It seems there really is some substance behind the leaked patent drawings of a mysterious Honda sports car, after all – Auto Express reports that an S2000 successor is on the verge of getting the green light for production.
According to the British publication, the baby NSX is already in the midst of development; it will be positioned above the much-rumoured S1000 – a larger, more powerful version of the S660 kei roadster – but sit under the NSX (pictured below), and will take on the Porsche Cayman and Alfa Romeo 4C.
This car is set to be quite a departure from the naturally-aspirated front-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster that we know and love. It’s expected to be a mid-engined coupé, for one; it’s also rumoured to incorporate some of the technology from the new NSX, which would make it a vastly different car from its spiritual forebear.
Mounted amidships, the 2.0 litre VTEC Turbo engine adapted from the Civic Type R should see its output boosted from 306 hp to somewhere around the 330 hp region, boosted by three electric motors – two in the front, one in the back – to provide all-wheel drive and a total system output 400 hp. Unfortunately for three-pedal purists, the only transmission option set to be provided is a nine-speed dual-clutch unit.
Honda is expected to utilise an aluminium spaceframe clad in aluminium and carbon fibre body panels (again, like the NSX) – this should see the kerb weight pegged at under 1,400 kg, and aid the company in its quest to provide “class-leading performance and handling.”
The car is slated to be built alongside the NSX in Ohio; however, it’ll wear a Honda badge in North America, rather than the NSX’s Acura emblem. Despite development being underway, its arrival is not expected until 2018 at the earliest, with a target price of around £60,000 (RM351,400) – interestingly, that’ll be roughly when Toyota’s born-again Supra replacement is set to be produced, as well…
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Wow.. that RM351,400 price is gonna be more than half a mil when it reaches here. I can only hope the S1000 slots around RM100k.
You will never go wrong with sushi cars. Plenty of performance cars available for your choice. Dislike NSX? Come and get our CRZ with peace of mind and high RV.
CRZ is not exactly a car with high performance.
It has the same engine as Honda City
mana same lor, it may looks like a sport car, sound like a sport car but it is a cipot car.
I remembered Hyundai tried to enter this market with the S coupe?
OMG, I really pity those that bought that piece of garbage
I wish cars never get too complicated with electronics. Safety features is good, but when computers do 90% of the driving, where lies the driver’s role?
Turning the steering wheel as well as pressing the accelerator and brake actually consists of the majority of the driving…
Reach malaysia the price will become RM500+, so damn expensive
DCT? you lost me at there. bring back the manuals.
Too complicated! Mount the Civic Type R motor in the back driving the rear wheels, keep the stick, forget about the electric motors and be done with it.