New Honda NSX, 581 hp hybrid supercar test – Sports Cars
Ayrton Senna performing his “dance” on board one Honda NSX, complete with perfect heels paired with a questionable combination of white moccasins and socks. I'm on the Estoril circuit in Portugal and can't help but imagine this scene admiring the brand new Honda NSX.
The birth of a new supercar is always a special occasion, in this case driven by the fact that the yellow 1990 NSX parked here in front of me was designed with valuable input from Senna. An unusual supercar that left an indelible mark on the history of supercars, which is far from obvious.
I still stand here to admire it, and I must say that live it is more beautiful than it seems in the picture. It looks as compact as a Ferrari 458, and as you turn towards it, you discover some very interesting details. He's more sophisticated and sophisticated than one Nissan GT-Rbut it also has a few styling touches designed to please Americans. And that really makes sense, given that the bulk of the sales will be made in the US, with only ten arriving in Italy next year. NSX price at € 186.900 openly declares who its competitors are and in the range dominated Ferrari 488, Audi R8 e Porsche GT3The NSX is definitely going to be tough. Maybe.
New supercar experience
The "New Supercar Experiment" of 1990 becomes the "New Supercar" in 2016: NSX, this is the essence of the new Japanese hybrid supercar, and you will soon see why. New Honda NSX mounts 3,5-liter V6 engine twin turbo with 507 hp and 550 Nm of torque, but thanks to three electric motors (one central rear located between the engine and the gearbox and two in front), the total power increases to 581 CV at 7.500 rpm e 646 Nm constant torque in the range from 2.000 to 6.000 rpm. IN two front motors, one for each wheel, provides 37 hp. and 73 Nm each and operate independently of each other to guarantee both traction when exiting corners and stability in fast corners and maneuverability in tight corners.
Il 9-speed dual-clutch transmission it has been developed entirely in-house, while the 381mm carbon ceramic brakes at the front and 361mm at the rear are fitted with six-piston Brembo calipers. Considering the amount of futuristic devil, 1.763 kg weight the NSX's dryness isn't all that surprising, but we'll talk about that later. The NSX project manager assures us that their first concern was performance (the NSX still accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 2,9 seconds and reaches 308 km / h), but rather "a different driving experience." ...
Then a hybrid supercar with all-wheel drive, which in 2016 no longer seems so strange.
Actually Honda NSX Remember Porsche Spyder 918 for its layout: integral thrustbut this is only thanks to two electric motors that power the front wheels, at over 200 km / h both are driven by rear-wheel drive only, and both can only move in electric mode. The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Honda Super Handling All Weel Drive) is the most daring and challenging part of the entire project, but also one that has the potential to compromise driving pleasure.
Honda NSX between curbs
First contact with Honda NSX it will look like the diagram. Estoril it's really cool, with a steep chicane uphill and a couple of nice mid-downhill turns. The NSX's interior is welcoming, spacious and well maintained. Aluminum, Alcantara and leather wrap around a very neat, but perhaps a little cold, dashboard. Either way, the desire to sell the NSX to those who want to drive it like a normal car is obvious.
The seat is quite soft but very comfortable, and the slightly flat upper and lower (somewhat oval) steering wheel provides fantastic traction and accommodates two long (plastic) petals on the crown.
Available modes: Quiet, Sports, Sports + Electronic Track; finger on the start button and proceed to the second mode. The first impression is of a car that is very agile and natural in its reactions, not artificial at all; great news. There's a lot of Ferrari in that steering, and it only takes a few degrees to get the NSX's nose in the right direction. It's less fast and nervous than Italian, but just as full of feedback.
First trip to Sport mode showed two important things: a frame that tells you what's going on, and one of the best controls I've ever tried, all the prerequisites for having fun are there. In this mode, the electronics block out any excess engine, while the trim tab renders the vehicle neutral, if not slightly understeer.
I quickly switch to mode Sports +who strives for magnetorheological shock absorbers NSX, it frees up more power and makes the ride sharper. By now I have learned where to put the wheels and I want to try the mode Track... The outlet opens, the draft and stability controllers are turned off, and the electric motors deliver full power. The car immediately feels more reactive, especially when stepping on the gas, and the first signs of magic appear in the corners. The car spins in the middle of a turn as if it were spinning around its axis, guiding the rope and pulling the rear end, which follows it enthusiastically.
Electronic tampering is never felt, and the NSX's behavior seems completely natural, dispelling all my doubts about the complex all-wheel drive system. You drive and she does whatever she needs to do with complete precision and discretion. In this mode, the car becomes too steerable, and when you approach the limit, you need to drive the car very carefully so as not to provoke the rear end when entering corners. On the way out, however, it behaves almost like a rear-wheel drive car, drawing black commas on the asphalt with the rear wheels and causing quick but easily corrected oversteer.
Il system SH-AWD it performs so well that it masks 1700+kg better than any other car. If I had to bet on the weight of this machine, I would say a maximum of 1.500 kg. Braking goes a long way in disguising the size of the NSX - it's so powerful and relentless that it seems more appropriate for a car with an extra 200 hp.
It is a light machine that unleashes up to 90% of its potential, but it takes a certain skill to push it to its limit. It is less stationary and on the track than the Audi R8 Plus, but also more useful.
Those first circles behind the wheel Honda NSX they have confused me greatly; I expected the car to be a little reluctant to corner, prone to understeer, and more efficient than entertainment; but after a few laps I had to change my mind. This is a really funny car.
Il engine has a dark, muffled sound: outside it screams and turns on, and inside it is quite drowned out by soundproofing material, but at 7.500 rpm the scream V-TEC (yes, you heard that right) it gets addictive. It's an engine that looks neither turbo nor naturally aspirated: it certainly pushes hard, but it's acceleration that I've never experienced before. The electric motor fills the holes in the turbo, delivering instant and instant torque, resulting in traction so smooth and constant throughout the rev range it feels like you're playing a video game. The 9-speed dual-clutch transmission is at its best, and in terms of speed and responsiveness, it is undoubtedly on par with the competition.
Honda NSX on the road
Brilliance on the track, it's not easy even for a supercar. But Honda NSX it is a supercar for everyday use, so the road is its natural habitat. In mode Quiet, the one that we beautifully avoided on the track, the car can travel about 4 km only with the help of batteries. However, you cannot manually select the electrical mode, the computer is thinking about automatically switching from an electric motor to a thermal one. Thus, the NSX flies on the road unnoticed, with the most muffled engine sound and with shock absorbers that copy bumps very well. It doesn't feel like you're sitting in a nearly 600-horsepower supercar, but that's the added value of the NSX. This is the future, you need to get used to it.
This is true if you are not in the mood, but if so, then the mode Sports this is the one that will fit most roads. There NSX so strong in security, with reasonably firm dampers (they are too marbled in the Sport+ on these roads) and stability controls to correct your every mistake. It's a pity that the suspension can't be adjusted independently of the engine - an increasingly sporty choice now - but it must be said that the modes are well calibrated.
findings
I thought new Honda NSX It would be a simple manifesto of the mechanics and technology of a Japanese manufacturer, a kind of four-wheeled robot: efficient, even fast, but not very fun. Fortunately, I was wrong. There Honda NSX it is truly a true sports car, designed for the future, but also focused on driving participation.
In the very difficult segment of the famous NSX supercars a whole space is created him, raising the bar when it comes to day-to-day supercar use. In terms of stage presence, quality, and performance, Honda has stood up to its competitors.
This is the machine that it includes the driver claims to be driven accurately, with or without moccasins.
