Baby NSX with 1.5 litre VTEC turbo due in 2018

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If, like us, you too have been drooling over the leaked patents of a baby Honda NSX from several months ago, good news, we have some news to share.

First believed to pack a Honda 2.0 litre VTEC turbo engine from the Civic Type R and a three-motor hybrid system that would give the baby NSX/S 2000 successor a healthy 400 hp total system output, a new report by Auto Express suggests that stricter emissions regulations may see Honda tone down the offering to a 1.5 litre VTEC turbo instead.

A source from within the Japanese car manufacturer is believed to have spilt the insider info to the British publication – the source also confirmed that, just like the NSX supercar itself, the new compact sports car will still be going ahead with hybrid power.

The 1.5 litre four-pot VTEC turbo is rumoured to be sourced from the 10th-gen Civic, and rather than the 400 hp quoted earlier, AE reports that the new sports car will instead be good for a total system output of around 300 hp, squeezing more life out of the original 174 hp available to the regular road-going Civic.

This should give the new baby NSX a power output similar to that of the 306 hp available in the latest-gen Civic Type R and its 2.0 litre VTEC turbo four. The mid-mounted engine is expected to power the rear wheels, while the use of electric motors for the front and rear axles will give this car an all-wheel drive configuration.

The new compact sportscar is expected to be revealed in full production form sometime in 2018, and will contend directly against the likes of the Porsche Cayman and the Alfa Romeo 4C. Only a coupe bodystyle is rumoured to be available for it, while its development will heavily involve help from McLaren and Honda’s F1 programmes.

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Chris Aaron

With an equal passion for fast cars and everyday workhorses, Chris Aaron maintains a passion for European makes, Formula 1, playing the electric guitar and spending endless hours on the PlayStation - first-person shooters and the Gran Turismo franchise are his favourites. He also finds it strange to have written this in the third person.

 

Comments

  • Looking forward to having my midlife crisis with this car

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
    • Kahwin Empat on Oct 05, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      I wish Proton can come up with small CC engines that are as advanced like this car engine.

      But how to expect much from Proton staff? All they know is makan nasi lemak, tidur, minum teh dan makan karipap/kuih lapis 7 times in a day.

      Half the time thinking about kahwin empat and Malam Jumaat

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 17
      • I would mention that last statement as being racist even if R-A-C-E is not mentioned. Would the moderator remove this?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 4
        • Henry Ford The XII on Oct 06, 2015 at 9:34 pm

          Let it be John. His people superiority can only be rivalled by Zionist and Nazi

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Red Shirt Red Shirt Where are You? on Oct 05, 2015 at 3:29 pm

      I wonder whether Proton can come up with this kind of advanced engine by employing all the super pandai red shirt protesters?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 5
  • heybadigol (Member) on Oct 05, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    I hope that 1.5 sounds good though. This is a small car, so it can only carry small batteries. Perhaps batteries packing slightly below 75bhp? So, means that the engine itself needs to be putting out more than 225 bhp (think its possible considering that AMG managed to coax ++380bhp from a 2.0 litre motor).

    Whatever it is, this will be an amazing car.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Pontan-HairStylist on Oct 05, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    what’s the point of all these half baked sportcar..for the poor? still expensive here. who like to race on legal street anyway..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • shawal on Oct 05, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    The Power of dreams….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • shud CKD @ 88k

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • thepolygonal on Oct 05, 2015 at 6:02 pm

    Wow.. overkill… I think I might just settle for the S1000 if there is still one coming and hope it does not cost a lot. I am guessing this mini NSX here will be the north of RM300k

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Are they gonna plunk the 1.5L V6, the one that Aryton Senna ride in his F1 day ? If ya this car gonna be a monster !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • The Archbishop of Banterbury on Oct 05, 2015 at 11:20 pm

      one helluva monster. just hear it screams!
      I love 80s motorsports. F1 turbo, Group B rally & Group C prototype racer hitting insane speed at Mulsanne Straight. just exhilirating.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • heybadigol (Member) on Oct 06, 2015 at 9:56 am

      I wish for that too. But with the tough emissions laws, the only way that engine will be allowed on the road is if it had a defeat device to be used only during emissions testing. Hehehe.

      Drivers from the turbo era had commented that driving those 80s F1 turbo cars was like driving with an on/off switch rather than a throttle. Such was the torque, it was immediate, and it was huge. You had to manhandle the cars, whereas current drivers baby them to prevent them from overheating and such. I have only respect for those older generation drivers and a few of the currently senior ones (Jenson, Kimi, Nando) who drove in the early 2000s (those F1 cars were crazy fast too).

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • daniel on Oct 05, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    Rather This than BMW I5 anyttime

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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