Among car enthusiasts, the Acura NSX is “the bomb” (using today’s vernacular), one of a handful of retired supercars along with the Buick Grand National and Toyota Supra.
Unlike the others, Honda brought back the NSX as a concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The hybrid exotic wowed both the press and audiences alike. Later that year, Honda announced that a production version would go sale sometime in 2015. A more refined version of the NSX concept was brought to the Motor City the following year.
The first generation Acura NSX was built in Japan. Honda plans to build the second gen model at its Marysville, Ohio, plant here in the good old U.S. of A. The supercar would be assembled at a new Performance Manufacturing Center located smack dab in the middle of the automaker’s current engineering, R&D and production facilities.
Image courtesy of Honda / Acura
States Hidenobu Iwata, president & CEO of Honda of America, “Thirty years ago, building cars in America was a big dream. Working together, here in Ohio and across North America we turned this dream into reality. The location of this facility is in the midst of one of the greatest collections of engineering and production talent in the world. So it makes sense that we will renew the dream and build this high-tech, supercar in Marysville, Ohio.”
Honda is assembling an all-star staff to man the $70 million, 184,000-square-foot factory. Ted Klaus, chief engineer of Honda R&D Americas, will lead the global team. Responsibility for production, though, falls on the shoulders of Clement D’Souza, associate chief engineer at Honda of America. The automaker guesstimates 100 highly skilled staff will be housed at the new location. Note that while assembly of the Acura NSX will be at Marysville, the potent V-6 engine and Honda’s latest version of its patented Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system will be assembled nearby at the company’s engine plant in Anna, Ohio.
