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Honda has announced plans for an "NSX-type" EV.
The news was confirmed by Global Executive Vice President of Honda, Shinji Aoyama, last week at the Monterey Car Week, when he told various media: "we are going to introduce a [new] sports model in 2027 or 2028".
“We may not call it an NSX, but it's kind of an NSX-type of vehicle," he said.
An NSX has been rumoured since 2021, when Acura Vice President and Brand Officer – Honda’s performance and luxury wing in North America – said in an interview with The Drive: “there’s gonna be another NSX”.
According to Aoyoama, it will be powered by Honda’s new zero series electric architecture, which will first debut in 2026 when the company launches an electric sedan.
While EVs aren’t typically associated with being lightweight, Aoyama told Motor1 that being “thin and light” will be a priority for the NSX’s development approach.
It goes without saying, though, that any NSX-inspired EV will have enormous shoes to fill. The NSX is widely revered by automotive enthusiasts as one of the all-time great supercars.
It first debuted for the Japanese automaker back in 1991 as a budget-friendly 3.0-litre V6 challenger to the V8 Ferrari 348.
Legendary Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna played a significant role in the development of the first-generation NSX. With his help, the NSX exceeded the 348 in almost every measure, locking Ferrari and Honda in a rivalry for years to come.
Production ceased in 2005, before a second-generation hybrid model was unveiled in 2016, this time as a hybrid twin-turbo V6 that sported three electric motors.
Not quite as exotic as a Ferrari or as ostentatious as a Lamborghini, the NSX once again took the fight to its modern rivals such as the Mclaren 650S, Lamborghini Huracan and Ferrari 488.
The last version – the Type S – was released in 2022 and was capable of producing 449kW/667Nm.
Significant questions hang over whether Honda will be able to recreate the same success with an electric iteration.
So far, electric supercars have failed to exhibit the same appeal as ICE-powered ones. CEO of Lamborghini Stephan Winklemann – a brand which has rejected fully-electric power thus far – said it boiled down to a lack of “emotional connection” – such as the sound of the Huracan's roaring V10 – between car and driver.
Even the Rimac Nevera, the most notable electric supercar in recent years, has failed to fully establish itself amongst ICE-powered rivals.
The tide could change, however, as more established brands such as Tesla and Ferrari plan to release their respective electric supercars next year. If all goes to plan, Honda may have planned its 2027 release date just right.
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