26 May 04
Honda NSX Type-R
Previously the preserve of Japanese buyers, the stripped-out NSX Type-R sat next to the HSC concept on Honda's Birmingham stand. The Type-R - revised for 2004 with even faster acceleration (sub-5sec to 60mph, 175mph+), F1-style gearbox and an advanced drive-by-wire throttle - should be more widely available through the Honda dealer network for around £75,000.
Most had suspected that the HSC concept presaged Honda's next NSX when it went on display earlier this year in Geneva and that's now been confirmed. It was very useful to compare the current car with the concept. There's certainly an evolutionary development of the NSX's sharp looks in the HSC. The HSC is even more slippery, with a drag co-efficient of just .30. Honda's engineers have gone for a perfect 50:50 weight distribution as well. The drivetrain arrangement is similar to that of the NSX too: a mid-placed 3.5-litre V6 with over 300bhp to power the rear wheels. Big Brembo stoppers shine out through the fat racing alloys. The concept's body panels are made from carbon-fibre but the production version is most likely be aluminium. The scissor doors are unlikely to appear on the finished product.
