1991 Acura NSX: Suspension Walkaround

Here's a great artical on a truely legendary car....
by Dan Edmunds

At long last the 1991 Acura NSX suspension walkaround you've been clamoring for is finally here. Turns out there's lots of cool stuff to see under there, even if this car is old enough to drink and play blackjack.

Let's not waste any more time with preliminaries. The NSX is racked on our 2-post Rotary lift and fully exposed.

Here's the full article;
http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2012/02/1991-acura-nsx-suspension-walkaround.html

We Hear: Honda EV-STER Concept to Be Built, with Gas Power?

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito told German auto magazine Auto Motor und Sport that the funky Honda EV-STER concept we showed you last month during the Tokyo Motor Show will go into production. The EC-STER was conceived as a modern-day Honda Beat and comes close to the size of that Japanese market Kei-car.

The concept comes in less than two inches wider than the Beat and the JDM Kei-car standard. The concept is powered by a 58kW (78 horsepower) lithium-ion motor and is said to hit 60km/h (just over 37 mph) in 5.0 seconds. Power is sent to the rear wheels. Honda says the electric-powered EV-STER would have a range of 100 miles and top speed of 100 mph.

But don’t fret if these numbers don’t impress. The Honda EV-STER is package-protected for a gasoline engine – behind the seats, making it a mid-engine, rear-drive replacement for the gone but not forgotten Honda S2000. Still no word on size or power level of the hypothetical internal combustion engine, but it would likely create more power and produce better times than the electric motor.

One show car feature that would not likely make production is the twin-lever steering. A conventional steering wheel would probably get the nod for the production car. No details whether either model will come stateside. We are crossing our fingers for the gas-powered version with at least 200 horsepower – maybe from the rumored 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder.

Source;
http://wot.motortrend.com/we-hear-honda-ev-ster-concept-to-be-built-with-gas-power-147349.html

2012 Honda Civic Si Wows At SEMA Show

Limited-edition Honda Factory Performance kit unveiled and Honda Performance Development reveals new grassroots racing program for the Civic Si
11/01/2011 - LAS VEGAS
Seven modified 2012 Civic Si Coupes and Sedans are featured prominently in the Honda booth at the 2011 SEMA Show, which opens today. The all-new 2012 Civic Si Coupe and Civic Si Sedan emphasize the performance potential of the Civic lineup and represent great platforms for vehicle personalization. Several significant vehicles are being unveiled at the show, including a 2012 Civic Si Coupe equipped with a limited-edition Honda Factory Performance™ (HFP™) package, the Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD) Compass360 Racing HPD 2012 Civic Si Coupe Racecar, the Accord Coupe HFP Concept and several vehicles equipped with Honda Genuine Accessories.

“The Honda Civic was instrumental in the first import-tuner movement in the U.S. during the ‘80s,” said Bruce Smith, vice president of Service and Technical Operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “The all-new Civic Si builds on that proud history by offering inspiring performance, improved fuel economy and a great platform for personalization.”

Show-goers will get the first look at the 2012 Civic Si Coupe fitted with a limited-edition HFP package. Limited to only 500 complete kits and on sale today at Honda dealers in the U.S., the package includes: high-performance springs, reducing ride height by 15 mm; high-performance dampers tuned for enhanced road handling and decreased body roll; 18x7 inch HFP Alloy Wheels; full HFP aerodynamic body kit; HFP carpet floor mats; red ambient interior illumination; and, HFP emblems. All of the painted parts will come color-matched to each of the seven available Civic Si Coupe colors.

After unveiling the Compass360 Racing HPD 2012 Civic Si Coupe Racecar, HPD provided details about its new racing performance parts program for the all-new Civic Coupe. Earlier this year, HPD began sales of Civic bodies-in-white, also on display. For builders of racecars, starting their build with a body-in-white represents significant cost and labor savings when compared to the purchase and conversion of a fully-equipped production car. Sales of the body-in-white began in July, and HPD has delivered a number to licensed race teams thus far, priced at $3,500 each. Additionally, HPD will soon offer HPD-designed parts and branded racing components for the new Civic through the Honda Racing Line. These racing parts are tailored for use in the SCCA World Challenge and Grand Am's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. They will be available early in 2012, and full details and pricing will be available at that time.

Combining the expertise of HPD and the styling and performance history of HFP, the Accord Coupe V6 HFP Concept features a full suite of currently-available HFP components. HPD guided the creation of the “concept,” which includes a supercharger and performance air intake and exhaust systems. Building upon a stock 3.5-liter V6 engine, the supercharged engine is estimated to produce 335 hp and 285 ft. lbs of torque (up 64 hp and 34 ft. lbs vs. stock car). This vehicle was modified to demonstrate the performance potential of the Accord V6 coupe and to gauge consumer interest. Honda has no current production plans for the concept.

Sporting available Honda Genuine Accessories, the 2012 Civic Si Sedan shows that performance and style can come with four doors. It features 18x7 inch HFP alloy wheels, all-season floor mats, trunk tray, cargo net, cargo hook and splash guards. All Honda Genuine Accessories, including HFP components, offer a 3-year/36,000 mile warranty like the Civic itself, if they are purchased and installed at the time of new vehicle purchase, and are engineered to be fully compatible with each Honda vehicle.

Nestled amongst two previously-seen Honda-modified CR-Z sport hybrids, the HPD CR-Z Hybrid R Concept and the CR-Z with MUGEN accessories, is a stand-alone HPD CR-Z engine concept equipped with a supercharger. This 1.5-liter engine concept builds upon HPD’s experience with the turbocharged HPD CR-Z Racer that competed at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill last year and represents HPD’s continued exploration of the performance potential of the CR-Z.

Reaching out to the import community, Honda invited three independent vehicle tuners to build and display their Civic Si concepts at the SEMA Show. Tuners were asked to push the limits of performance and style with their builds, and the vehicles on display demonstrate the personalized potential of the Si Coupe and Sedan. Following last year’s amazing CR-Z build, Bisimoto Engineering delivered a 1004 hp version of the Civic Si Coupe. Having previously built two generations of Fit project vehicles, Tjin Edition brings its own take on the Civic Si Sedan, showing that style and performance can coexist with kids and a family. And making its Honda SEMA Show debut, Fox Marketing pulled out all of the stops to create a wide-body, turbo-charged version of the Civic Si Coupe.

Vehicles on Display at the Honda Booth
From American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
2012 Civic Si Coupe with limited-edition HFP™ package
2012 Civic Si Sedan with Honda Genuine Accessories
2012 Accord Coupe V6 HFP™ Concept
2011 CR-Z with MUGEN Accessories
2012 Civic Si Coupe modified by blink-182 for the Honda Civic Tour

Historic Civic models from the American Honda Collection
2000 Civic Si Challenge winner (by Superstreet magazine)
1975 Civic 3dr

From Honda Performance Development, Inc.
2012 HPD Compass
360 World Challenge Spec Civic Si racecar
2012 Civic Coupe body-in-white
2011 CR-Z Hybrid R Concept HPD CR-Z engine concept with supercharger (engine only)

Aftermarket Project Vehicles
Bisimoto Engineering 2012 Civic Si Coupe
Fox Marketing 2012 Civic Si Coupe
Tjin Edition 2012 Civic Si Sedan

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2012-honda-civic-si-wows-at-sema-show

Inside Honda Performance Development

By Carlos Lago of www.motortrend.com
"Oh cute," I'm thinking, "Honda's strapped a wing and a roll cage to a CR-Z and called it a racecar." Burbling out of pit lane at Willow Springs Raceway in the Honda CR-Z Racer, with what sounds like a swarm of bees armed with a megaphone in tow, I roll on the throttle. Suddenly the tach needle jumps by two thousand rpm, the front wheels jolt, the steering wheel scrambles in my hand, and I'm heading into turn one much faster than anticipated.

This white and red concoction of turbochargers, nickel cobalt magnesium batteries, and racing slicks is the work of Honda Performance Development, a research and development subsidiary of the Japanese automaker that focuses solely on racing. Based in Valencia, California, the roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain are visible from the road that approaches HPD's two-story, 125,000 square foot building. Home to an engine assembly hall, machining rooms, dynos, and so on, HPD is responsible for producing about one-third of the engines for IndyCar -- each of which takes 120 hours -- and for developing products for ALMS, go-karts, SCCA World challenge racers, quarter midgets, and SEMA show pieces.

Hence, the CR-Z Racer I'm fumbling around the big track at Willow Springs. It bowed at SEMA last year, alongside a group of similarly modified stable mates, with a turbocharged 1.5-liter I-4 and a higher output battery pack; combined, the package makes right around 190 horsepower. The hybrid system offers interesting approaches to racing. The 25 horsepower and 65 pound-feet of torque Honda estimates it delivers can be activated by pressing a button, push-to-pass style. The powertrain can even revert to an economy setting for endurance races. How well does it work? Honda entered two CR-Zs at the arduous 25 Hours of Thunderhill (a race famous for its "I survived the 25" finish line slogan) one of which placed second in class and ninth overall.

If there were a finishing place for fun-factor, the result might've been similar. The CR-Z is exceedingly hilarious. It is not a fast car, although it offers admirable acceleration in the upper arches of its powerband. The CR-Z's strength is maintaining speed. Its 17-inch wheels are shod in BFGoodrich racing slicks which beg to be pushed harder corner after corner. After a two-lap taste, I want to gorge.

The CR-Z Racer remains a small part of HPD's interests, which range from top-tier IndyCar and ALMS series to grassroots efforts. In 2010, the SCCA approved a variant of the Fit-based 1.5-liter engine for use in Formula Ford, or as it's now known officially, Formula F. The engine that powers your Honda generator? HPD turns that into a mill for quarter midget racing. It also takes 125 cc dirt bike engines and readies them for go-karts.

Most recently, Honda has been working with other manufacturers to introduce B Spec, a racing series for subcompacts like the Fit. The cars rely on production components -- engine, transmission, and chassis -- to drive down the cost of entry; a finished racecar should total around $25,000. Required changes for safety include a roll cage, suspension upgrades, wheels and tires, and a few other pieces, and HPD will, of course, offer these parts for your Fit. Mazda has been gung-ho with its Mazda2 -- such that it and Honda debuted the two racecars simultaneously. Ford and Kia have subsequently prepared versions of the Fiesta and Rio for competition. Toyota may even offer a Yaris. The series is rapidly gaining traction, and the automakers plan on having the cars performance balanced soon (a process that ensures that all cars perform on an equal level).

DEPENDABLE RACE CARS
Honda calls itself the most dependable name in racing and eagerly backs up the claim. Since becoming the sole supplier, HPD's IndyCar V-8s have broken records for reliability; the last in-race engine failure happened in 2009. Such performance is the result of scrupulous investigation. A materials analysis room at HPD is the home of countless slivers of metal and rubber, material encased in plastic. Each one has a story to tell. A piston, for example, is cross-sectioned, sliced thinly like a steak. Across the length of the slice, every few millimeters, HPD takes measurements to see what temperatures the metal has experienced. Knowing the temperatures means knowing how far the pistons can be pushed in the future, or how much to back off.

Other pieces tell stories of tragedy. A square gasket, no taller than a coffee mug, hangs from a wire stand. It's from Fernandez Racing's ARX-01b, the then Acura-branded American Le Mans prototype, which finished second overall at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring. During the post-race inspection, the engine refused to stall after its intakes were plugged (ALMS requires all air entering an engine to go through inlet restrictors). The team was disqualified. After an intense search, HPD found that the supplier responsible for the small gasket switched glues during production. That glue failed and the gasket unseated, allowing extra air through. Though a small, seemingly insignificant piece, the gasket cost the team the race. HPD doesn't forget, and team members still sour when telling the story.

The injury is one to ego. HPD knows the ins and outs of its hardware, as most of it is factory spec. The V-6 the new ARX-01d chassis relies upon is based on a stock Honda Accord engine. HPD changes the crank, cam profile, and adds two turbochargers. There's your race engine.

When I toured the facility, I was guided to one of the dyno rooms, where an example of the twin-turbo V-6 sat. In the isolated room, the bare engine was hooked to an innumerable amount of wires, looking ready to enter the Matrix. We entered an adjacent room for monitoring, separated from the dyno chamber by two heavy doors. We watched as the engine ran a simulated lap of Sebring raceway, using data gathered from a race. The suspended engine revved to its 6200-rpm limiter, simulated an up shift, and continued again. Its sound is a flat and low burble, the piping around the turbochargers quickly glows orange. When needed, HPD will run an engine for 24 hours to simulate the rigors of endurance racing. I closed my eyes and pictured running a lap, downshifting for braking, maintaining throttle during long corners. At one point the engine audibly shot past limiter. "Over rev," the technician says. The driver from when this data was gathered put a tire on the slippery painted curbing, getting wheel spin.

This type of development is one of HPD's contributions to Honda products. Since its inception in 1993, HPD has learned much about efficiently developing cars for extreme scenarios. For example, HPD doesn't rely on wind tunnel testing anymore, favoring computational fluid dynamics, or CFD, until race day. Eliminating wind tunnels means eliminating costly and time-consuming scale models; designing and building a front splitter for that 50 percent scale ALMS prototype costs $25,000. The company relies on computing power and claims no downsides. The team says it has so much success with the process that they can take a prototype out on a shakedown and it will perform just as CFD predicted. Passing this expertise on to the parent company has the potential to cut development time and costs.

Admittedly, I wasn't thinking about development practices while heading towards turn one at Big Willow. I was thinking about attempting the fast left-hander in fourth gear and pushing those tires harder. I wasn't thinking "Oh, cute" anymore. I was thinking that while the showroom may not inspire the enthusiast within, enthusiasm for racing is alive and well at Honda.

Source;

http://www.motortrend.com/features/performance/1110_inside_honda_performance_development/

Rumours: Honda NSX returns

Avengers movie car previews new supercar. It’ll get new V6 engine with twin electric motors

By Peter Lyon

The legendary Honda NSX supercar is back. These spy shots, taken on the set of the new Avengers movie, show a new Acura-badged Audi R8-sized supercar that previews a successor to the NSX.
Acura is Honda’s US-only luxury brand and the sports car was spotted in Central Park, New York, with actor Robert Downey Jr at the wheel. Its appearance is hugely significant for fans keen to see Honda return to the supercar arena.
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito recently hinted at the NSX’s revival, when he revealed: “We’re making progress with plans for an exotic sports car.” And six months ago, Ito said Honda was keen to relaunch a high-performance sports car like the NSX.
A Honda source told us that the Dual Note 4WD hybrid concept from the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show was our first glimpse at the technology that will underpin the NSX. It used a 3.5-litre V6 to drive the rear wheels and in-wheel electric motors to turn the fronts, generating over 400bhp.
Ten years later, Honda is still perfecting the technology. A source said: “Honda wants to build a supercar that breaks the mould while creating a new technological package.”
Honda is working on a VTEC V6 engine of between 3.5 to 3.7 litres, while the twin electric motor set-up will be powered by lithium-ion batteries and employ a plug-in recharge system for a small electric-only range. The result will be huge amounts of torque, but also the high-revving character Hondas are famous for.
The car will also have a weight-saving aluminium body, and is set to go sale by 2014, priced at a Nissan GT-R-rivalling £65,000.
Source;

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/273565/honda_nsx_returns.html#ixzz1a0bFcanO