Honda NSX

Posted by matbrants | 6:51 PM

Honda NSX
The Honda NSX (Acura NSX in North America and Hong Kong) was a sports car produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It had a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, an all-aluminium body and chassis, and a V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's VTEC system.
Development

In 1984 Honda commissioned Pininfarina to design the HP-X (Honda Pininfarina Xperimental), which had a mid-mounted 2.0L V6 configuration.

The production NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer Ken Okuyama and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara, who was also in charge of the S2000 project. Its first public appearances as the NS-X were at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989, and at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1989.

Japanese Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima was involved with the NSX's development, performing many duties related to chassis tuning. Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna and American Bobby Rahal also participated in the car's development. Senna was given an NSX by Honda, although details of this car and its fate are unclear.[citation needed]

Honda's breakthrough engineering in the NSX was a major contributor to the design of the McLaren F1 as mentioned here in a interview with McLaren designer Gordon Murray. "The moment I drove the NSX, all the benchmark cars--Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini--I had been using as references in the development of my car vanished from my mind. Of course the car we would create, the McLaren F1, needed to be faster than the NSX, but the NSX's ride quality and handling would become our new design target."
Manufacture and release

Upon its release in 1990, the NSX was a design ahead of its time, at only 1170mm (46.1in) in height only 141.3mm (6in) taller than the legendary Ford GT40. The car showcased Honda's racing technology, exemplified by the NSX's ultra-rigid, ultra-light aluminium monocoque chassis, aluminium suspension, titanium connecting rods, forged pistons and high-revving capabilities — the redline was at a lofty 8,000 rpm. Today it is still known by many as the most reliable exotic car with many examples exceeding 100,000 miles without any reliability issues. The car's strong chassis rigidity and cornering/handling capabilities were the results of Ayrton Senna's direct input with NSX's chief engineers while testing at the Honda owned Suzuka Circuit during its final development stages. The NSX was initially assembled at the purpose-built Takanezawa R&D Plant in Tochigi from 1989 to early 2004, when it was moved to Suzuka Plant for the remainder of its production life. The cars were assembled by approximately 200 experienced, hand-picked staff from various Honda factories. Honda designed the NSX in search of the perfect balance between power and reliability and thus produced a powerful naturally aspirated engine suitable for the abuse of road racing

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