Honda Pulls Plug on NSX

Speculation about the return to market of the much-loved Acura NSX has been kicking around for some time, with Honda's

luxury brand making its intentions almost clear when introducing its Advanced Sports Car Concept a couple of years back. Now, following a number of announcements that started with the automaker's withdrawal from F1, and then the AMA motorbike series, it was only a matter of time before the NSX project was officially called off.

The new car appeared to be much more than its predecessor, a brilliant handling machine but always underpowered compared to its competition. A rumored 560-horsepower V10 was to solve that problem, and every other aspect of the driving experience was to be heightened to compensate.

Britain's Autocar magazine was the bearer of the bad news, reporting that Honda CEO Takeo Fukui added the NSX info to a year-end speech to staff. What he didn't

say was that an end to the flagship NSX probably also means that Acura, as a brand, won't expand outside of North America, as was planned, and the chances of seeing a V8 powerplant in an RL or any other Acura product are slim to none for the short-term at least.

On the positive, Honda hasn't kyboshed the NSX or any of its other Acura plans completely, and will most likely resume the trajectory (or something similar) it was taking once the global financial meltdown solidifies.

Just how long the NSX will be out of production by then – it's been gone from the global stage for more than three years after a fifteen year run – is impossible to surmise, but with F1 out of the picture it is unlikely the car they eventually build will resemble the V10-powered supercar most expected this time around.