Halo 2 Wallpaper, #14773

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Acura, Luxury Last week, Autoblog sat down with Ted Klaus, chief engineer of the upcoming Acura NSX flagship, at the corporate headquarters of American Honda in Southern California. The roundtable discussion with a few other members of the media was very casual. However, since the hybrid supercar isn't due in showrooms for another couple years and most of the engineering program is still shrouded in secrecy, the bulk of our detailed questions about powertrain and performance were mildly deflected. Nevertheless, it was nice to probe the mind of the man holding the weight of the project on his shoulders - the NSX is immensely important to Honda, and it's Klaus' role to steer the program to fruition. As revealed earlier today, the all-new second-generation NSX will be built at a new Performance Manufacturing Center located in the midst of Honda's existing R&D and production engineering operations near Marysville, Ohio. Acura expects the U.S. to be the largest market for the NSX, and the company takes great pride in its North American operation, so it was both logical and complementary that the Japanese automaker chose Ohio to be the sole world supplier for the upcoming second-generation Acura/Honda NSX. When asked about the program dates, Klaus maintained that the program was moving forward on schedule, and that its estimated arrival was set for 2015 - the original goal. Like many halo models, the made-in-USA NSX will pioneer innovative building technology for Acura and Honda alike. Klaus wouldn't discuss specific building materials, but the monocoque chassis will be assembled with several "world firsts" when it comes to construction techniques and materials. Remember, it was the first-generation NSX, introduced at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, which debuted with lightweight aluminum body panels, titanium connecting rods and forged wheels.Continue reading A conversation with Ted Klaus, chief engineer of the new Acura NSXA conversation with Ted Klaus, chief engineer of the new Acura NSX originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 May 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Infiniti, Luxury Infiniti makes plenty of good cars, crossovers and SUVs. The premium Japanese brand also has a well-defined presence in racing on the world's largest stage in the form of a partnership with Red Bull in Formula 1. What Infiniti doesn't have, though, is a range-topping halo car. A report from Autocar in the UK suggests that Infiniti's gaping top-shelf hole may soon be plugged by 2016 with a new hybrid sports car along the lines of the well-received Emerg-E and Essence concepts. This report is contrary to news we heard from Autocar late last year, when company officials reportedly told the publication that a swoopy and fuel-efficient machine like the Emerg-E wouldn't be produced. Interestingly, Infiniti is said to sense strong demand from so-called "little emperors ... who are used to getting what they want," many of whom live in Asian countries, who are also environmentally conscious. Infiniti exec Andy Palmer told Autocar to expect something "like the Tesla sports car option, but with more flexibility in terms of range." Reading between the lines, we picture a luxurious coupe with some combination of electric motors and gasoline engines providing power levels between 400 and 500 horsepower. We may not qualify as "little emperors" ourselves, but we certainly welcome the notion of high-performance machines that also happen to be fuel efficient.Infiniti hybrid sports car coming by 2016 after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 May 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments