Next Acura NSX To Get Twin-Turbo V6, As Honda Moves Towards Forced Induction

The naturally aspirated engine has always been a cornerstone of Honda’s engineering philosophy, but the company looks set to abandon that in the near future, with a move to turbocharged engines happening by the end of the decade.

Mainstream applications will see a 1.0L 3-cylinder engine and both a 1.5L and 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, with the 2.0L variant making as much as 280 horsepower. The big-bore application will be debuting in the next-generation Civic Type-R, and all three engines will incorporate VTEC variable valve timing. North American applications have yet to be confirmed.

The 1.5L engine will be a go for North America, in vehicles like the Acura ILX, Honda Civic and even the Accord. Honda envisions the 1.5L unit as a replacement for naturally aspirated 1.8L units, delivering 15 percent gains in fuel economy while besting it in torque by as much as 45 percent.

A new 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox will debut alongside the 7-speed unit Honda has developed, though according to Automotive News, the 8-speed unit will be mated to a torque converter to help increase smoothness. Dual clutch gearboxes will be prominent in vehicles with engine sizes ranging from 2.0 to 3.0L, while CVTs will be the main gearbox in smaller vehicles, even replacing manual transmissions. On larger vehicles like the Odyssey minivan, the automatic transmission will remain.

Perhaps the most exciting news is that of the NSX and its future powertrain. Honda will be going with a longitudinal layout (rather than the old NSXs transverse layout) for its V6 engine, which will now pack twin turbochargers. Honda hasn’t announced displacement figures for the V6, only saying that it may not be larger than the RLX’s 3.5L unit. With a similar Sport-Hybrid All-Wheel Drive setup, the RLX is good for 370 horsepower while getting 30 mpg combined. With turbocharging and perhaps a more aggressive hybrid setup, the NSX could easily top 500 horsepower, while being substantially lighter.