2016 Acura-Honda NSX spotted in the UAE

The Honda NSX, or rather Acura NSX as it will be called in most markets, is a car that’s been painfully dragged on through the development process for almost a decade now. First announced in late 2007 as a concept, it was cancelled in 2008 due to the recession, then revived again as an actual Japanese SuperGT Championship race-car in 2010, then became a hybrid in 2011, and was finally unveiled in 2012 as a near-production concept, except that it was nowhere near production-ready yet. It’s still undergoing development, and the latest prototype is now doing the rounds of the UAE for hot-weather testing, even though the production-version was officially launched again in January this year and is said to be already in production in the United States.

As seen in these photos sent in by reader Neaman Ahmed in Abu Dhabi, the car still looks very much like the concept car that’s been doing rounds of the auto show circuit since 2012.

It features a twin-turbo 75-degree 3.5-litre V6 engine mated to a three-electric motor hybrid system and all-wheel-drive, with a 9-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. According to Honda, total power output is over 550 hp.

The body utilises a space-frame design, which is made of aluminium, ultra-high strength steel and other rigid lightweight materials.

It is still unclear if the new NSX will be offered in the GCC or not, given the lack of sporty offerings in Honda’s current UAE line-up.