Honda Reviving Sporty Acura NSX

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Following Dodge’s lead of reintroducing the classic Dart model, Honda (NYSE:HMC) has announced a sporty resurrection of its own — and it’s (partially) electric.

Boogie woogie woogie.

After years of speculation, Honda announced at the Detroit Auto Show the rebirth of the Acura NSX — the slick, race-engineered sports car of the 1990s and early aughts that gained an equal reputation for excitement and reliability.

Giving a nod to the second sensibility, the newest iteration — expected out in 2015 — will be a V6-powered lightweight coupe with an electric-assisted all-wheel-drive system meant to boost fuel efficiency. Not that the NSX will slouch on power, with Motor Trend estimating an output of about 400 horsepower.

For years, Honda had discussed a revision with a V10 engine, and in 2007, the company confirmed it was gunning for a possible 2010 release. However, CEO Tetsuo Iwamura announced the NSX project was nixed in 2008, citing the poor economy. As plans resurfaced, proposed engine size became more modest and in line with the original NSX.

The NSX is expected to be produced out of the Marysville, Ohio, plant that currently manufactures the Honda Accord and Acura TL.

While the Honda originally was taken out of production in 2005 when its sales figures dipped into the hundreds, the company is reaching for anything to revive interest in the company. Last year’s Civic update widely underwhelmed, and the compact slid out of the top 10 best-selling cars list. 2011 also was a down year for HMC stock, which shed more than 20% of its value.

As of this writing, Kyle Woodley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2012/01/honda-reviving-sporty-acura-nsx/.

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