The Acura NSX may have been axed, but Honda’s ambition to build a two-door hypercar is far from dead according to a new report.
A new report suggests that Honda is about to enter the hypercar wars
When the latest iteration of the Acura NSX was axed, it seemed that the demise of the slow-selling two-door supercar was also the final nail in the coffin for Honda’s supercar ambitions as the company shifted towards electrification and embraced SUVs.
However, a new report suggests that Honda’s supercar goals are still alive and could benefit from the brand’s racing experience and green technology if rumors of an upcoming hypercar are proven to be true.
Honda’s move comes with precedent
Honda’s rumored hypercar would be a noticeable departure from the NSX
These alleged plans were published in a report released by The Drive and while the idea of a Honda badged supercar may sound strange in the U.S. It’s actually not the first time that the company has put its badge on a supercar. In Japan, the NSX was sold as a Honda model in the late 1990s and early 2000s and carried the Honda badge in its home market until being axed in 2005.
This time around, Honda appears to be focusing on using F1 technology with Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe appearing to collaborate this interest in remarks to The Drive during the Indianapolis 500. “Yes, yes, but no plans yet. But in the future, we want to make such [a] kind of vehicle combined with F1 technology.” This would also appear to indicate that Honda might be interested in targeting the Red Bull RB17 hypercar which is making its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. That hypercar has been shrouded in secrecy for years and is supposed to be RB’s first foray into the segment when it eventually begins its production run.
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New model would be departure from NSX
Honda is hoping that an infusion of new money will boost its EV plans and a rumored hypercar might assist with that
The report also makes it clear that the new model will not only be a departure from the NSX mechanically but that it also will not use the NSX nameplate either. We suspect part of this is due to Honda wanting to give the model a fresh start versus the NSX name which had become associated with slow sales during its most recent production run.
Honda’s collaboration with Aston Martin might also play a bigger role in the development of the new model due to the company’s partnership with Red Bull expiring in 2025. Part of this shuffle is that Honda will replace Mercedes-AMG as the engine supplier for Aston Martin’s racing team. This new partnership could grow to potentially include the hypercar project since Honda would be in a prime spot to benefit from Aston’s engineering techniques for the new model. In turn, Aston would also have a new supply of engines for its next-generation hypercar especially since the Valkyrie is based on foundations that are over a decade old.
Time will tell if this report ends up producing viable fruit for Honda but with the company doubling down on electrification, a hypercar model that combines the company’s F1 technology with an electrified powertrain of some kind would be a potent halo model that would help shine a light on the company’s other products moving forward.
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