Honda plans ‘Green’ Sports car – not an LF-A

The 2010 Honda NSX. To be replaced by a new hydrogen fuelled S2000 in 2012?

Car makers have had to change their plans significantly in the last couple of years – none more so than Honda. Honda pulled out of F1 less than a year ago as a result of the financial meltdown, having already spent at least €300 million developing the car that became Brawn GP and which has just won the drivers and constructors world championships.

Also dropped was what was to be the 2010 Honda NSX. A replacement for the Japanese car maker’s foray in to supercar territory it was pulled as the world turned green. But Honda boss Takanobu Ito – speaking at the Tokyo Motor Show – said that Honda would like to be a ‘Green’ Sports car as soon as the technology was ready and the funds available. “Once we have that technology and once we have cash on hand, I would like to see Honda have a sports car that symbolizes our technology.”, he said.

But Ito couldn’t resist a swipe at the new Lexus LF-A Supercar -“Sure, there are folks who like that ‘vroom’ of the engine out of nostalgia,” Ito told Reuters this month. “But those people are stuck in the past. The era of V-10 engines is gone.” But that could be pangs of remorse rather than his real opinion. Especially as Ito was responsible for the design of the NSX aluminium chassis. He went on to say that a Honda sports car  “…would be environmentally friendly and have great performance.”

So it seems likely that Honda are planning a car to fit in at the level of the Porsche Boxster. But probably featuring some sort of hybrid powertrain. Although he could be alluding to Honda’s desire to produce commercially viable Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars.

Now that could be interesting. A hydrogen fuel cell, next generation Honda S2000 in 2012?.

Shame about the 2010 V10 NSX though.

By Cars UK