2011 Acura NSX Features
, Posted by R.Jansen at 1:30 PM
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| Assuming the project does go ahead with the ASCC as the template, the 2011 Acura NSX would be about the same size as a Jaguar XK and a bit larger than today's C6 Corvette. Styling would reprise the concept's classic long-hood/short-deck proportions, wedgy profile, and a mix of curves and creases that Acura touts as "technical, machined surfaces." The concept's muscular fender bulges snug close to 19-inch wheels in front and 20s in back, and these, too, could carry over to production.Still, planners are undecided on many issues, so the 2011 Acura NSX could conceivably arrive with rear-wheel drive rather than the ASCC's putative Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive. The rumored 500-horse 4.5-liter V10 isn't locked-in either. A similar-size V8, a twin-turbocharged V6 or even a high-power hybrid system are just as likely, and would likely raise fewer howls from environmentalists. The final choice will hinge in part on plans for a CO2 emissions cap in the European Union and the likelihood of much-higher fuel-economy standards here in the U.S. Like the mid-engine original, the 2011 Acura NSX should be another Honda engineering showcase. Some sources forecast a new Honda-designed double-clutch automated manual transmission with steering-wheel shift paddles, and we can't rule out exotica like carbon-ceramic brakes (as on the ASCC) or a collision-avoidance system. The cockpit should be another blend of sports-car function and luxury-sedan appointments, so look for multi-adjustable sports seats, lots of leather accented by aluminum and/or carbon fiber, and a navigation system with rear-view camera, the last almost essential with the high, nearly flat rear window. High-tech LED lighting, both front and rear, should be standard too. NSX originally stood for "New Sportscar Xperimental." While the new one certainly fits that description, we think it will get a different name, if only to signal a complete break with the past. As we said, it's probably going to be a posh long-distance gran turismo, not a cornering-fool sports car. But whatever it's called and whatever the final specifications, Acura's new performance icon should be a "practical exotic" and a very special drive, just like the original. A Notable Feature of the 2011 Acura NSX The 2011 Acura NSX is likely to borrow one racing-inspired element of the Advanced Sports Car Concept. Acura describes it as a "carbon fiber underbody" with "integrated rear diffusers..." We're not sure if the former is structural or just a bolt-on "belly pan," but it's apparently intended to reduce air drag as an aid to high-speed stability. So are the "diffusers," a trio of fins designed to channel air more off and away from the underside. The ASCC also boasted an all-glass roof, but we can't see it on the production model, as it raises the center of gravity--not good for handling--and would doubtless be expensive to produce. |
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