A source has revealed that Honda didn’t after all let go of its plans to build a successor to the NSX and that the project wasn’t completely shelved. This source said that instead, the NSX is in a different form and that its flagship two-door has been given a more market-friendly and eco-friendly sports-car approach. It can be recalled that the V-10-powered post-NSX concept had come during the economic crisis and was reported to have been cancelled.
The source said that the technology that will be used will be completely different than Toyota’s THS-II hybrid system and that it will enable Honda’s new sports coupe to be driven with “either a clutch and an engine only, the engine and motor only, or the motor only.” It will also have a manual transmission option. It is also believed that it will use a modified Honda Accord platform, and that it will be powered by either a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V-6.
But other sources have said that it’s likely to feature the 3.5-liter V-6 because a patent application spied in Japan specifies a “V6 powertrain developing upwards of 400hp.” A source said that Honda doesn’t consider the CR-Z to be a sports car but rather as a sporty coupe and a step towards the hybrid-sports direction. This source added that to qualify as a sports car, it needs to have the potential of an NSX or an S2000, which is what Honda is aiming for.
Source: 4wheelsnews