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| Shrunken Supercar Rumored to Get AWD, Mid-Engine Layout |
While
the stillborn, V-10-powered NSX was being developed, Honda was also
working on a related and obscure project referred to internally as the
Small NSX. At the time it was just one of several advanced R&D ideas
sitting in the design room. Then the financial crisis hit, causing
Honda to kill the NSX and shelve all other sports car projects. But
Honda has since rebounded, and as we know, the NSX has been reborn as an
all-wheel drive hybrid. Now we're hearing the Small NSX may be back on
the drawing board as well.
While
the words "Small NSX" may conjure up visions of a successor to the
S2000, our inside source tells us this is not the case, and that it will
look much like a shrunken version of the big-boy NSX, something along
the lines of the car you see in this artist's impression. Our source
also tells us that like the NSX, it will be equipped with a version of
Honda's SH-AWD system.
Power
will likely be provided by a turbocharged direct-injection engine.
Honda currently has a number of engines that could fit the bill,
including the 3.5-liter V-6, 2.4-liter I-4, and 2.0-liter I-4 already
offered in several of its American-market products. Given Honda's
America-focused development, overseas engines such as its 660cc and
1.0-liter mills are unlikely to be considered. Of the possible three,
the 2.4-liter is the most likely candidate. There's also the possibility
that it will be fitted with some kind of hybrid drivetrain.
Our
source also tells us the Small NSX will make use of a number of parts
from the NSX to help recoup development costs. Given that both cars will
be developed at Honda of America's R&D center in Ohio (we're told
that in July Honda HQ assigned several of its top test drivers and
engineers to the facility for a five-year stint), it's a logical move.
The NSX remains on track to return for the 2015 model year. If it's
indeed green-lit, the Small NSX could follow a year or two afterward,
before the drivers and engineers head home in 2017. Don't expect it to
be a bargain sports car, however. Given the amount of DNA it's likely to
share with the NSX, the Small NSX would likely cost between $50,000 and
$60,000.
Source;
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