Motor Verso were invited to spend the day testing out the brand new Honda NSX, take a read below of exactly what we made of the car.
What is the Honda NSX all About?
Anyone who knows anything about cars will tell you about the importance of the Honda NSX in motoring history. From its humble beginnings as the underdog supercar, the original NSX has since gone down as an all-time legend.
The new car has come back from a long break in production and I’m happy to say the new Honda NSX is fully fit to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor. The car is a true supercar with highly advanced modern technological updates which push the boundaries of what is possible of supercars using the combination of a high boost turbocharged V6 engine, electric motors and flush aerodynamics.
The looks of the latest NSX have been beautifully designed from front to back. Looking at the car from a distance it has true supercar looks with a razor sharp aerodynamic shape and huge air vents either side capturing precious air to power the car. Design efforts have gone to extreme levels to make this car look how you would expect the coolest supercar of the 21st century to look: stunning!
Performance-wise the figures look fantastic. The car is powered primarily by a 3.5 litre V6 engine with three electric motors, creating a sport hybrid power source. Altogether the car creates 573 hp. There is a 9 speed DCT gearbox that is lightning fast to operate and means that putting the power down to the four wheels of the car will get you from 0-60 mph in 3 seconds and will do a top speed of 191 mph.
How Does it Drive?
The Honda NSX offers the full supercar experience. The low riding position of the car makes it feel fast before you’ve even started the engine, but once you press that start button and the V6 fires up, with a big rev spike, the 4 tail pipes release an outstanding tone that will excite even the most experienced petrol head.
Getting out on to the road, the car has lots of different driving configurations allowing you to control the characteristics and optimise it for the driving conditions. The modes are Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track. The two that you will be most interested in on the road are Quiet and Sport+. Firstly, Quiet tones everything down and chooses electric driving where possible, creating a very guilt-free and stealthy experience. The second and most important is Sport+ which livens everything up and results in a loud and fast road driving experience. I would take a punt that this is the one that will get used the most.
Sport+ mode encapsulates what the NSX experience is all about. The exhaust note is enhanced and turbo sounds are let into the cockpit, a real treat for the ears. The throttle mapping and DCT gearbox setup gives the car an instantly rapid feel. The car feels primed for instant acceleration because of the sports hybrid power setup. When you do ask the car to put the power down, there appears to be little drama, just extreme calculated performance with zero lag. It happens in such way that feels mechanically natural, but I know that there is a huge amount of technical trickery required to make this level of performance possible from a 3.5 litre V6.
The cornering, for me, was one of the strongest areas of the NSX. The mid-engined hybrid supercar has an impressively fast turn in, which as a driver gives you incredible confidence to tuck the car into corners at speed knowing that the car will pull you out the other side. These incredible cornering characteristics are constructed from a low centre of gravity, lightweight body and electrically-driven front wheels.
What’s it Like Inside?
Inside the car isn’t really your classic Honda interior, it is supercar worthy with quality materials spread throughout. The first time I sat in the car I was wowed, the interior felt well designed and, not only this, it felt brand new and custom made for the NSX.
My personal highlight from the interior was the fully digital driver’s instrument screen, which is one of the most advanced around. The screen is super fast to update and when changing between drive modes the car has clever animations visually showing the change into different modes.
Unlike most other supercars the NSX has a surprisingly large boot which is located at the rear and travels the full width of the car. It is surprisingly more practical than other supercars I have experienced, but worth remembering that where the boot finishes the engine starts so what you put in the boot is likely to get a little warm.
The Experience
Driving an NSX, known to be one of the most iconic cars of all time, puts you off to a good start, but the moment you experience the new car yourself you realise it deserves its own success. The car brings hyper car technology and engineering to the super car category.
The new NSX offers all the challenges and rewards you want from a supercar and does so with an incredibly high level of performance and a unique look and style.
Verdict
Honda have been true to the NSX roots, and with a twist of modern engineering the car is standing tall in its segment. Honda have the best example possible of a super advanced performance car that is powered by chips, silicone and gigabytes but still feels like a mechanical driving experience to the driver. Honda have executed the car very well and yet again it will go down as a big success.
Video Highlights
Specification
- Price: £174,250
- Engine: 3.5-Litre Turbocharged V6 Petrol + 3 Electric Motors
- Power: 573 HP (Total Power System)
- Torque: 646Nm
- Transmission: 9DCT
- 0-62mph: 3.0 Seconds
- Top speed: 191 mph
- Weight: 1,776 kg
- Economy combined: 10 l/100/km
Author: Paul Hadley
