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As fans of everything fast and mid-engined, we're always anxious to hear news of the revival of the Honda/Acura NSX. Sure, the last V-10 version of the NSX abandoned the mid-engine configuration for a frontally-located mill, but the big power and impressive performance were still tantalizing. Now rumors have re-emerged that the NSX will get a V-6 hybrid powertrain and be built on a modified Accord platform. But we're still doubtful.
Why? Because the details in the new report from Motor Trend track almost identically with a 16-month-old report from 7Tune. Because 7Tune, while definitely hooked into the Japanese future-car mainframe, is often a bit less than accurate in their prognostications. Because we desperately hope a hybrid V-6 Accord won't get the NSX badge.
Acura NSX replacement preview
But what would such a car look like in reality? The Accord V-6 weighs in at a rather portly 3,559 pounds, while the previous-generation Accord Hybrid weighed in about 200 pounds heavier than its same-generation V-6 version. That means the NSX, barring exotic materials an substantial trimming of dimensions from the Accord starting point, could weigh as must as 3,800 pounds.
Pair that curb weight with a 400- to 450-horsepower hybrid V-6 and you have something not much more exciting than a 2011 Camaro SS--a great vehicle in its own right, but hardly a supercar, and certainly not what we'd expect of the next-generation "Super Hybrid Sports" NSX.
[Motor Trend, 7Tune]
