Honda Cars : Say Goodbye to the Honda HSV-010 | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda aborted its front-engined NSX project years ago and turned it into a racecar, but even that's being put to pasture as the new hybrid NSX rolls in.

 

by Noah Joseph of www.carbuzz.com

Never heard of the Honda HSV-010 GT? That’s because, unlike the other cars competing in Japan’s Super GT series, the HSV-010 isn’t actually based on a production car. It traces its roots to an aborted front-engined NSX project, but a loophole in the regulations allowed it to race anyway. But it won’t for much longer. According to reports, Honda Racing will race the HSV-010 GT in the GT500 class of the Super GT series this year, much as it has since 2010. But 2013 will be its last season before Honda phases it out in favor of the new NSX.

With the roadgoing NSX not expected to arrive until late next year, at the earliest, that means the Super GT500 version will be the first on the scene. It also means that the HSV-010 will have had a rather short lifespan, deployed only on the racetrack (despite its original production intentions) for three years. In contrast, the original NSX competed in the Super GT series (and its predecessor Japanese Grand Touring Car Championship) for a solid twelve seasons. The original won the title three times, and the HSV-010 another one. Will the new NSX be as successful? Only time will tell.

Source;
http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2013/4/4/Say-Goodbye-to-the-Honda-HSV-010-7713722/

Honda Cars : Freeze Frame: The Next Acura NSX Meets The Aborted Acura NSX | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Written by: Evan McCausland
Honda didn’t really reveal anything shocking at its global motorsports press conference this week, but it did manage to infuse a bit of irony when it parked the new Acura NSX concept (wearing Honda emblems, of course) next to what could have been the next Acura NSX.

Long before the current NSX program debuted, Honda envisioned the second-generation Acura NSX as a front-engined gran turismo. The Acura Advanced Sports Coupe concept, which made its North American debut at the 2007 Detroit auto show, reportedly gave a good look at what Honda had planned for the NSX’s successor, including a ten-cylinder engine and a variation of its torque-shifting Super Handling-AWD (SH-AWD) system.

As the story goes, those dreams never exactly became reality. Honda shelved the NSX program after the global economic kerfuffle, but the progress made to that point wasn’t for naught. Honda’s motorsports wing adapted the design into the HSV-010 GT Super GT car – which you see here in black, alongside the new 2015 NSX concept.

Honda has hinted the new NSX could spawn a race variant of its own, but until then, the HSV-010 GT continues to compete in Japan’s Super GT GT500 series. Honda’s fielding five HSV-010 GT cars this year, all of which receive mild aerodynamic revisions for the 2012 season.

Source;
http://rumors.automobilemag.com/freeze-frame-the-next-acura-nsx-meets-the-aborted-acura-nsx-110529.html#ixzz1meNKdZj5

Honda Cars : Honda at Tokyo Auto Salon 2012 | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda has announced plans to introduce a number of customized vehicles at the aftermarket focused Tokyo Auto Salon.

Showcased vehicles include customized versions of the all-new N BOX Custom minicar, which was revealed at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Freed compact minivan and Beat models.

First up is the Flash Box which features special reflective decal sheets with embedded LEDs. It is used as a decorative element both inside and out. Although Honda has used this LED application conservatily, we can imagine how some attention seeking motorists could overuse it, considering some other LED products we have seen.

Another showcase vehicle is the Freed Wa which is based on the Freed Hybrid compact minivan. The Japanese word wa refers to traditional Japanese culture. Its exterior features the ancient Japanese art of lacquering, while flowers representing the four seasons are the theme of the interior design.

Other vehicles showcased are the Freed Spike Transporter, which loads two off-road motorcycles, and the Beat Auto Salon Special features genuine Beat accessories and special aerodynamic parts.

Lastly, as previously reported, a specially modified Honda CR-Z dubbed the TS-1X concept will appear along with the Sports Modulo NSX and the HSV-010 GT.

The Tokyo Auto Salon will be held from January 13 - 15 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/112011139661/honda-at-tokyo-auto-salon-2012

Honda Cars : Report: Honda NSX development soldiers on | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Automotive News reports that the long-dead NSX is back under development after its spiritual successor was sent to the round file in 2008. We've heard an increasing chorus of rumours that the project has been taken off the shelf, but this is the first time we can recall reading direct quotes from higher-ups within Honda confirming its existence. Takanobu Ito, Honda's President, reportedly disclosed that his company is currently working on a successor that will be both entertaining to drive and efficient, which likely means buyers can expect to be met with a hybrid drivetrain when the supercar launches. When will that be? Ito didn't give specific details on when the new-generation NSX will land, though he did say that the racer will be the brawnier bigger brother of the company's CR-Z hybrid.

That means that we can kiss the luscious V10 mounted in the old HSV-010 goodbye. That vehicle was intended to be the most recent take on the NSX, but was scrapped after the auto market at large began circling the drain back in 2008. While fans of the Japanese supercar were up in arms over the fact that the HSV-010 abandoned the mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive finesse of the original NSX for an all-wheel drive platform, we have to imagine many NSX loyalists might not have kind words for a hybridized version of the bruiser.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Honda Cars : Honda to develop high-performance sports car | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda Motor Co. officially announced its plan to develop a high-performance sports car to serve as a successor to the now-defunct NSX.

President Takanobu Ito confirmed earlier reports about the car at a press conference held Friday to highlight Honda's 2011 motor sports activities.

The new model will be based on the 3.4-liter HSV-010GT race car. Honda runs the car on the Super GT auto racing circuit.

Ito said he wanted to commercialize the HSV because other automakers participate in the competition with racing versions based on cars sold on the market.

"I think Honda should respect the history of the Super GT competition (as a stock-car race)," Ito said.

Ito also indicated Honda may develop a low-priced small sports car.

"There are two types of sports cars--affordable and high-performance. I hope we will be able to market both," he said.

Soource (via TOV);
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201102060128.html

Honda Cars : Honda/Acura NSX Supercar Could Still be Revived - 2011 Debut Rumoured | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Here we go again....
The Honda/Acura NSX could be revived as early as 2011, according to AutoBild. In an unsourced report, the German magazine says that a road-ready version of the HSV-010 GT racecar is being developed to fight the Lexus LFA.

A new version of the supercar was officially cancelled by Honda during the peak of the economic crisis. At that time, the company announced that they would be eliminating many of their niche market models in favor of vehicles that are broadly accepted worldwide, and can be produced in large volumes.

The magazine says that the production NSX would come with a 5.0-liter V8 engine. The production version would likely be both narrower and less defined than the race model, and be sold without a rear spoiler.

The Honda HSV-010 GT uses a 3.4-liter V8 engine generating 493 horsepower (500PS, 368 kW). The race car got its debut earlier this month at Japan's Suzuka Circuit, where two of them crashed out .

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/110033025407/hondaacura-nsx-supercar-could-still-be-revived---2011

Honda Cars : Super GT Provisional Entry List Revealed | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

For those of you that don't know, this was going to be the replacement for the Acura/Honda NSX....
It’s shaping up to be a great season of Super GT this year with the news that 13 GT500 and 25 GT300 teams have completed entry registrations.

Among those 13 GT500 teams, 5 supported by Honda with its new HSV-010 GT with Epson, Keihin, Raybrig, ARTA and Weider teams running the new car. Only three teams, Calsonic Impul, HIS Advan Kondo and Motul Autech, will field Nissan’s GT-R in 2010 with Hasemi Motorsport leaving their GT-R behind and moving out of the GT500 class to enter a Nissan Fairlady Z in the GT300 class. Nissan has also introduced a new 3.4L V8 for this season and hopes to be very competitive up against the previous season winning Lexus SC430.

GT300 class has had a total of 25 registrations, two more than last year thanks to the previously mentioned team Hasemi Motorsport, plus an new entry in the form of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage fielded by A Speed. ThunderAsia Racing is a Singapore-based team running a Mosler MT900M and will be the first wholly international team to race in the Super GT for an entire season. The team that brought an ‘Itasha’ BMW Z4 M to Round 6 of the 2008 Super GT season will return this year but under a new organisation, now named Goodsmile Racing with Cox and fielding a Porsche 911. Toyota Team Tsuchiya that raced in the GT500 class previously will now be called Samurai Team Tsuchiya and enter the GT300 class with a car that has yet to be announced.

An interesting battle among tire manufacturers will surely add some spice to each race too with all three Nissan GT-Rs running different tire brands, with Nismo Motul Autech running Michelin tires, Calsonic Impul running Bridgestone and the HIS Advan Kondo running Yokohama. So expect to see some different race strategies between these teams running the same car but different tire brands.

The season opener will be held at Suzuka Circuit on March 20 – 21.
Entry list: http://supergt.net/supergt/news/2010n/news100222_1e.htm

Source;
http://www.7tune.com/super-gt-provisional-entry-list-revealed/

Honda Cars : Honda introduces HSV-010 GT for competing in GT500 class of SUPER GT Series | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

January 18, 2010 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. introduced the HSV-010 GT, which will compete in the GT500 class of the 2010 Super GT Series (managed and run by GTA Co., Ltd.).* The letters “HSV” stand for Honda Sports Velocity.

Source;
http://world.honda.com/news/2010/c100118HSV-010-GT/

Honda Cars : Honda's HSV-010 (Next Gen NSX!) Spied by Kansenzyuku (via Vtec.net) | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

What makes these snap shots bitter sweet is the fact that this NSX was so close to production that they were able to sell the GTA.co to allow them to enter the race with this car! This would have been a sweet production car!

Now, here's how I feel....

Source (via www.vtec.net);

http://www.kansenzyuku.com/circuitdiary/diary.cgi?no=129

Honda Cars : Honda to compete in GT500 class of 2010 Super GT Series with HSV-010 GT | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

December 22, 2009―Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced today that it will compete in the GT500 class of the 2010 Super GT Series (managed and run by GTA Co., Ltd.) with its HSV-010 GT.

The HSV-010 GT was developed exclusively for racing with the hope of offering thrills and dreams to fans through an unremitting focus on speed—the starting point of all motorsports. The model conforms to the 2010 GT500 Regulations, (including a 3.4-liter V8 engine and an FR layout) issued by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), having earned JAF-GT500 basic vehicle registration. The HSV-010 GT is slated to debut at the Super GT season opener at the Suzuka Circuit, held on March 20–21 (Sat.–Sun.), 2010.

* The letters “HSV” stand for Honda Sports Velocity.

Since joining the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) in 1997 with its NSX-GT, Honda has competed in a total of 106 races during 13 years through the end of the 2009 season. During this time, Honda has taken the pole position 50 times and won 37 races.

Source;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=870316