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Watch an Acura NSX prototype lap the track at Mid-Ohio

As promised, Acura trotted its NSX prototype out to the mass of waiting fans ahead of today's Honda Indy 200 IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio. The hybrid supercar took to the track for a fast lap, and Acura was kind enough to attach a score of cameras to the car in order to share the event with the rest of the world.
The blue-wrapped NSX looks pretty darn good on a race track, if we do say so ourselves, and its V6 engine, coupled with its three electric motors and lithium-ion battery pack, sounds awfully sweet at full song. The automaker is promising to release its new NSX in 2015, which is still quite a ways away, so we don't expect this exhibition lap to be the last time we see a prototype in action ahead of a production debut.
Want to see the video? Of course you do. Scroll down to see the NSX take to the track like a fish takes to water.

New TLX A-Spec leads Acura's three-car Pike's Peak attack

Once again, Acura is headed to Pikes Peak for the hillclimb on June 25 with a small group of machines. This year the focus is on the TLX, with two vehicles bearing the sedan's name and shape. The two cars are very different, though, and will compete in two different classes. The first is the TLX A-Spec. This started life as a production TLX, but the 3.5-liter V6 has been reworked with pistons, rods, camshafts, and a valvetrain from Acura's TLX GT race car. The engine also has a turbocharger, which helps the V6 make an impressive 500 horsepower. All those ponies go to the front wheels through a limited-slip differential. In addition to the powertrain upgrades, the interior has been gutted, and a big wing and front splitter fitted. The A-Spec will compete in the Pikes Peak exhibition class. The other TLX is a TLX GT. This is the type of car from which the A-Spec borrows engine components, but not the TLX GT's twin-turbocharger system. TLX GTs have already been competing in motorsports, specifically in the Pirelli World Challenge. Acura did make some changes to this car for Pikes Peak, though. The suspension and engine computer have been tweaked, gear ratios shortened, and additional aerodynamic bits added for more downforce. The TLX GT will compete in the open class. Despite the focus on the TLX, Acura is still bringing an NSX to the hill climb. This car is similar to the one that raced in the Time Attack 1 class last year, but has some changes for the Time Attack 2 class. Most notable of these changes are the massive rear wing and front splitter. According to Acura, these aerodynamic aids were based on those used for the NSX GT3 race car. Acura also reduced weight, changed the tuning on the engine computer, and fitted sticky R-compound tires. Related Video: Featured Gallery Acura Pikes Peak race cars View 9 Photos Image Credit: Acura Motorsports Acura Coupe Racing Vehicles Sedan acura tlx acura tlx gt

NSX, S660, and a 4-motor CR-Z EV that goes like hell

AutoblogGreen Editor-in-Chief Sebastian Blanco was my road dog while visiting Honda's R&D center in Tochigi. Over the course of a long day of briefings, driving demonstrations, and a variety of strange-flavored candies, we saw quite a lot of what the company is planning for the next generation and beyond. Of course, Sebastian and I see the world through very different eyes. So, while he was busy getting details about the FCV Clarity successor, and asking tough questions about electrification (in other words, the important stuff), I was fixating on a tiny, two-seat sports car that will never come to America. Oh, there was an NSX, too. Honda's pre-Tokyo Motor Show meeting really did have plenty to offer for all kinds of auto enthusiasts, be they focused on fast driving or environmentally friendly powertrains. Seb's attendance let me focus on the stuff that's great for the former, while he wrote up high points of the latter. View 15 Photos S660 I joke about salivating over the S660, but honestly I was at least as excited to take a few laps in Honda's Beat encore, as I was to sample the Acura supercar. Conditions for the test drive weren't ideal, however. Two laps of a four-kilometer banked oval is not exactly nirvana for a 1,800-pound, 63-horsepower roadster. Still, I folded all six feet and five inches of my body behind the tiny wheel determined to wring it out. The immersion of the driving experience was enough to make it feel fast, at least. I shifted up just before redline in first gear with the last quarter of the pit lane rollout lane still in front of me. The 658cc inline-three buzzed like a mad thing behind my ear, vastly more stirring than you'd expect while traveling about 30 miles per hour. The S660 is limited to just around 87 mph, but the immersion of the driving experience (note: I was over the windscreen from the forehead up) was enough to make it feel fast, at least. Even after just a few laps, and precious little steering, I could tell that everything I grew up loving about Honda was in play here. The six-speed manual offered tight, quick throws, the engine seemed happiest over 5,000 rpm, and the car moved over the earth with direct action and a feeling of lightness. Sure proof that you don't need high performance – the S600 runs to 60 mph in about 13 seconds – to build a driver's car. I could have used 200 miles more, and some mountain roads, to really enjoy the roadster (though I would have wanted a hat).