Skip to main content

With all of its success in Formula 1 and INDYCAR racing, It’s been a bit of a surprise that Honda has not made a sports car for some time. Red Bull and several INDYCAR teams all use Honda-powered cars, and have revved up enthusiasts. But, there’s been no Honda to capitalize on that fervor.

Sure, the Honda Civic Type R is sporty, but it’s a Civic with some go-fast goodies, not a real sports car. The two-seat NSX from Acura died last year and the Honda S2000 died in 2009. But, have no fear, it looks like Honda is going to release at least one new sports car soon.

The last Honda sports car, the S2000 came out for Honda’s 50th. This is Honda’s 75th.

2008 Honda S2000 in the autumn sunlight
2008 Honda S2000 | Joe Santos, MotorBiscuit

Honda released the S200 for its 50th anniversary. That four-wheeled sports bike has gone down in history as one of the great fun-to-drive cars. For the company’s 75th anniversary in 2023 it looks like Honda is preparing to release not just one but two new two-seat sports cars. Jalopnik reports that the two cars will be electrified.

Jalopnik reports that a Honda plans to release two new sports cars. It will produce a premium flagship car, likely for Acura. A separate all-electric two-door car would likely be sold by Honda.

Could the racing ARX-06 provide an Acura platform?

We don’t know much yet, however one will be a specialty model and one will be a flagship sports car. For the flagship version, could it be a road-going version of Acura’s new ARX-06 prototype racing car? The IMSA series it races in was designed to test prototype racers. The car’s predecessor the ARX-05 won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona twice, and competes across the globe. With the NSX long gone, could this prototype indeed become a real car?

It’s hard to say if an ARX car would make it to the street. But, it makes a compelling case. The car uses a new 2.4-liter twin-turbo racing V6, however, but it does have a hybrid engine providing extra power. It uses a Bosch Motor Generator Unit, or MGU, similar to a Formula 1 car’s.

The S200 and NSX were the last great Honda and Acura sports cars

A 2022 Acura NSX Type S blasts down a track.
2022 Acura NSX Type S | Honda

The Honda S2000 gained legions of fans for its 8,000-rpm redline, super light weight, and nimble handling. The S2000 seemed to channel Honda’s Fireblade line of supersports motorcycles that make big power by having astonishingly-high redlines. It was also a good-looking car that for many defined what a sports car in the 2000s should look like. Ohh, and it was a star of “2 Fast 2 Furious.” Three years ago, rumors of a new Honda S2000 appeared, but so far those have not been fruitful.

 The second generation of the NSX, on the other hand, was killed off in 2022. The the second-generation car debuted in 2017, Acura took a big gamble. Instead of trying to shoehorn a big V8 into the car, engineers relied on turbos and a hybrid booster to increase the power to 573 horsepower. And, cleverly, since the electric motors are on the front wheels it has all-wheel drive and can even go several miles in an all-electric Quiet mode. It looks exotic, it’s fast and was built to be as reliable as any Acura or Honda.

Related

Come On! Acura Got the NSX Type S Right and Then Killed It

Best in Sedans & Coupes
Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.