Detroit show: Honda NSX inches nearer

HONDA’S slow-drip reveal of its long-gestating mid-engined all-wheel-drive supercar continued with a cabin “concept” unveiling at this week’s North American International Auto Show, a year after the exterior was revealed at the same show.

Described as offering “a glimpse at one potential direction for the next NSX’s interior design”, the Detroit show car’s innards build on the flowing T-shaped simplicity of the original, albeit in contemporary form to reflect the second-generation NSX’s sophisticated hybrid engineering and lightweight aluminium body structure.

Paying lip service to the first NSX of 1989, a horizontal console spine bisects a pair of sculptured sports seats, accentuating the concept car’s lowness, while a myriad of advanced electronics and a large control screen steep the layout firmly in the 21st century.

“The interior package boasts outstanding visibility, a strong driving position, and an intuitive ‘Simple Sports Interface’ that minimises interior clutter, allowing the driver to focus on the driving experience,” Honda said in a statement.

“Consistent with the spirit of the original NSX, Honda’s designers have strived to deliver synergy between man and machine.”Along with the interior debut, the Detroit reveal also included computerised driving footage of the NSX Concept, highlighting the design on the move as well as the level of dynamic capability to expect when the vehicle finally reaches production in late 2014 or 2015.

The final production car will be a petrol-electric hybrid that will include dual motors driving the front wheels, with a direct-injection V6 and an electric motor in combination driving the rear axle via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Whether the NSX II comes to Australia is not yet known as the supercar is being developed by a US-led team and will be built at a new production facility in Ohio under the North American-only ‘Acura’ label, whereas the original was made in Japan by Honda.

Honda Australia public relations manager Melissa Cross said no decision has yet been made on if or when the mid-engined supercar might come here.

“The NSX is an exciting proposition, however it has not been confirmed for Australia,” she told GoAuto.

“It is still under development and is at least two years away from launch.”