Acura used this year’s Society of Automotive Engineers 2015 World Congress to announce the 2016 NSX will come with a new multi-material chassis and the company’s most advanced all-wheel-drive system to date.
Unlike the all-aluminum chassis of its predecessor, the 2016 NSX will use a multi-material space frame construction made up of aluminum, carbon fibre and high-strength steel. Acura claims this is the world’s first application of ablation casting technology in a car, a process that blends traditional casting methods with rapid cooling. This allows for more flexibility in the design, as well as class-leading body stiffness.
The 2016 NSX will also feature a set of 3D-formed A-pillars made up of high-strength steel. Thick A-pillars are one of our biggest design pet peeves, but Acura says this manufacturing technique will not only keep visual obstructions to a minimum, but also maintain maximum integrity in a crash.
Unfortunately, Acura is keeping the biggest details – official horsepower and torque specs – under wraps. That being said, we now know the NSX’s twin-turbocharged, 75-degree 3.5-litre V6 will be all-new, fitted with direct- and port-injection, and a dry-sump lubrication system all in the name of keeping the car’s centre of gravity low and the lateral Gs high.
A nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels through Acura’s most advanced iteration of its Sport Hybrid SH-AWD with torque vectoring capabilities. Two electric motors sit at the front axle, while an electric motor within the transmission feeds a power boost to the rear axle. Cooling is accomplished through a total of 10 radiators mounted throughout the car.
Expect to see the 2016 NSX carry a mid-$150,000 price tag when Acura kicks off production this fall.
