Acura NSX set for a delay
Car enthusiasts may have to wait for some time before they can drive the new Acura NSX. After Honda unveiled a preview earlier this year, motoring world was expecting to see a production version of the vehicle at the Tokyo Motorshow in October.
According to company CEO Takyo Fukei, original plans to unveil the NSX have been scrapped and we may not see it until 2010.
Reports have come out that the reason behind this set-back is the delay in the launch of the Acura brand, which will be Honda’s sport scar wing in Japan.
Fukei cited instability in Japanese financial markets as the main reason for delaying the brand launch of Acura, rather than any problems with the development of the NSX.
Now it could be 2012 before the new NSX would be available.
As some may know, the first generation of the NSX had a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, an all-aluminum body and chassis and a V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda’s VTEC system.
“NSX” is actually an acronym for “New Sportscar eXperimental”.
In 1984 Honda commissioned Pininfarina to design the HP-X (Honda Pininfarina Xperimental), which had a mid-mounted 2.0L V6 configuration.
The production NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer Ken Okuyama and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara, who was also in charge of the S2000 project. Its first public appearances as the NS-X were at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989, and at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1989.
Japanese Formula One driver Saotoru Nakajima was involved with the NSX’s development, performing many duties related to chassis tuning. Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna and American Bobby Rahal also participated in the car’s development. Senna was given an NSX by Honda, although details of this car and its fate are unclear.