Officially DEAD: Honda Kills Baby NSX And New S2000 Because They Can't Compete In Today’s Market

After seeing spy photos and surprisingly detailed patent filings, Honda’s long-awaited "baby NSX" – or ZSX – turned out to be the 400-horsepower (298-kilowatt) Honda Sports Vision GT. The concept vehicle was a welcomed surprise for fans of the Gran Turismo video game, but left most of us lusting after a version we could drive in the real world. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll see a production version anytime soon...

Acura, in a new interview with Autoguide, confirmed that the long-awaited baby NSX won’t be happening. Emile Korkor, brand leader for Acura, asked, "who wouldn’t love a baby NSX?" before dismissing the idea entirely. Korkor did say, though, that the brand will be expanding its hybrid technology, and that it will be used less for fuel efficiency and more for performance, which is good news.

skytop - 1/30/2018 1:43:53 PM

+5 Boost

Too bad. Would have been a winner if Honda had the sense to produce the baby NSX.

runninglogan1 - 1/30/2018 1:49:56 PM

+8 Boost

Bummer!

cidflekken - 1/30/2018 1:53:16 PM

0 Boost

Welp, the bean counters continue to reign supreme at Honda/Acura. A damn shame.

zlives - 1/30/2018 4:45:10 PM

+3 Boost

yeah porsche sales are way down... SUV's are up.

scenicbyway12 - 1/30/2018 3:33:29 PM

0 Boost

With a few exceptions, Honda continues to be the most boring car company out there.

bw5011 - 1/30/2018 4:58:16 PM

+4 Boost

that would have been nice

PUGPROUD - 1/30/2018 5:20:19 PM

+3 Boost

Did you ever think that one of the great engine manufacturers of all time would throw in the towel on a brand building entry level sports car? This is one of those projects that the Soichiro Honda would have said damn the market research this vehicle just too important to the Honda brand to shelve. Full speed ahead.
Bean counters and professional managers too afraid to fail don't get it...sad.

MDarringer - 1/31/2018 8:18:37 AM

-2 Boost

The baby NSX and a new S2000 would NOT be "entry level" in any way, shape, or form. I find that a lot of people who love the S2000 have never driven one. The big 4 cylinder that you have to rev the crap out of to extract performance is rather undesirable.

t_bone - 1/30/2018 7:08:50 PM

+3 Boost

Make it up to us, Honda. I'll make it easy...bring out your old tooling for 1,000 units of a 1997 Integra Type R. A crate of the raw parts will be fine, we'll take it from there.

MDarringer - 1/30/2018 8:26:20 PM

-4 Boost

Good move! If they can't deliver cost competitive products, then there is no point. A baby NSX would have been wildly expensive.

TheSteve - 1/30/2018 10:49:10 PM

-2 Boost

I regret that Acura didn't do the NSX II as well as they did the original.

In my view the NSX II has too much video-game whiz-bangery, Acura-esque styling (does not say luxury car), and has priced itself out of the reach of those who are most likely to go crazy for it (the video-game generation). It's just the wrong combination.

Meanwhile, GM's Corvette continues to deliver supercar performance, reasonably non-polarizing styling, at a reasonably attainable price (for a sports car). It's competition for Porsche, including the price.

cidflekken - 1/31/2018 12:40:37 AM

+2 Boost

I wish Honda/Acura understood that low-volume specialty cars are important to a brand. There is no question that if Honda was still building the S2000 today, it would rival the performance of the Porsche Cayman/Boxster, for much lower price. And a Baby NSX would have gone toe to toe with the Vette and Cayman. And these types of cars helps the brand. Even Audi is holding onto its TT Coupe/Cabriolet despite the slow sales, and BMW is renewing the Z4.

wilfred - 1/31/2018 5:30:58 AM

+3 Boost

I’d settle for a CRX, a simple fun to drive 2 seater! Current 1.5/2.0 turbo 4s will be fine as long as manual transmission is available. Absolutely no hybrid, especially if it’s not going to help performance nor fuel economy like the CRZ.

MDarringer - 1/31/2018 8:20:14 AM

-1 Boost

Sales of the CRZ would have been far greater if it had been available in a non-hybrid, turbo-4 version. If Honda were to do a new CRX they could fcuk it up by complicating it with a hybrid something or other.

PUGPROUD - 1/31/2018 4:16:47 PM

+1 Boost

Wildly expensive...I don't think so. Pull a Type R engine off the shelf (more units lower cost per unit), rework a Civic chassis and use all the bits and pieces available (A/C/ heater, steering rack, etc). If Honda cannot make a go on this basis which would satisfy many brand fans its going to loose its brand luster to other Japanese marks.The engine is the heart of a sports car and they have one right in front of them Corvettes are the performance bargins they are because GM sell 2 million V8 engines in trucks and SUV's. Its called efficiency of scale, ingenuity and leadership.

mini22 - 1/31/2018 8:54:04 PM

+1 Boost

Sports cars are a really low volume mostly non profitable venture for anyone other than companies that sell them for 100K plus. They really need to share the manufacturing costs with another car maker to have a chance of making any money on the venture. Hence Fiat/Mazda and Toyota/Subaru. Honda cannot afford go at it alone at a low price point. Frankly the chassis of the Type R is so good they could migrate it to the Civic Coupe and it would be a reasonable S2000 replacement.