the 2015 Acura NSX HYBRID?

[Ludercrz]

apparently it will be in production by 2015.

it has a V6 with 3 Electric Motors making it AWD. No horsepower figures but they are aiming for a great Power:Weight ratio.



Acura NSX Concept portends an efficient hybrid supercar


Acura NSX Concept portends an efficient hybrid supercar

As any Acura diehard would be quick to tell you, a revival of the iconic NSX is long overdue. In true Honda fashion, the automaker decided that, if it was going to go to the trouble of producing a legitimate sportscar, it was going to take on the very best in the industry. Suffice it to say, the NSX delivered the goods.

We now have a new concept to drool over. While the last conceptual sportscar Acura showed off left NSX purists with a sour taste in their mouths – a V10 engine mounted up front was a far cry from the lightweight and high-revving mid-engine V6 of the original – we have a strong feeling that nobody is going to turn their noses up at this new NSX Concept.

Like its forebear, this latest take on the NSX promises to shed excess weight through the use of a high-tech platform made from the latest lightweight materials. Power, as with the original, will come from a V6 mounted behind the two occupants that sends its power to the rear wheels; except this time, it will be augmented by an electric motor.

Acura's latest SH-AWD incorporates one electric motor in a dual-clutch transmission, forming a hybrid setup. Additionally, two more motors can instantly send negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering for improved handling and efficiency, and the whole package can be tailored via software. Acura says the new all-wheel-drive system will provide "supercar acceleration while offering outstanding efficiency."

We're not so sure environmentalists are ready to accept the notion of an eco-friendly supercar, but it's clear Acura's parents at Honda are keen to keep emissions and fuel usage in check. "In this new era, even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities," says Takanobu Ito, president and CEO of Honda Motor Co.

Acura isn't saying how much horsepower its V6 engine and three electric motors will amount to, but we're not expecting outlandish figures. The automaker says it's aiming for an "extremely favorable power-to-weight ratio." We like the sound of that, and hope the production version, which is expected within the next three years, delivers on this laudable promise. Check out the complete press release.

[bizzybear]

i was wondering why i didn't see any posts for this... it was moderated lol...

here is the official Acura site with it! 2013 Acura | Future Vehicles | Acura.com

[GoHuskies]

The concept in action digitally. Explains the electric AWD system.

[Ludercrz]

ya similar to the CRZ it has 1 electric motor on the Transmission. Since it's a Mid engine car, that motor and tranny are powering the rear wheels and then one electric motor on each front wheels for the FWD part.

so think of the NSX as having TONS of power off the line due to electric motor and having amazing power from the V6 engine in the Top end. sounds like a beast to me.

the initial design for the new NSX was a 400hp V6 but they decided to use that for the RDX instead and felt it wasn't enough for the NSX. so wonder how much power this new V6 is doing or if it's the same one just with the bonus of the electric.

[atteSmythe]

2015? Plenty of time to make that firstborn that I'd have to offer in trade...

[TCroly]

I happen to like the styling cues for the new NSX, but it is generally not being recieved well by most NSX owners over at NSXprime.com

My guess is that the hybrid part of the concept is designed for suplimentng the "Super Handling All wheel Drive portion of the car to help improve it's handling at limit and launch off of corners, more than it will be to improve fuel economy. I do not think that someone considering a $100,000+ NSX is really going to care too much whether it gets 20-25 mpg or 30-35mpg with 3 hybrid motors facilitating this, as long as you drive like a grandma.

But honstly I think that given current battery technology, a hybrid approach is a huge mistake for the new NSX.

First the NSX has always been about light weight. A hybrid system is going to add weight and this goes counter to the car's fundamental design philosophy.

And second, I think many NSXs serve the role, like mine does, as a Sunday, fair weather driver. This means we leave our NSXs sitting for long periods of time undriven. Current hybrid battery technolog is not compatible with this type of use pattern. Now mabe they will incorporate some kind of plug in battery conditioner. But if I buy a new NSX, I will be considering it as a 25 year keeper car that I will put 3,000-5,000 miles a year on. I would not want to have to consider having to buy a new battery set every 7 to 10 years. This is quite different from a CRZ which is what I would consider to be a disposable commuter car. That is, use it up over ten to fifteen years and then throw it away.

[bizzybear]

if i'm not mistaken, based on that video... the NSX-Hybrid with it's SH-AWD, will be able to regenerate essentially from turning... ie: when SH-AWD kicks in and doesn't power one wheel to allow for better grip... that non-powered wheel will now recover some lost power...

people need to get off the past and embrace the future and where Honda wants to go with their vehicles... it's not about copying exactly from the old, it's more about reinventing something that was (is) great with today's standard!!

do NOT mistake me for a moment, i'd much rather take that screaming V10 that was first spied around the Nurburgring over this... but there's no sense in bashing something that has so much potential! with it's size/specs, i wouldn't be surprised to see this car come in under 3,000lbs, if not, very close to it!!

[TCroly]

Originally Posted by bizzybear

if i'm not mistaken, based on that video... the NSX-Hybrid with it's SH-AWD, will be able to regenerate essentially from turning... ie: when SH-AWD kicks in and doesn't power one wheel to allow for better grip... that non-powered wheel will now recover some lost power...

people need to get off the past and embrace the future and where Honda wants to go with their vehicles... it's not about copying exactly from the old, it's more about reinventing something that was (is) great with today's standard!!

do NOT mistake me for a moment, i'd much rather take that screaming V10 that was first spied around the Nurburgring over this... but there's no sense in bashing something that has so much potential! with it's size/specs, i wouldn't be surprised to see this car come in under 3,000lbs, if not, very close to it!!

What the video is showing is that in cases of aggressive corning, the hybrid motors will be utilized, one as a motor and on the opposite wheel as a brake, to help the car rotate. While this could generate a small amourt of regenerative power, it would not be much because of the subtle nature of such an application. They also show the motors assisting braking while acting as generators. But in normal turning the SH-AWD would not kick in and I do not think any power generation would take place.

I do not believe that it would be possible, short of the car being made entirely of Carbon fiber, that this hybrid concept could be realized at any less than 3300 pounds.

[bizzybear]

have you driven a SH-AWD Acura before? it is ALWAYS active... especially on turns, even slow parking lot driving/turning... and to my vague knowledge, SH-AWD does NOT apply brakes to compensate the other wheels grip... it can remove 100% of torque from a given wheel and apply it to other wheels...

as for weight, maybe i was shooting too low!? they said this car is spec'd slightly smaller than the R8... the V10 version of that car comes in @ 3,571–3,583lbs with the V8 being over 120lbs lighter than that... so think of a Honda V6 and how much lighter that would be... say an extra 100lbs... that's around 3300lbs and even adding the batteries, you're still well under 3500lbs... hence, close to it

cool video on SH-AWD... keep in mind that this "NSX" is said to be using a NEW-SH-AWD-Hybrid system... by "new" i mean the added electric motors on the front wheels!

[Kyleseghatch]

Priced like an LFA?