Skip to main content

Honda finally revealed the ‘baby NSX,’ but it’s not what we expected

Rumors that Honda was developing a little sibling to the NSX supercar (which is sold as an Acura in the United States and a Honda everywhere else) have swirled for the past couple of years. It turns out this “baby NSX” is real, but it won’t arrive in showrooms anytime soon.

That’s because this sleek midengine sports car is the latest in a series of Vision Gran Turismo concepts. Dubbed the Honda Sports Vision Gran Turismo, it was created specifically for Gran Turismo Sport. So while you won’t be able to drive the car in real life, you will be able to drive it in the game.

Styling seems to be influenced by both the NSX and the tiny, Japanese-market S660 sports car. Overall, the less-elaborate design of Sports Vision Gran Turismo makes the concept look a bit sleeker than the real-life NSX. The design may look familiar to fans who have seen patent drawings that leaked out over the past couple of years. The assumption was that Honda was developing some sort of compact sports car, when it was really this Vision Gran Turismo concept all along.

Honda held a contest between its international designers to create the car, which was won by a team from its California design studio. Once the final design was selected, studios in the U.S. and Japan worked together almost as if they were developing a real production model, including modeling the car’s aerodynamics in computer simulations and a wind tunnel.

Thanks to extensive use of carbon fiber, the car weighs just 899 kilograms (1,981 pounds), according to Honda. That is, it would if it was real. Propelling the concept is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 404 horsepower. Perhaps it’s a tuned version of the Civic Type R engine. Power is sent to the ground through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The Honda Sports Vision Gran Turismo won’t go into production, but at least people will have the opportunity to drive it virtually in Gran Turismo Sport. The Honda joins a long list of concepts created for both Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 6. The trend was kicked off by Mercedes-Benz way back in 2013, and recent additions include a futuristic McLaren and a modern tribute to a defunct Italian sports car.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
What is HondaLink?
Amazon Key in Honda vehicles

Heading out to your car, especially on cold mornings, you want to know that it is ready to drive. Spending a few extra minutes when you’re already late is not ideal. Thankfully, with all the new technology pouring into cars these days, there is a way to know precisely what temperature your car is before even stepping out the door.

Honda never compromises on its values even as it introduces new technology and features into its vehicles. Its latest addition, Hondalink, delivers drivers vital information about their car to their phones through this handy app.

Read more
CES 2021 and cars: What we expect in autonomous cars, EVs, and more
Sony Vision-S Concept Car

The automotive world has been turned on its ear in recent years, as the greatest car shows of the world dimmed beside and ultimately vanished into the penumbra of CES. CES has truly taken over the world of transportation: The world’s greatest gadget show has become one of the world’s biggest car shows, where dozens of car builders and accessory makers come to show off their latest wares.

In years past at CES, we’ve driven self-driving cars and tractors, been wowed by futuristic autonomous busses, and seen some of the biggest tech companies dip a tentative toe into the automotive world – I’m looking at you, Sony. What should we expect from CES 2021? Here are a few educated guesses at what to watch out for.
Autonomous cars galore
In years past, we’ve tested autonomous car tech from any number of companies. Last year I cruised around Vegas in a custom Lincoln MKZ, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride, a handful of chips and a software stack that can fit into a box no bigger than your backpack and can tie together the cameras, communication systems, and navigation needed for autonomy. In 2018 we rode in an Aptiv-powered Lyft, which we found the best kind of boring.

Read more
What to expect from final PlayStation State of Play for 2019
resident evil 3 images appear online remake rumored to launch

Sony promises a host of new PlayStation 4 announcements and updates in the final State of Play for 2019, which is set to air on December 10.

The upcoming State of Play will be the fourth episode of the show, which released its first episode in March of this year.
How to watch
PlayStation 4 gamers, set your alarms to 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET on December 10. The State of Play will last for 20 minutes and will follow the formula of the first three episodes, which means it will be jampacked with content.

Read more