The long-awaited replacement for Honda's NSX supercar is finally nearing completion after several drawbacks, mostly concerning the styling of the new model, caused major delays in its gestation.

Photos of the car seen at the Nurburgring show that the NSX's successor will share little in common with the original's shape or style, and hints that the mechanical layout will be very different as well.

Originally sold in Australia upon its global debut in late 1990, the NSX initially enjoyed brisk sales, though as prices rose due to shifting exchange rates between the Japanese yen and the Aussie dollar, interest in the car waned. In 1997 the NSX sold just eight examples, and sales fell from there, to two cars in 2003 and none in 2004. In July, 2005 the global run of the NSX was terminated.

The video below shows the car's general outline despite the obscuring camouflage. The car seems to handle the curves with aplomb, with rev-matched downshifts and minimal body roll. Even more noticeable, however, is the car's strong exhaust note. Louder than any of the other cars in the video, the sound indicates the engineers may still be developing the final, quieter exhaust, in the mean time opting to perform testing with a temporary high-performance exhaust.

Rocky road to replacement
Honda's NSX replacement has had several false starts, with the company scrapping one of its original designs – the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept - after the public's largely negative response to the 2007 Detroit show car. Designers were sent back to the drawing board and Honda was forced to abandon its original plans to show the car at the following Tokyo Motor Show.
Despite the hitches in development, engineers were able to continue testing the new mechanicals for the car by using a modified S2000 body. The first of such test mules were spotting running laps at the Nurburgring by the middle of 2007. The most recent spy shots, however, suggest Honda has come up with a final design for the car.

New Honda supercar to be very different
Dropping the lightweight construction and mid-engine layout that gave the original its supercar status, the new model will feature a V10 engine pumping out more than 400kW and positioned at the front of the car. Construction will be a combination of steel and aluminium and inside there will be seating for four adults in a 2+2 configuration.

There has been some discussion of a possible four-wheel steering system (4WS) for the NSX replacement, but Japanese sources suggest Honda's SH-AWD system would achieve most of the benefits of 4WS without the added complexity.

The NSX replacement is expected to arrive in 2011, with a price tag to match its performance.

Honda NSX replacement spy shots

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