A tribute to Honda, to one of its most iconic cars, the Nohda Nsx, but also to Italian creativity, represented in this case by Italdesign.
To celebrate three landmark events in Honda’s history — the company’s first Formula 1 victory in 1965, the launch of the “NSX” in 1990 with which Honda challenged the European supercars, and the 1995 Le Mans victory achieved precisely with an “NSX” — the Japanese manufacturer decided to create a highly limited series of vehicles inspired by its most iconic model, entrusting both design and production to Italdesign
In practical terms, these are cars handcrafted by the Italian company that retain the low and sleek proportions of the original “NSX”, while reinterpreting them through a contemporary design language, blending heritage and innovation and concealing beneath their bodywork the technical and performance features of the latest-generation “NSX”, the supercar renamed “NSX Type S”, produced between 2016 and 2022 in 350 examples.
The car featured a hybrid powertrain combining a 75-degree twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine with double overhead camshafts and Honda’s “Dual VTC” variable timing system, together with three electric motors for a total output of 600 horsepower and 667 Newton metres of torque.
The two turbochargers were of the single-scroll type with electrically actuated wastegates, while fueling was managed through two injection systems, one direct and one indirect. The direct system worked by atomising fuel inside each cylinder at very high pressure, while the indirect system operated conventionally, creating a pre-mixed air-fuel charge within the intake ducts. Each circuit was supplied by a dedicated pump, with the direct injection system operating at almost 4.5 bar of pressure, while the other maintained pressure fluctuating between 3.5 and 5 bar.
The engine block was produced through sand casting, while the cylinder liners featured a plasma anti-friction coating, combining performance with maximum reliability. The extensive use of aluminium for both block and cylinder heads minimised weight, while the dry-sump lubrication system allowed the engine to be mounted as low as possible within the chassis to improve stability.
Also noteworthy were the “ISC” (Intake Sound Control) system on the intake side and the “AEV” (Active Exhaust Valve) system on the exhaust, which together with the “IDS” (Integrated Dynamics System) acoustically enhanced the engine’s performance potential.
In this configuration, the combustion engine alone delivered 507 horsepower between 6,500 and 7,500 rpm, with 550 Newton metres of torque available between 2,000 and 6,000 rpm. These figures were complemented by the output of three permanent-magnet synchronous three-phase electric motors.
One electric motor, capable of producing 49 horsepower at 3,000 rpm, was positioned at the rear between the engine and the transmission to directly assist the car during acceleration and braking phases. The other two motors, each producing 37 horsepower, independently drove the front wheels, ensuring optimal torque delivery to each wheel for maximum performance.
The system’s electronic torque vectoring eliminated the need for a front differential, while a limited-slip differential was retained at the rear to manage the combined output of the thermal and electric powertrain, transmitted through a nine-speed dual-clutch automated gearbox developed internally by Honda.
This powertrain was mounted within a multi-component aluminium chassis reinforced with high-strength steel and integrated with a carbon-fibre floor. The chassis was connected to aluminium double-wishbone front suspension and a rear multilink setup featuring die-cast aluminium control arms.
These solutions minimised unsprung masses, allowing the suspension system to automatically adapt its elastic responses according to the vehicle’s instantaneous dynamic conditions. This was achieved through third-generation active magnetorheological dampers, a technology based on a fluid containing microscopic metallic particles inside the dampers and electrical systems generating magnetic fields capable of altering the fluid’s density and therefore its damping characteristics.
The car also featured steel anti-roll bars and a sophisticated dual-pinion variable-ratio electromechanical steering system. This setup ensured highly precise steering through a progressively variable steering ratio ranging from just under 13:1 to slightly above 11:1, allowing a turning circle of approximately 12 metres with fewer than two turns of the steering wheel.
Also noteworthy were the 42:58 front-to-rear weight distribution and the “Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive” (“SH-AWD”) all-wheel-drive system.
Title: Honda Nsx Tribute by Italdesign: a tribute to italian style
Translation with ChatGPT
