Honda NSX-GT returns as Hybrid!

[bizzybear]

from description on youtube:

What a surprise... Nobody, and even none of the auto media could see this coming. At a regular "Super GT Test Day" held at TwinRing Motegi on October 2010, Honda NSX-GT suddenly showed up with no official announcement. Honda already has HSV for Super GT. Why now NSX-GT?

[Story]

The vehicle has the looking of NSX-GT, but what lies under the body kit is a "FR" vehicle. The exact same car was previously spotted just once on 2007 when it was announced that Super GT regulation would change from 2009 and only "3.4L FR" race cars will be allowed. NSX-GT being a "3.5L mid-ship", it was apparent that the new regulation was designed to shut out NSX-GT from Super GT. Honda needed to make a tough decision at that time whether to make a FR version of NSX-GT, or stop racing. The car spotted on 2007 was a result of Honda's ultimate struggle - its hood awkwardly stretched to store engine in front, sticking exhaust pipes from the side instead of rear, and roof-top air intake became useless and had scaled down.

Eventually, Honda managed to survive in racing in Super GT by developing a new 3.4L FR vehicle, HSV-010 GT on 2010. And what had happened to that "FR NSX-GT"? There was no doubt of it being scrapped and gone forever, after all it became a useless prototype race car. The set-up probably did not go well, and above all, who would like to see a FR NSX?

[NSX-GT with KERS]

But it turned out that "FR NSX-GT" was still alive, secretly stored inside the garage of Honda R&D team for 3 years. This time, it was chosen for the vehicle to officially test KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) which might be used for 2012 Super GT or later. To reduce development cost of KERS, Honda volunteered to provide the car and gather data for all race entrants, and Lexus and Nissan approved it. "FR NSX-GT" was an ideal test car for all 3 car makers. The car was basically designed to race in Super GT, but Honda did not develop it till the end and had never used in races, thus lack of racing data. This was fair deal for Lexus and Nissan because Honda testing KERS will not bring advantage to HSV.

So many people and media asked the GT Association (management organization of Super GT) the specification of this "NSX-GT Hybrid", and later an official announcement was made.

KERS provided for testing purpose for Super GT vehicle is manufactured by Zytek, the same KERS supplier for F1. It can be used to boost the car for maximum of 20 seconds to overtake others, and can be fully recharged after 1 single lap. It is 40kw strong and is powerful enough to drive cars solely on electric motor on places such as pit lanes. The KERS itself weigh 50kg.

[Test Result]

According to GT Association, the very first test drive of NSX-GT Hybrid was done a month ago, and this was the first time to seriously test its potential on race tracks. Test driver of "NSX-GT Hybrid" was Katsutomo Kaneishi who was a Honda test driver in days of NSX-GT, and currently a director of Real Racing Team with KEIHIN HSV-010. His best lap of the day was 1.49"468 at TwinRing Motegi, only 4.453 seconds slower than the fastest lap of the day by Lexus ENEOS SC430.

There should be tons of more tests coming, but so far it seems possible KERS might be used at Super GT in the near future.

[gomarlins3]

Until they produce a street version, I am not interested. Honda has teased us with four different drawings and two different 'test mules' and to this day we STILL have no street car.

[bizzybear]

yeah, i know ur pain... maybe this is a step in the direction they wanted to go and are showing us a sneak peak?


sn: i still want the V10 NSX that revs to 9k

[GoHuskies]

I always assumed Honda came closer than a test mule. They had one pretty near production ready tester at one point:

[gomarlins3]

^Obviously it wasn't ready for production.

Sorry if I sound bitter, but Honda really disappoints me on the performance side. Kill off the NSX and then the S2000. Nothing on the horizon. Doesn't sound like the company that has a vision of "The Power of Dreams".

[bizzybear]

actually the car IS production ready, otherwise they would not be allowed to race the modified version of it in GT-500... some competitors complained that Honda wanted to race the HSV-010 (NSX) and it wasn't being produced for consumers (for the general public to buy)... Honda found a loophole and got away with it b/c the car only HAS TO BE "production ready."

and as far as i read (online of course) the NSX was only missing minor things like picking what colors to sell it in... aside from that it's ready to be sold...

if Honda decides to sell the NSX like that camo'd one above, i'd be the first one in line to pick up my limited production blue NSX


sn: HONDA ARE YOU LISTENING???!?!?!? I WANT A V10 NSX-KERS

[gomarlins3]

Well I hope you're right.

[bizzybear]

Originally Posted by gomarlins3

Well I hope you're right.

this quote below was the reason for creating this new NSX (the one in the video) with F1-KERS (Formula 1-Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and talks a bit about the how the current NSX renamed, "HSV-010" slipped passed the rules/regulations for GT500 racing...

(important part bolded)

Honda announced today their participation in the 2010 Super GT series with what was going to be their FR V10. Honda will take part in the GT500 series after saying sayonara to the previous NSX which it used until last season. The NSX was effectively cut out of Super GT after new rules stipulated that participating cars must be Front Engine and Rear wheel drive. The killer though is how Honda managed to wriggle their way out of the “Must be a production ready car”, claiming that the FR V10 which was put on the back burner last year is technically still ‘production ready’. Or so at least they say. What this means for us is that while Honda will still be able to partake in GT500 but we’re probably likely not to see the car in a road going form any time soon.

taken from here Honda GT-500 HSV-010 GT : 7Tune.com

that's just a random article that i found with a quick google search... you can find that same info all over the web tho...

[TCroly]

Originally Posted by bizzybear

actually the car [B]

if Honda decides to sell the NSX like that camo'd one above, i'd be the first one in line to pick up my limited production blue NSX


sn: HONDA ARE YOU LISTENING???!?!?!? I WANT A V10 NSX-KERS

That would likely be a $130,000 to $160,000 car. Are you still the first one in line?

Back in 1987 when I owned one of the first Legend Coupes, I was closely following this sports car that it was rumored that Honda was developing to sell through Acura dealers. Early reports said it would cost between $40,000 and $50,000. That was quite a bit more than the $26,000 that my Legend had cost, but I was saving my money in anticipation of this "Dream car".

I devoured every nugget of information I could find about the car and liked everything I was reading. I showed up at my Acura Dealer in late 1989 and was ready to put down a deposit for the car that was supposed to arrive later in 1990. The dealer revealed the price was going to be $60,000+. I was soo pissed off. I left the dealer steaming mad and remember telling the salesman that Acura would never be successful selling a car priced that high.

Well, in October of 1990, when the NSX finally made it to my Acura Dealer, I showed up and saw they had added an additional $30,000 to the $60,600 list price for a total of $90,600. And even at that price, they sold like hotcakes for about a year. It took 5 years for the used market prices to fall to my $40,000 budget, and I did eventually get my precious NSX. But I went from wanting to be first in line, to having to settle for buying one only after the NSX had been relegated to an also-ran by hotter new models like the Viper and the Ferarri 355.

Through it all I have never lost my love and entusiasm for my NSX and expect to own this 20 year old car for at least another 20 years.

Ever since our first NSXPO in 1997, there has been talk of the next NSX. After 13 years of rumors, speculation, concepts and test mules, I have given up hoping or dreaming of a new NSX. But for me, my Sebring Silver 1991 NSX, is today, and will always be, the car of my life. and can only wish that you find your car of your life in a new NSX or whatever it may be called.

[bizzybear]

just like you were following the 1st NSX... i have been following this one, so i knew the pricing estimates quite some time ago... hopefully at that price it will scare some ppl away and i'll for sure be the first one in line

i think my limit on that car would be around the $250k mark... anything over that and i'll have to really justify why it's worth buying... but at $130k-$160k that's a steal for what is being offered...

glad you got ur NSX... would love for you to start a thread in the "Off Topic" section about it