
Honda NSX
Year:
1994
Manufacturer:
Honda Motor Company Ltd, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Number Produced:
18,000
Specifications:
2977 cc PGM-F1 DOHC V6 cylinder engine
VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control)
4 speed automatic gearbox
0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.6 secs
270 hp @ 7100 rpm

Description:
In 1984 Honda commissioned the Italian car designer Pininfarina to design the HP-X (Honda Pininfarina eXperimental). After Honda committed to the project, management informed the engineers that the new car would have to be as fast as anything coming from Italy and Germany. The HP-X concept car evolved into a prototype called the NS-X, which stood for "New", "Sportscar" and "eXperimental". The NS-X prototype and eventual production model were designed by a team led by Chief Designer Ken Okuyama and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara
The original performance target for the NS-X was the Ferrari 328, which was revised to the 348 as the design neared completion. Honda intended the NS-X to meet or exceed the performance of the Ferrari, while offering targeted reliability and a lower price point.
The bodywork design had been specifically researched by Okuyama and Uehara after studying the 360 degree visibility inside an F-16 fighter jet cockpit. Thematically the F-16 came into play in the exterior design as well as establishing the conceptual goals of the NSX. In the F-16 and other high performance craft such as unlimited hydroplanes, single seat race cars etc. the cockpit is located far forward on the body and in front of the power plant. This "cab-forward" layout was chosen early in the NSX's design to optimize visibility while the long tail design enhanced high speed directional stability. The NS-X was designed to showcase several Honda automotive technologies, many derived from its F1 motor-sports program.
The NSX was the first production car to feature an all-aluminium monocoque body, incorporating a revolutionary extruded aluminium alloy frame, and suspension. The use of aluminium in the body alone saved nearly 200 kg in weight over the steel equivalent while the aluminium suspension saved an additional 20 kg, Other notable features included an independent, 4-channel anti-lock brake system; titanium connecting rods in the engine to permit reliable high-rpm operation; an electric power steering system; Honda's proprietary VTEC variable valve timing system.
Honda had significant development resources at its disposal and made extensive use of them. Respected Japanese Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima, for example, was involved with Honda in the NS-X's early on track development at Suzuka race circuit, where he performed many endurance distance duties related to chassis tuning.
Brazilian Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna, for whom Honda had powered all three of his world championship-winning Formula One race cars before his death in 1994, was considered Honda's main innovator in convincing the company to stiffen the NSX chassis further after initially testing the car at Honda's Suzuka GP circuit in Japan. Senna further helped refine the original NSX's suspension tuning and handling spending a whole day test driving prototypes and reporting his findings to Honda engineers after each of the day's five testing sessions. Senna also tested the NSX at the Nurburgring and other tracks.
The production car made its first public appearances as the NS-X at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989, and at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1989 to positive reviews. Honda revised the vehicle's name from
NS-X to NSX before final production and sale.
Though it does not produce the high horsepower numbers, it does have the highest per-litre output of any naturally aspirated V6 production road-going car in the world. Focusing on weight distribution, low weight, down-force, aerodynamics, suspension and technology rather than large engines has made this vehicle a technological and stylish marvel even to this day.
Production of the first generation NSX ended on November 30, 2005 after 15 years in production, Honda is already working on a successor. A new sports car for a new era, which is to incorporate Honda’s most advanced technology due to be released in 2016.