Ahead of the new Honda NSX‘s market launch, more technical details have come to light at the SAE 2015 World Congress and Exhibition. We’ll start with its heart – the all-new longitudinally-mounted twin-turbo V6 engine has been revealed to displace 3.5 litres.
Featuring both direct and port injection, the 75-degree V6’s dry sump design is said to optimise engine rigidity, lower the centre of gravity and improve lateral performance. Also all-new is the nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which incorporates an electric motor that applies torque directly to the crankshaft for more immediate power delivery to the rear wheels.
The NSX has three electric motors – one drives the rear wheels and assists in acceleration, braking, and gearchanges, while another two power the front wheels, providing torque vectoring. Bring the V6 into the picture and you have a total system output of 550 hp.
The result of over two decades in R&D, the Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system touts “on rails handling.” The system’s logic has progressed in parallel with the hardware – besides relying on feedback and reactions of the vehicle, it responds to driver input via “immediate, precise application of torque at each wheel at any moment.”
The double-wishbone, double-lower control arm front suspension decouples the twin-motor unit torque from the driver’s experience at the steering wheel, resulting in “timeless sports car steering communication.” The steering, by the way, is variable-ratio.
On now to its construction. The NSX uses an aluminium-intensive, multi-material space frame that promotes rigidity – based on internal data, Honda says the body is by far the most rigid in its competitive set. There’s also ultra-high strength steel and a carbon-fibre floor.
The world’s first application of ablation casting in the automotive industry has also allowed castings in key locations for rigidity, while also supporting the ductility necessary for placement within crumple zones. There’s also an all-new three-dimensionally formed A-pillar made out of ultra-high strength steel, affording good visibility while providing exceptional rigidity.
“For this new NSX development, anything and everything that could offer incredible base rigidity and lightweight design was on the table. We considered an all-aluminium unibody, carbon fibre monocoque and space frame designs and ultimately engineered a multi-material space frame because it offers the lowest weight and best rigidity, precision and hybrid powertrain packaging capability of any design,” said principal engineer and NSX body development leader Shawn Tarr.
What about thermal management? The NSX employs 10 air-cooled heat exchangers to cool the front twin-electric motor unit, rear direct-drive electric motor, V6 engine and gearbox. The V6 engine has three radiators – one centre and two side units for maximum airflow volume and efficiency.
The centre radiator is tilted 25 degrees forward – this is the sweet spot between the inherent pressure gradient and low centre of gravity, Honda says. In front of it are the condenser and power drive unit coolers. The twin-motor unit is passively cooled through air in the front motor room and by a heat exchanger mounted in front of the right engine sub-radiator.
The gearbox is cooled by two heat exchangers – one in front of the left engine sub-radiator and the other in the engine bay. Meanwhile, twin-intercoolers in the side intakes cool the intake air charge.
Finally, there’s aerodynamics. Six vortices flow at the rear of the NSX, including those creating the highest downforce across the rear deck lid. Flowing from below the car and exiting through lower, rear diffuser fins is a critical vortex that further anchors the NSX to the road.
The diffuser fins are in fact not parallel to each other – they’re narrower towards the front of the car and wider at the rear. Honda says this creates low pressure and further maximises downforce. Enough not to require active aero aids!
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It took DECADES for honda to build the new NSX! lololol
As I always said, you won’t go wrong with sushi cars. Miss the LFA? here you go the NSX.
In LFA/NSX, you are in a sport car. While in Iriz/Preve/Suprima S, you imagining to be in a sport car.
Sam Loo’s life = bashing not japanese cars, praising toyota and giving haila…hilux for free.
Better than sportskura-kura 1986.
You don’t go McDonald asking for sashimi, same like people won’t buy the 86 for speed.
Addicted to speed so much? get a EX5 then.
Wanna experience the true handling? Get a 86 then! Then you know the “awesome” Proton handling is nothing more than Sendiri Cakap, Sendiri Syok!
“Wanna experience true handling?” but compare to Proton, is there a Proton equivalent to the GT86? Didn’t know Toyota standards are so low nowadays? Pick someone your own size…seriously dumb ass!
I never said Toyota is a high class car. In Japan, 86 is sold RM66k only, cheaper than the crap Preve. Get a Lexus if you are looking for luxury then.
Why Toyota so expensive here? Thanks to your beloved government and Proton.
Same lorr, are you a LFA owner? Since you said your one month commission is enough to buy a Camry cash, i reckon you won’t have any problem to own a LFA, right?
Ya,same like the Vios owner.That day,at traffic,got one Toyota Vios,i think limited edition because it got big spoiler,lowered suspension,”Cikai” exhaust and sound very crappy,big rims,and lastly the most things I laughed a lot about that car is got a “GT” logo beside the Vios logo.Then he want to race with my Suprima S,i just press my throttle pedal just once,and he cant be seen anymore.I think the Vios semput,sebab makan asap Suprima S.I think that Vios “GT” is Ricer Edition,right Same Lorrr?
#ViosGtSemputMakanAsapSuprimaS
#ViosGTRicerEdition
Erm…Some Toyota models today are still using 4AT technology….I was still in school then..Duh!
took the japs twenty years to figure this out..that’s sluggish..
Figure what out? To all honesty I can’t fathom a most of technical stuff they are trying to say. And of the things that I understand, I can’t mirror it to any other road production car In or has been in production.
Since you are so smart name me a car that had any of these tech 20 years ago
Is a seriously complex piece of technology, and I cant comprehend most of what’s going on. Iam worried for that ‘Honda reliability’ given how much stuff has been cramp in here. But than again, VTEC was a pretty complex stuff back in 1990s,and pretty much every Honda has it now.
I do ptaise Honda for pursuing a thinner A-pillar design while conforming to the strength a sports car should have . I truly dispise new car these days having pillar thicker than those on the Parthenon.
It took the japanese 1 year to come up with the idea…
19 years to make sure that it is reliable…
Will it be as fast or even faster than the GTR or LFA…?
frankly I don’t care…
Head turning looks with massive tech under the hood , its unashamedly japanese and all the better for it…
The desirability for this one is off the scale…
i will bash the next guy who says this car is a copy of the weak audi r8
This car looks like the Audi R8.
I miss the conventional mechanical feeling of late 90’s super cars.
Lotus still makes those actually. Really raw cars with the most minimal driver aids.
Totally agree… The Exige S is a gem to drive.
Brilliant piece of engineering. Go Honda!
No need to write rubbish things about this car only because u know u can’t have it.
If u can’t buy this car or equivalent, don’t waste your time attacking the car.
Attack the system that hinders you to have the ability to own the car.
The part that intrigued me the most is the claim that it requires no active aero (ie spoilers that only come up at certain speeds). So the NSX is relying on fixed aero.
3.5 sounds like the engine displacement of the Honda Accord V6 – but I doubt the NSX will use the same block as a family sedan, as its too bulky for a supercar. That Accord does 0-60mph in 5.5 secs (and does 25MPG combined). This NSX should be way faster and probably be almost as fuel efficient. So you can have the cake, and eat it.
What? is an Auto gearbox? Oh no….!
they should call it the NSeX with so much dirty car porn talk. Toyota, how’s your love child Supra replacement romancing with BMW coming along?
I wonder will it burn again when otr ….
NSX need to do just one thing…beat the time clock by GTR in Nurburgring