We’ve already seen the first teasers of the all-new Honda NSX halo-car when it was unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but according to Honda’s NSX project leader, Ted Klaus, the hybrid supercar is making great strides in development. It promises to offer Porsche 911 comfort and everyday-usability, with Ferrari 458 Italia levels of out-and-out performance.
Earlier this year, Honda announced itself as an F1 engine supplier to McLaren in 2015. If you cast your mind back, the most fruitful partnership between the two companies took place in F1 from 1988 to 1992 when arguably the most-recognisable F1 car on the grid won four drivers’ championships and four constructors’ championships.
Aside from F1, a deeper co-operation seems set to spread between McLaren’s automotive division and Honda. A McLaren spokesman at the Frankfurt International Motor Show said, “Our road car strategy at the moment has no other automotive partner and Honda would be a good place to collaborate.” McLaren is currently working on the third model in its road car range, a Porsche 911-rivalling vehicle that could be called the ‘P13.’ This would peg the P13 close to where Honda’s NSX might place in the market when it arrives.
Honda’s Ted Klaus admits that working with McLaren is a huge opportunity for the brand and takes Honda into a potentially exciting new era. Klaus identified McLaren’s development methodology and advanced electronics as two spheres where they might best benefit from a partnership. The Honda NSX will benefit from many F1 development techniques like computational fluid dynamics to get the car’s shape as efficient as possible.
The hybrid powertrain will be a mid-mounted V6 engine mated to Honda’s innovative new three-motor Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system and it’s being developed in Japan, while the chassis is being worked on in the U.S. Lots of development and tuning work will take place in Europe and as is the way with new cars, there will be plenty of time spent on the Nurburgring as well. Klaus hasn’t mentioned an ideal lap time for the Honda NSX but he’s more interested in bringing down the lap time between a professional race driver and an enthusiast; in line with the ‘accessible performance’ ethos of the car.
