12/21/08

2008 Honda Accord Coupe Concept - Video

Honda's next-gen Accord will be in your neighborhood showroom this fall.

 

This wedge-shaped coupe is Honda's most daring styling exercise in a while.


 

2008 Honda AquaTrax F-15X

You go, water dog!

The recent history of personal watercraft reads much like the evolution of the automobile over the past 50 years, only condensed into a decade or so. EPA and CARB regulations have caused a 90-percent reduction in watercraft emissions, with fuel-injected four-stroke engines replacing two-stroke carbureted units. In the process, exhaust noise has been drastically reduced, and refinement is way up. Meanwhile, instead of offering room for just one rider to stand up, ever-increasing size and weight have resulted in enough space for two passengers to sit down.

The best part of all this, as with cars, is the phenomenal spike in horsepower that has occurred. In 1998, a three-seat Sea-Doo made 85 horsepower. But many of today's personal watercraft are turbo- or supercharged and make 200—or even250—horsepower. Indeed, in 2000, the Coast Guard's concern that performance was getting out of hand prompted a gentlemen's agreement among watercraft builders to limit top speeds to 65 mph.

Keep Reading: 2008 Honda AquaTrax F-15X

 

2009 Honda Insight

A peek at the hybrid Honda would show at its Detroit press conference—if it were having one.

The production version of Honda's Insight hybrid is headed for a fanfare-free debut at the increasingly desolate Detroit show in January: Honda has said that it will maintain a presence at the show, but will forego its normal press conference in light of the global economic downturn.

Previewed in concept form at last October's Paris auto show, the Insight is Honda's answer to the Toyota Prius. It shares the Toyota's basic shape—owing to efficiency and aerodynamics—but adds a bit of Honda style. The single advance photo of the production version reveals that not much has changed from the concept, although the side mirrors have grown to a more useful size, the wheels are smaller, and the head- and taillights have a much more conventional look.

Keep Reading: 2009 Honda Insight

 

David Richards To Buy Honda Team?

Dave Richards

And in today's episode of "As The Camshaft turns" …

OK, as you know, Honda bailed from F1 racing with about 17 hours notice. 'Too expensive' they cried. 'World economic downturn' they moaned. Although actually it is looking more and more that getting their rear wings handed to them by the likes of Toro Rosso and Toyota had more to do with it than just plain money. Shoot, even the good crew over at Axis of Oversteer is saying that 'BMW calls Honda girly men for quitting Formula 1.

As they were leaving, Honda did say that if they could find a buyer, they'd be more than willing to sell the team and it's assets (you know, little trinkets like rolling road wind tunnels and server farms you'd ordinarily find in places like Fort Mead) if anyone was interested.

'F1 team for sale?!?!' said Dave Richards.

There's more, after the jump.

Richards is the guy behind ProDrive, the British outfit that runs Subaru's WRC team (and quite well thank you) and also runs Aston Martin's Le Mans efforts (and quite well thank you). Richards also really, really wanted to run his own F1 team. He was in it to the point of having an agreement to run a B-team of McLaren sourced customer cars … but then that fell through (and McLaren is now in an agreement with Force India of all things) and Dave Richards was left out in the cold.

But now, a-HA!, Honda bails. And all their bright, shiny toys (like rolling road wind tunnels and server farms you'd ordinarily find in places like Fort Mead) could be picked up for Pence on the Pound. And Dave Richards has a LOT of those. But wait, it gets even better. "To boost the chances of a sale, embarrassed Honda has offered to bear the team's outstanding debts, and offer for sale the excellent facilities of the squad for a nominal fee as low as $1." says the news sources.

That low-low, fire sale price does not come without strings however.

"The successful buyer would have to convince Honda that it could safeguard the future of the team, even if many of the 700 employees would be retrenched as the annual budget is slashed from its current $300 million to as little as $70m."

Yeah, that's a pretty tall order … but what it DOES do is make the nut of running an F1 team in the tens of millions of dollars range, rather than the hundreds of millions. That would be very attractive to a guy like Richards. "The Daily Telegraph" said that Dave Richards, could be in a position to seal the deal by the end of this weekend.

It ain't over yet folks

Source: SpeedTV

 

Honda cancels development of V10-powered NSX successor

Amid the announcement of its third profit warning of the year, Honda has confirmed that it has canceled plans for the launch of a successor to the NSX supercar. The new V10-powered model was expected to arrive in the United States next year as an Acura, but sadly all development work on the car has come to an end. Honda CEO Takeo Fukui confirmed the plan in his end of year speech, saying that all development of the car would cease. Fukui also revealed that plans to introduce the Acura brand to Japan in 2010 have all been canned, reports Automotive News.

Honda

 

The news comes less than two weeks after Honda announced that it planned to pull out of next year's Formula One season, citing financial constraints as the main reason. Honda also announced today that it is lowering its annual operating profit forecast by 67% - its third profit warning of the year. The carmaker now expects its operating profit for the business year to March 31 to be $2 billion - down 81% from last year.

Instead, Honda will focus on developing more fuel-efficient hybrid and diesel models, especially in the compact car segments. Plans for a minicar positioned below the Fit (Jazz) are still on track, as are plans for the CR-Z hybrid sports car.

© Source: autofans

 

Honda Accord by Mugen

Last week, the new Honda Accord made its official debut in Japan and only a few days later, Honda specialist Mugen already presented the first details regarding the upcoming package for the car, both sedan and wagon versions. The Accord Mugen will a full new bodykit, with new front and rear spoilers, 'aero' bumpers, side sills and a huge rear wing, plus four alloy wheel designs available in 18 and 19 inches size.

Honda Accord by Mugen-1

Honda Accord by Mugen-2

 

Performance upgrades include a new sport suspension kit, high-performance brake pads and rotors, plus a new sport exhaust system. No word wether the 2.4 liter engine or the 5-speed automatic transmission received any upgrades.

© Source: autounleashed

 

No Need To Bend Your Knees : Honda's Walking Assist Device

Are you suffering from arthritis ? or having weak leg muscles ? Do you have problem in walking ? HEY!! you are not visiting a Health Blog, its still Cars On rOll. Well... I wish you don't have any of those physical ailments but still if you are suffering from any one of them or your family member, then here is a solution - the new Honda Walking Assistance Device.


This device will help you out with your damaged muscles or knee problems. It aims to reduce the load on the user's legs while walking, going up and down the stairs, and also while sitting in a semi-crouching position. Here are the device's specifications :

Weight - 6.5 kg
2 Electric Motors
1 Lithium ion Battery

The structure consists of : seat, frame, and shoes, and the user can put it on by simply wearing the shoes and lifting the seat into position.

Working : Honda developed a unique mechanism where the seat and frame follow the movement of the body and legs. The assisting force will be directed toward the user's center of gravity, just as with human legs, which enables the device to provide assistance in various movements and postures like walking, going up and down stairs, and in a semi-crouching position.


One of the prominent feature in this device is that the user can utilize it without need of a belt to fasten the device to their body.

The main target as Honda earlier said are the elderly people and people undergoing rehabilitation who need support for their leg muscles and joints.

Honda began research this walking assist device in 1999 with the goal to provide more people with the joy of mobility. The experiment was first demonstrated at the BARRIER FREE 2008 in Japan. And apparently employs some of the same technology developed by Honda for its ASIMO robot.

Here is a demonstration video of the Robot legs for humans :

So, a pair of artificial knees are not so bad, if you get the advantage of mobility :) And not to forget it extends the life of your limbs too. Yet another leap in science & technology. The robots seems to get more into our lives, making it easier and more sophisticated. Hope it doesn't go the iRobot way !!

 

Honda Odyssey release 2009


Honda released the new 2009 Honda Odyssey on the Japanese market. The 2009 Honda Odyssey comes with a new 2.4-liter DOHC i-VTEC engine that's coupled with a torque converter-equipped CVT which offers better performance and a lower fuel consumption (13.2km/L).

The 2009 Honda Odyssey also comes with DBW (drive-by-wire) control and an ECON mode. The ECON mode of the 2009 Honda Odyssey improves fuel economy by applying collaborative control of the CVT and air conditioner to reduce engine load.


The 2009 Honda Odyssey has a lower center of gravity which offers better comfort and handling. It also include the Multi-view Camera System and a special mobility-assisted version that has a lift-up front passenger seat.

 

Separated At Birth: Honda FC Concept Vs. Star Wars Clone Trooper [Separated At Birth]

This wasn't the design direction Honda was looking for with the Honda FC Sport concept. Move along.

 

Guangzhou-Honda Linian Prototype

The Linian is a cooperative project between the Guangzhou Automotive Group (GAG) and Honda, bringing together the visual aspects of a Honda S2000, new Nissan 370Zish headlights and just a touch of Saturn Astra in the rear. There are no details available regarding engine choices, drive layout or just about any information at all for that matter (probably because it will never be produced). The badge adorning that scowl of a front fascia is neither GAG, nor is it Honda, meaning this is most likely the logo of the newly established GAG-Honda design studio. Just imagine all of the tasty vittles just waiting to pour out of that dream factory. [ABChina]

 

Being An Engineer At Honda Must Be Nice

Speaking as someone who has done it, being an engineer for any of the not-so-Big Three is something of a soul-crushing endeavor. Deadlines are always too aggressive, budgets are always too small, management never grasps the true complexities of a system, and you inevitably have to deal with totally incompetent suppliers who over promise and under perform. It's a delightful job. That kind of experience makes the open letter from a Honda employee that arrived at the offices of BoingBoing seem like working there is some kind of magical fantasy-land of happy rainbows and pony rides.

Be sure to head over and give it a read, but the email describes a place where the sun rises and sets on curiosity and innovation, where you're more or less free to do as you want and where everyone is treated with respect even in the face of conflict. Sounds like a total fallacy to us. Maybe even Honda propaganda. Take the opening paragraph for instance:

Honda is a freak, by American and even Japanese standards. There is an absolutely astounding amount of room here for anyone to work once they get in. The view is Global and the focus is Local. No one has ever told me what to do. One Rule - Dream. We find our way on an individual level, as reason, interest and inclination dictate, and this is an ultimate form of unequaled personal power to affect the future. In Honda, our own best interests are at the forefront of every day life at work and home. In engineering, there are no lines of demarcation segregating futurists from the present applications of science. There is nothing so esoteric that doesn't deserve a close inspection, and there is a common belief here in doing things the Hard Way. Even so, the core philosophy of the company could best be described as the pursuit of Joys.

It's practically impossible to believe such a place actually exists. If it did you'd have the happiest, most productive, best engineers in the world turning out superior products and doing it while leading the way in innovation. Oh, wait a minute. [BoingBoing]

 

2010 Honda Insight Ecological Drive Assist System Grows Leaves, Gets Other Features

Details on the instrument panel and driver assist systems on the new 2010 Honda Insight have been released and it seems Honda is intent on training the new hybrid's drivers in much the same way other auto manufacturers have announced. The "Ecological Drive Assist System" uses a combination of color cues in the speedometer and "leaves which grow" to encourages economical driving behaviors. When you push the "Eco" mode button, the speedo turns green when you're being frugal or blue when you're hooning it, also a panel grows "leaves" to reward short term driving and displays the long term performance as well. This of course comes on the heels of the announcement from Ford about their "Smartgauge with EcoGuide" system in the Fusion Hybrid and Milan Hybrid which also rewards judicious use of the go-pedal with growing leaves. We expect everyone who complained about that system to bellyache about this too.

But that's not all these new images tell us. If we take a closer look at the rest of the dash, it looks like the Insight will share design cues with its Euro Civic cousin and offer such features as a USB aux audio input, a CD/MP3/WMA disc drive and an overall simple control scheme. What we don't know is what the heck an "S" means in the PRNDL cadence. What the heck does "PRNDSL" mean? Park, reverse, neutral, drive, second and low? Probably, but we're holding out for a "Superamazing" gear.

NEW INSIGHT TECHNOLOGY HELPS DRIVERS MAXIMISE FUEL ECONOMY
Dashboard display encourages and rewards greener driving styles

Honda has announced a new Ecological Drive Assist System to help drivers achieve better fuel economy. The technology will feature on the new Insight family hybrid car, which goes on sale in spring 2009.

It will be the world's first system to combine three different functions to enhance fuel economy: an ECON Mode which controls engine, transmission and other powertrain components to support more fuel-efficient driving; a guidance function that helps drivers become more fuel efficient behind the wheel using the colour of the speedometer display; and a scoring function that provides instant and long term feedback on driving techniques, after each journey.

Honda developed the Ecological Drive Assist System to help its customers improve their fuel economy in real world conditions. The scoring function provides cumulative, long-term feedback through graphic 'leaves', which 'grow' over time as drivers learn and then implement a smooth driving style that boosts fuel economy. The visual nature of the scoring function display makes it easy and enjoyable for drivers to improve the efficiency of their driving skills over time.

"Hybrid technology delivers great fuel economy and low emissions, but these can both be affected by driving style," says John Kingston, Government Affairs and Environment Manager at Honda (UK). "This new package encourages greener, more efficient driving, in a fun and engaging way."

The technology will further boost the appeal of the Insight, which is due to hit UK showrooms in the spring next year. Honda has already announced that the 5-door family car will be significantly lower in price to any other hybrid on the market, making petrol-electric technology accessible to more people.

A production version of Insight will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show, in January 2009.

To learn more about Honda's Ecological Drive Assist System and the new Honda Insight, please visit: http://www.insightecon.co.uk

Key features of the Ecological Drive Assist System

1. ECON Mode
By pushing an ECON button on the dashboard, drivers can engage ECON mode to support more fuel efficient driving.

As well as controlling the engine, CVT and other powertrain components, ECON Mode also adjusts the air conditioning unit, extends idle stop time and increases regenerative recharging during deceleration to enhance the fuel efficiency of the Insight.

2. Guidance function
The main part of the guidance function is an ambient meter in the form of a background colour behind the speedometer display that changes to indicate real time fuel consumption.

The ambient meter displays a green colour when fuel-efficient driving is being achieved: a blue-green colour when relatively fuel-efficient driving is being achieved with smooth acceleration and deceleration; and a blue colour during heavy fuel consumption.

The ambient meter makes the driver aware of real-time fuel consumption patterns, and encourages the driver to be more fuel efficient, while trying to maintain the green colour display.

The Ambient Meter is the world's first technology of its kind that encourages environmentally-responsible driving by responding to braking practices as well as acceleration.

3. Scoring function
The aim of the scoring function is to engage drivers in more fuel efficient driving, and encourage them to develop a more environmentally-responsible driving style.

The scoring function is located within the Multi-Information-Display, in the centre of the instrument panel. This part of the Ecological Drive Assist System uses graphics of tree leaves to 'score' the fuel-efficiency of the driver's performance.

While the ignition switch is turned on, the display shows a score reflecting the real time driving performance.

When the ignition switch is turned off, the 'leaves' in the top row display a score for the journey just completed, while a horizontal bar in the bottom row of the display gives a 'lifetime score' that represents cumulative lifetime performance.

The Multi-Information Display also allows drivers to view fuel economy figures for the past three trips, as well as instantaneous and average fuel economy statistics.

When the technology debuts in the Insight in the spring, it will be the world's first function of its kind to provide real-time and post-trip assessments of the impact of driving habits on fuel economy.

 

Honda FC Sport: Hydrogen Sports Car Concept Of The Future

Honda surprised the motoring world today with the release of the radical and futuristic Honda FC Sport, a three-seat Hydrogen-powered design study that hints at the future of Honda sports cars to come. Using the Honda V Flow fuel cell setup already found in the Honda FCX Clarity, the FC Sport is the supercar to the FCX's stately sedan. The stunning design is meant to invoke the concept of a high-performance, low-weight hydrogen sports car. Press release and more details below the jump.

Honda FC Sport Design Study Suggests Hydrogen Sports Car Future

Innovative fuel cell packaging demonstrates green performance potential

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19, 2008 – Honda today revealed the Honda FC Sport design study model, a hydrogen-powered, three-seat sports car concept, at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The FC Sport emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel cell technology – already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan – and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is inspired by supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain.
"The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future."
The high-output Honda fuel cell powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle's performance potential. A modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain contribute to the FC Sport's low center of gravity with the majority of vehicle mass distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.

 

1977 Honda Accord

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Can you believe we've never had a Honda Accord in this series? Have the early Accords become that rare? They sure have, which makes me sad; the first-gen Accord was a great car for its time. It was reliable, had fairly decent performance, was less cramped than its tiny Civic cousin, and- in my no-doubt-shared-by-few-others opinion- looked pretty good.



The Accord's engine had the same CVCC technology as the Civic's, but it displaced 1600cc instead of the 1488 of the Civic. With 68 horsepower, the Accord was no hot rod, but its weight of just 1,993 pounds- about 1,650 pounds less than the current Accord- kept it zippy enough to be fun. The price was pretty good, too: $3,995, about the same as the '77 Chevy Nova Concours and about 400 bucks less than a new VW Dasher hatchback.

It's always fun when I find a DOTS car with another one in the background, and this time we've got two: the '66 Mercedes-Benz 200D and the '76 Ford Mustang II.

 

Spoon Sports JDM Honda Integra Launches Into Stands, Miraculously Injures No One

It was a bad weekend for the folks at Spoon Sports. The same people who brought you the Spoon NSX-R GT (yes, the same one we reviewed earlier this week) managed to place a JDM Honda RSX/Integra in the stands of Infineon Raceway during a NASA race. No one appears to have been hurt, but the driver had to be cut out of his Honda touring car. From reports, the Spoon Sports Honda hit the grass berm in the runoff area in turn 1 before being launched by momentum over the fence and into the grandstands. It apparently landed within a few rows of a group of people there to watch the race. A report from MadCat360 in the NASAFormus below:

Did anyone see it? I caught the tail end of it from the grand stands. What I guess happened was the car had some sort of problem (suspension? Tire?) and went spearing off at turn 1. It hit the grass berm there on the outside runoff and launched into the fence just below the score tower, didn't stop and landed in the center stands there, nearly hitting a bunch of people.

I heard the driver was all right but they had to tear apart the car to get him out. No spectators were hurt that I could see, though the car's nose hit just one row down from one person, maybe about 3 feet.

We got lucky today. That crash could have easily killed 5 people. There really needs to be a tire wall there, which I think they put up when NASCAR race there. Why don't they put any walls up for club races? Why aren't they permanent anyway?

I'm going to send a letter to Infineon alerting them of the safety situation there and I suggest you do the same. It would just be the easiest thing to put a permanent ARMCO barrier there with some tires, and have it ready for the 2009 season start. Maybe they could start putting some gravel traps in as well. It's bothersome to haul cars out, but those traps save lots of lives and cars as well.

I'm normally pretty reserved about being frightened in motorsports, but that crash really made me shocked at how little there really is to stop the cars from going into the stands there. It's just a very shallow berm and a chain link fence, and if that couldn't stop a Honda touring car from going into the stands at highway speed, then it definitely won't stop a Grand Am car, or an Indy Car.

[Source: NASA Forums]

 

Project Car Hell, Hi Rollaz Edition: Acura NSX or Ferrari 328?

 

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! We had another too-close-to-call one yesterday, with the Toyota 4x4 Van and the Dodge Caravan Turbo locked in a 176-171 near-tie, according to the Choose Your Eternity poll. Today we're going to escape from Suburban Minivan Land and roll down the mean streets of the Early Gangsta Rap Era, with the kind of rides that Ice-T wannabes might have selected for high-speed runs to Vegas back in the day. And, yes, it's another upstart challenging a mighty PCH Superpower: Japan versus Italy!


It's bad enough shoving a Japanese car into the PCH ring with a Ferrari, but a
Honda? However, when you want an NSX yet you don't want to spend more than 20 grand… well, you have to figure that the Soichiro Stamp Of Approval was probably removed from the car (with 50-grit sandpaper) a few years back. And so it is with this 1992 Acura NSX (go here if the ad disappears), which has a "FIRM PRICE" of $18,000. That's below the Kelly Blue Book price, as the seller is quick to point out, and don't worry about mechanical condition because "there were some mechanical problems but they have been fixed." Well, actually, the "clutch needs to be replaced soon and the air conditioning is not running too good," and you can put the interpretation of your choice on that, depending upon whether you're a glass-half-full or glass-bone-dry sort of person. The seller has given all the information he's ever going to provide, so "PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT ME UNLESS ARE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT BUYING THE CAR!" You got it? We're a little disappointed that the traditional "NO TIRE KICKERS MONEY TALKS BULLSHIT WALKS" part was missing, but at least he knew about the obligatory CAPS LOCK key.

If you've got 18 grand to spend on picking up your Hi Rolla Vegas Shuttle, shouldn't you go right for the Ferrari? A
red Ferrari, in fact, like this '86 328GTS, which is currently bid up to a mere $15,100. The pit bosses will be putting on their bulletproof vests when you toss the keys to this car to the valet and step onto the casino floor, and that's no lie. Of course, you have to get the car to the valet in the first place for that, and that means you'll need to spend years some time making with the wrenches first. This car has only 38K miles on the clock, mostly because it has spent "5-7" (which is eBay-ese for "12-15") years sitting… waiting for you to rescue it! The glass is clean and the "under carriage is spotless!!!!!!!" The paint, however, looks like what you'd find on an '85 Chevy Sprint abandoned in a Greyhound station parking lot, and the interior appears to have been used for a few years as a hobo jungle, including campfire. Does it run? Well, it ran when parked, and that should be good enough for anyone? How hard could it be?

 

Honda Cub Is The Greatest Machine Of All Time

We already know that James May thinks the Triumph Mayflower is the ugliest car ever made, and now he's declared the Honda Super Cub motorcycle to be the Greatest Vehicle Ever Made. In fact, he believes Soichiro's 50cc bike- now in its sixth decade of production- to be "the single most influential product of humankind's creativity." We won't go quite that far, but the Super Cub may well be the all-time king of motor vehicles in terms of man-miles driven… or would that honor go to the Volkswagen Beetle or Model A T Ford?

 

Spoon Honda NSX-R GT, First Drive [Jalopnik Reviews]

They say you should never meet your heroes. For the most part that's true, I've never been more disappointed than after my first drive in a DeLorean DMC-12, childhood dreams of time travel completely squashed. When I was eleven I picked out the colors for a friend's dad's new NSX — red with a black top — and even though I've never driven one, it's been on top of my supercar wish list ever since. So when the guys from 0-60 Magazine called and said they wanted to fly me out to Infineon to drive not just any NSX, but the Spoon Honda NSX-R GT, a tuned version of the rarest NSX ever made, I didn't hesitate.

Based on the second generation, 2002 NSX-R, the GT was created specifically to comply with homologation regulations for Japanese Super GT racing. Those regulations stated any car that wanted to compete in the series had to be based on a production car with at least five examples. So Honda made five NSX-R GTs. Honda never stated what, if any, changes they made to GT underneath its wild new bodywork.

We do know what enhancements Spoon made to one of those five cars. Starting with the NSX-R GT's functional carbon fiber aero aids, flat undertray, non-functional snorkel (there for homologation purposes only), complete absence of sound deadening, single pane rear glass (the only thing separating you from the engine) and carbon/Kevlar Recaros, the Japanese tuner added its own upgraded suspension and brakes as well as a giant turbocharger and remapped ECU to boost the 24-valve 3.2-liter V6's from 290 to 420 HP.

This isn't just the car I've always lusted after. It's the single rarest example of that model and not a plain version of that either, but one that's had the bejesus tuned out of it.

Infineon is an intimidating place to drive any car, in place of run off, concrete walls are installed right next to most of the track, restricting not only your options should something go wrong, but, in a car as low as the NSX, your vision too. What parts of the track are unencumbered by concrete feature huge elevation changes. It's my first time here and I'm having trouble remember which corners go right and which ones left. The track is especially intimidating given the complete absence of driver aids in this priceless one-of-a-kind car. Sure, there's ABS, but there isn't traction control stability control, magnetic suspension or drive-by-wire anything.

Dating from 1990, the NSX hails from a completely different era of car design, one that put emphasis on the fundamental rightness of a low curb weight, lower center-of-gravity, an engine mounted amidships and the kind of subtle control that's only available in the absence of electronic assistance. The GT's bodykit also adds down force, lots of it.

Turn six at Infineon is an impossibly fast, downhill, off camber, near 180-degree hairpin. Its exit is bordered by a three-foot high, six-inch thick piece of poured concrete. Taking it fast takes commitment and more than a little faith. Gripping the tiny Momo wheel with white knuckles, it takes all my strength to turn the NSX onto a tighter line. The downforce that kicks in at close to three-figure speeds combined with the huge amount of caster means the steering gets heavier as you go faster, lots heavier. But that's just a side effect to the reason for those two changes; with them, the NSX-R GT will make it around any corner, at seemingly any speed, with an absolute absence of drama. As long as you keep your right foot planted, just like the 911 before they made it a luxury car, the mantra for any NSX-R GT driver needs to be "Never Lift."

Oh, and there will be NSX-R GT drivers too. Even though this specific model will remain very special, starting next year Spoon will sell you a brand new one that looks and goes just like this for only $150,000. And yes, it will be road-legal and available in left hand drive. Neither will they be mere replicas, but built using a supply of left over NSX-R chassis Honda has squirreled away somewhere in Japan.

That money won't buy you a luxury car. While the original equipment carbon/Kevlar Recaros are supportive and comfortable, the air-conditioning cold and the tape player functional, the interior is cramped and difficult to access in a way expensive cars simply aren't any more. It's loud in here too; only a single pain of glass separates you from the grumbling tuned engine and its big, popping exhaust. Don't think of it as Spartan, think of it as purposeful. Decades old design has its benefits; the view out is unencumbered by hood, fenders or power bulges, while the A-pillars are thin, enhancing your vision. The view out of the NSX is unrivalled and uncompromised, allowing you to concentrate on doing nothing but going fast.

And it does go fast too. Weighing just 2,795 Lbs (the 480 HP Nissan GT-R weighs over a thousand pounds more), that 420 HP can propel it to 60 in less than four seconds and on to a top speed somewhere in excess of 186 MPH.

They say never meet your heroes because they won't live up to your expectations. But, this NSX-R GT doesn't just feel as good as I expected, but better than I could ever have hoped. Unlike other classic super cars, the passing of time has been kind to the NSX. It suffers from neither high weight nor over complication of modern super cars, but adapts their up-to-date running gear, brakes and tires to give itself modern performance. Classic involvement with modern speed? That's a fantasy we're glad came true.

To read more, including a comparison against the 2009 BMW M3, pick up a copy of 0-60 Magazine issue 6, it hits stands nationwide today.

Photography credit: Robert Kerian

Thanks to: Edmun at Spoon Sports

 

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