Honda works on a successor to the NSX

Honda Motor Co. President Takanobu Ito says his company is developing a sports car that will be the spiritual successor to the discontinued Acura NSX.

But in tune with the times, the new car won't feature the brute V10 engine that had been envisioned for the next NSX. That vision was scrapped in 2008 during the global financial crisis.

Speaking to reporters at the Shanghai auto show, Ito said the car would be exhilarating to drive but also environmentally friendly: "That's the kind of sports car we want to make."

Ito did not give details of the sports car or a timeline for its launch. The vehicle is expected to use an electric drivetrain to give the gasoline engine a boost, a Honda spokesman said. The car will be positioned as a high-performance counterpart to the two-seat Honda CR-Z sporty hybrid.

"We are working very hard on it," Ito said.

Ito's predecessor Takeo Fukui killed plans for an NSX replacement as one of several cost-saving cutbacks.

That version of the NSX was expected to have a front-mounted V10 engine turning out at least 500 hp. It would have followed the first-generation NSX, which had a mid-mounted V6. That NSX went out of production in late 2005 after 14 years.

By Hans Greimel- Automotive News