Advanced Sports Car Concept

jetsetter

jetsetter

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Advanced Sports Car Concept

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Gallery with 35 more high resolutions images here: http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-advanced-sports-car-concept/

The Acura NSX was the first vehicle I ever drove in which I felt I could never make a mistake. With predictable mid-engine balance and a refined V6 power curve, it could be driven through the turns with a deft touch; the NSX didn't have to be manhandled like the original Viper.

Now I feel like the replacement for the NSX is taking on some of the Viper's virtues. Called the "Advanced Sports Car Concept," the show-stopping debut at the Acura press conference revealed a V10 engine mounted in the front--just like the Viper. Other fang-like cues include long hood, short-deck proportions and an overall feeling of more muscle and less finesse; more quarter horse and less thoroughbred.

Acura, however, is taking steps to make sure that the new Acura 2-seater isn't losing its deft touch. A rear-wheel-drive biased version of the high-tech Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD). If you've never driven the Acura RL, you can't understand the pro-active response and control offered by SH-AWD. Give it a rear-wheel-drive bias and let the fun begin.

While performance is certainly the driving force behind Acura's next-generation sports car, the message at the unveiling was clearly style. The concept was developed at the Acura Design Center in Southern California with the mission of only giving a "preview" of the NSX successor's design direction. The noticeable NSX reminders include the wraparound taillights and the black canopy.

This design has little to do with the HSC Concept that Honda introduced at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show. Observers and analysts thought that concept was a preview of the next NSX, but its mid-engine construction apparently was rejected.

Notable features on the advanced concept include billet wheels, carbon-fiber underbody and embossed air vents.

NSX production ended in 2005. Acura officials promised a look at the real thing later this fall in Tokyo.

Acura "Advanced Sports Car Concept" Debuts at North American International Auto Show
Concept Provides a Glimpse of the Next Generation Acura Exotic Sports Car

DETROIT, January 7, 2007 ? The show-stopping Acura "Advanced Sports Car Concept" made its world debut today at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. The dynamically styled concept provides a preview of the design direction for the successor to the Acura NSX.

Created to take exotic sports car styling to a new level, the concept is designed to incorporate a powerful front-mounted, V-10 engine and a new high-performance, rear-wheel-drive based version of Acura's exclusive Super Handling All-Wheel Drive? (SH-AWD?).

"The Acura brand will always be a home for people who love to drive," said Takeo Fukui, president & CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. "As we advance toward building a car like this, I can tell you it will feature advanced technology matching our passion for performance."

The concept's exterior demonstrates a dynamic fusion of advanced technology and emotion. The long, pronounced hood features deeply sculpted lines and embossed air vents, both of which hint at the powerful engine beneath. The exterior lines run the length of the body, creating a ribbon-like effect from the front headlights to the rear wheel arches, evoking a feeling of movement and power.

Although modern in its appearance, the Advanced Sports Car Concept retains the subtle cues associated with its predecessor, the NSX. The concept's slim, LED headlights are pushed wide and designed to mimic the pop-up headlights found on the first generation NSX. Other styling hints include a modern take on wraparound rear taillights and the all black cockpit.

"Our intention was to design an exotic sports car that gracefully combines advanced technology and strong emotion," said Jon Ikeda, principal designer, Acura Design Center. "The technical, machined surfaces and keen-edge design are balanced with sweeping curves and dramatic lines, all of which results in the ultimate exotic sports car."

Wide and low to the ground with a 108.8 inch wheelbase, the concept is anchored by grippy 19 inch front and 20 inch rear performance tires which are mounted to custom billet-machined, polished aluminum wheels. Powerful, ventilated carbon ceramic brake discs and eight-piston calipers accent the wheels. Bold wheel arches and flares add to the concept's aggressive appearance.

The low slung cabin is constructed entirely of tinted glass and sits flush against the body. Door handles are also flush mounted, allowing the sports car to retain a clean and aerodynamic appearance. The Advanced Sports Car Concept features a carbon fiber underbody and the rear is finished with aggressive quad exhaust pipes and integrated rear diffusers, further communicating its high performance potential.

The Advanced Sports Car Concept was designed by the Acura's Los Angeles-based design team that will be based at the new Acura Design Center, opening this summer.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/07/detroit-auto-show-acura-concept-stops-the-show-but-not-the-imag/
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Front mount + AWD... Very un-NSX :(

Come on, Honda.
 
It looks very weird, and I have to say this time they didnt copy european design but american. Doesn't look very Honda/Acura to me.
 
un-dee said:
It looks very weird, and I have to say this time they didnt copy european design but american. Doesn't look very Honda/Acura to me.
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Well, it kinda looks like a car version of the new MDX design school...very...Decepticon-ish...
 
Really doesn't grab me - it's overdone in places (roof is way too detailed), yet the sides are flat - it almost looks like it's had a cover drapped over it.
 
Goddamnit Honda, quick jerking us around and just release the new NSX, it's not like you'll sell any anyway.
 
fbc said:
Really doesn't grab me - it's overdone in places (roof is way too detailed), yet the sides are flat - it almost looks like it's had a cover drapped over it.
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my thoughts exactly...and nooooooooooo its Front engined=( but the AWD couldddd work, i remeber plato saying when he tested the Legend (acura RL for the NA ppl) that the awd could work really well if they tuned the suspension properly, so it could work...but just change the stylin a bit AND the position of the engine...but i think that they decided 2 go with front engine because all the other jap sports cars are front engined also, well the new ones its going to compete against anyways
 
There is plenty of room in the Honda range for a front engined sports car - especially if they move the NSX upmarket. I think it looks great.
 
The first thing I thought was "Oh, look, a Corvette concept"
 
I think it looks ok but I'm afraid I might cut myself on some of those sharp edges ;)

But AWD with front engine is just not right for a car of this shape. I dunno, this car leaves no real impression on me :dunno:
 
It looks very "American", I thought of Corvette when I saw it as well. :thumbsdown:
 
It looks American because it was designed by Americans in America.
As for the car itself I like it. Although looks more of a GT than a hardcore performer.
 
Report: Honda back to the drawing board for new NSX

When Honda unveiled the Advanced Sports Car Concept earlier this year, it said the vehicle was a direct preview of the 2008 Acura NSX. Typically automakers don't say which future production cars ambiguously named concepts are supposed to represent, but Honda officials had no problem disclosing their intentions for this project.

Now it appears the car might be headed back to the drawing board.

Although it wasn't slammed by the automotive press or enthusiasts, the concept didn't get rave reviews, either. It turns out Honda executives were hoping for something more breathtaking, too. As a result, they've asked the design team to rethink their plans, according to a report by Winding Road magazine.

While the basic proportions, V10 engine, and all-wheel-drive will stay, the rest of the package will likely change before production begins in early 2008. Look for the production version of the new NSX will arrive at the Tokyo Motor Show this fall.
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Source
 
Seeing as they're reworking it - stick the engine back in the middle where it should be in an NSX successor.
 
fbc said:
Seeing as they're reworking it - stick the engine back in the middle where it should be in an NSX successor.
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Agreed. Why call it a NSX if it shares nothing, not powertrain, layout, or styling, with the previous car. Overall I like the concept, but it is very un-NSX.
 
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