 3 electric motors = huge torque)
2. 3500 lbs
3. $135,000 base price

Excited for tomorrow nonetheless!!!

TSX69

For New NSX, Acura's Designing Woman

Michelle Christensen wanted to get into the automotive design program at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design. So admissions officers asked her for a portfolio of car sketches.

She had none.

Christensen had designed prom dresses in high school. She didn't even know car design was a career until her 2nd year of community college in Cupertino, Calif.

------------
FOR THE RECORD:
Acura designer: An article in the Jan. 11 Business section about automobile designer Michelle Christensen misspelled the last name of architect Zaha Hadid as Haddad. —
------------

Apparently she's a quick study. Now 34, Christensen has designed the new Acura NSX, a Ferrari-fighting supercar making its world debut Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"The design had to enhance the function of the car," says Michelle Christensen, who designed Acura's 2nd-generation NSX. "It forced me to grow as a designer." Above, a mock-up of the revamped supercar. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

"It looks fast even when it is parked," said Acura General Manager Mike Accavitti. "It is the ultimate expression of the Acura brand."

Cars weren't completely foreign to Christensen when she started a night school class in car design in 2002. As a teen, she hung out with her father in the garage of their San Jose home, watching him tinker with hot rods and muscle cars and eventually learning how to do the work herself.

"I developed a passion for mechanical things," said Christensen, who now lives in downtown Los Angeles. "I like the noise of an engine and the way cars smell."

This 2nd-generation NSX — Acura sold its predecessor from 1990 to 2005 — will produce an entirely different noise from the roar of a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle, which has been Christensen's dream car for decades.
lRelated Top autos of 2014 stood out for their superb execution

The new NSX will be an all-wheel-drive hybrid. A twin-turbocharged, mid-mounted V-6 engine sits behind the 2-seat cockpit and powers the rear wheels. 2 electric motors, one mounted near each of the front wheels, add additional power and control. A 3rd electric motor is integrated with the engine to supply extra power.

The car is expected to produce 500 horsepower, though Acura hasn't given official figures. The price won't be announced until it goes on sale next year, but is likely to fall in the $120,000 to $180,000 range. It will serve as the "halo" vehicle for the upscale Honda division, Accavitti said, meant to imbue the entire brand with a performance image.

Christensen understands that great design takes more than a great image, said Tisha Johnson, a car designer at Volvo Car Group in Sweden who once taught at Art Center. Designers have to craft a compelling story to sell the design language to those with the power to greenlight ambitious projects, she said.

Although she may have started with no portfolio, Christensen's early car drawings earned her an internship at Volvo's Camarillo studio, Johnson said.

John Krsteski, an Art Center instructor and manager of Hyundai Design North America in Irvine, also saw Christensen's skills develop. He understands why Acura hired her in 2005, then gave Christensen the task of styling its sexiest, most sophisticated car 3 years ago.

He recalled a performance car concept for Chrysler that Christensen created as an Art Center project.

"She nailed it," Krsteski said. "Michelle showed a solid design sense of proportion and profile in the overall stance of the car."

Krsteski would have liked to hire Christensen for Hyundai, but by then she already had a good relationship with Honda.

Honda recruited Christensen during her last year at Art Center. She also had interest from Chrysler, but that would have required a move to Detroit, not ideal for a California native.

There was another powerful reason to stay in California. Within days of entering the Art Center's car design program, Christensen met fellow student Jason Wilbur, now her husband. They started work at Honda on the same day. He heads Honda's Advanced Design Studio, not far from the couple's downtown apartment.

She is the first female exterior designer at Acura but doesn't believe that gender makes much difference in car design. "Even the guys here will talk about shoes," she said.

Christensen also was given the Women on Top Award by Marie Claire Magazine as an up-and-coming female professional.

Christensen says her life pretty much follows a set pattern. Workout at the CrossFit gym, work and sleep. On the weekends, she participates in CrossFit competitions, plays golf and hikes.

Before the NSX, Christensen worked on Acura's ZDX, a low-slung crossover the automaker scuttled last year. She also contributed to a refresh of the Acura RLX sedan.

The NSX was the 1st project she headed, and it proved an entirely different challenge.

Christensen had to make a pretty car, but also ensure that the exterior enhanced the NSX's performance. Every curve had to serve a purpose, such as producing aerodynamic down force to push the car toward the pavement to improve traction and cornering. The vehicle needed large but graceful vents to feed the twin-turbo engine and cool the brakes.

"The design had to enhance the function of the car," Christensen. "It forced me to grow as a designer."

The result had what Christensen terms "emotional surfaces" that demand attention and imply movement. At the same time, she wanted an aggressive stance.

"That comes from my background as an American woman who grew up with hot rods," Christensen said.

There were practical considerations, too, such as leaving enough space in the trunk to fit 2 carry-on bags or 1 set of golf clubs.

"As a designer, I used to fight that," she said. "Now that I play golf, I understand."

Christensen also took some cues from the previous NSX, including a black roof and tail lights that span the entire width of the rear deck.

Finding other automotive inspiration elsewhere was easy, said Christensen, who commutes to Acura's design center in Torrance in a Honda Pilot.

"Since we are in L.A., we have supercars crawling everywhere," she said, including Ferraris, Bentleys and even an occasional Lamborghini in her building's parking garage.

Elsewhere, Christensen draws inspiration from a touch of fashion design — the shoe business — and architecture.

She's an admirer of Zaha Haddad, the Iraqi-British architect whose buildings employ honeycomb structures, curves and flowing lines to exude movement. Haddad's design for the King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, resembles a cruise ship gliding over the sea.

Cars, it turns out, are not so unlike buildings.

"You have a skeleton," Christensen said, "that you have to wrap up with a beautiful form."

Legend2TL

^ IIRC The two golf bag rule has applied to Vette designers since the C3