Honda gives rare look at R&D center taking on big project under new leader

RAYMOND, Ohio — A mile from a rural highway and past several levels of security is the Honda complex that does some of the heavy lifting — and much of the heavy thinking — for the automaker’s operations throughout North America.

Unlike the Honda assembly plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Honda R&D Americas in Raymond does not give tours to the public. It keeps such a low profile that even its employee count was once a secret.

That began to change in January, when Honda’s top executive announced that the Ohio research center would be in charge of developing a new “supercar,” the Acura NSX. The sports car will be built at a yet-to-be announced location in Ohio.

In light of the center’s highly publicized role with the NSX and other models, company officials opened its doors to The Dispatch for a rare look inside.

The lobby is adorned with 314 plaques representing the patents that Honda obtained based on work at the center.

“It’s like a developmental Petri dish,” said Frank Paluch, senior vice president of automobile development. “We can try new things.”

Automakers tend to do their most-sophisticated research close to their home base, which for Honda is in Japan. Honda is unusual in sending a complicated project so far away.

“It’s a testament to the competence that (the Raymond office) has,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, a research firm in Tustin, Calif.

The heart of the complex is a design room as large as four football fields and filled with hundreds of cubicles for designers and engineers. It’s separated into departments that handle specific aspects of vehicle design.

Everyone is dressed in the Honda uniform: white pants and a long-sleeved white shirt with the person’s first name ironed onto the left breast. This includes the division’s president, whose desk is out in the open with everyone else’s.

Starting on Monday, the new president will be Erik Berkman. Before him, every top executive in the history of the research division came from Honda in Japan. Berkman joined the company in 1982 as an engineer in Marysville. His promotion might signal a growing role for the executives who have spent their careers in North America.

Berkman will oversee a Raymond office that has about 1,300 employees, most of them engineers; 200 more engineers are to be hired in the next few years.

The head count makes this the largest facility of its type in the Americas operated by a foreign-based company. The closest parallel is probably Toyota’s center in Ann Arbor, Mich., which has 1,100 employees.

Honda R&D also has 12 smaller offices in the Americas.

On the levels below the design floor in Raymond, workers make prototype versions of the vehicles and then test them. In this way, the complex is like a miniature assembly plant.
Several of the labs look like sets from a science-fiction movie.

This includes a chamber the size of a small gymnasium whose walls are covered with white foam squares. The walls block out all outside electromagnetic signals, such as those from cellphones, television and radio. In this space, researchers measure the level of electromagnetic activity coming from a vehicle, and they test how it responds when bombarded with intense levels of radio waves.

Elsewhere in the complex, employees maintain a room full of crash-test dummies (officially, they’re called “anthropomorphic test devices”) built to look like women, men and children of various sizes and shapes. Each dummy wears black dress shoes that look as if they came from a thrift store.

The main crash-test space is a long corridor with a slab at one end. Before a crash, workers put on safety glasses and stand behind a series of clear plastic barriers.

“Blink, and you’ll miss it,” one said.

In less than a second, an Odyssey minivan streaks across the room and smacks head-on into the slab. The front crumples, but the rest is almost completely undamaged. Employees wait for a moment and then gather around the wreck to take readings. The room smells like charred nylon, which comes from the material that deploys the airbags.

“Odds are that the occupant would get up and walk out of the car,” said Chuck Thomas, chief engineer for vehicle safety.

Across the hall is a smaller crash-test site that simulates different impact angles. Unlike the main test area, this one doesn’t use whole vehicles. It studies the parts, such as seats and dash components, which get placed in the frame of a vehicle.

The center started in 1991 with a suite of offices that is now the far corner of the complex. At that time, most of the work involved making derivatives of existing models, such as the Accord wagon, which had most of the same components as the Accord sedan.

That changed in 2001 when the office did almost all the development work for the Acura MDX, a completely new model. The center also led the way on the Pilot SUV, the Ridgeline pickup truck and the 2011 redesign of the Odyssey minivan. Of the 18 Honda or Acura models in the current lineup, six were developed at the Raymond office, representing 25 percent of sales.

The NSX is not designed to be a big seller, but it might be the most eagerly awaited vehicle to come out of the center, said Peterson of AutoPacific. The original NSX sold from 1990 to 2005. With a sticker price of about $90,000, the vehicle was a showpiece; sales never topped 2,000 in a year.

The new version will be a gas-electric hybrid, adding another level of complexity to a difficult assignment.

Honda’s CEO, Takanobu Ito, unveiled a preliminary version of the NSX in January, which was when he said the model will be developed and assembled in Ohio.

Paluch, senior vice president at the Honda research center, saw the comments as an affirmation and a challenge.

“Basically, the statement Mr. Ito made is that Honda has grown up its R&D worldwide enough to build a flagship vehicle,” he said.

Source;
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/04/01/engine-of-design.html

Honda Takes a Look at the Past and Future of the NSX Sports Coupe

Back in the early 1990s when the Japanese auto industry went sports car crazy churning out models like the third generation Mazda RX-7, the Mitsubishi 3000GT, the Nissan 300ZX and Skyline GT-R, and the Toyota Supra, one vehicle stood out from the rest and that was the Honda / Acura NSX.

The NSX taught American and European car manufactures a lesson or two on how to build a high-performance sports car that not only looked good but also was reliable and reasonably priced for what it had to offer.

The fact that it remained in production virtually unchanged for 15 years from 1990 to 2005 is a testament to the innovation of its original design.

We don't know if the Japanese carmaker will be able to repeat the success with the new NSX that is due in 2015 as an Acura in North America and as a Honda in the rest of the world, but the company is doing its best to create a connection between the first and second generation model.

In the promo video that follows, you'll find more than seven minutes worth of film from both the original NSX and its successor which is previewed by NSX Sports Hybrid Concept.

Source;
http://www.carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/02/honda-takes-look-at-past-and-future-of.html

Honda President Commits to “Distinctive” and “Sporty” Vehicles

After having taken quite a beating with reviews of the new Civic, Honda has been on the offensive, promising updates while announcing its new “Earth Dreams Technology” plan to reestablish itself as a fuel economy leader. With the debut of the EV-STER electric sports car concept and confirmation that a new NSX is on the horizon, company president Takanobu Ito is now going a step further, while explaining the faults of the past.

In an interview with the The Nikkei, he explains Honda’s old product planning method. “We divided the world into six regions, and Honda’s regional operations were each responsible for their respective regions. Whenever we planned a product for the global market, our thinking was that we needed to listen to each regional supervisor.”

The result, says Ito, was a lowest-common-denominator approach to building a car, watering down all the characteristics of a vehicle to the greatest mass-market appeal. The problem admits Ito is that, “When you harmonize all the different opinions, you end up with a safe, boring car.”
Under the old method of doing business, the vehicle development team was essentially taking the designed-by-committee idea and building a car around it.

Ito says that since he took over in April of last year, changed the system. “I had three corporate officers each supervise luxury, midsize and small vehicles,” he said. “Putting more authority in their hands, I asked them to create more competitive autos and to speed up coordination with product planning and regional operations. I set up a structure that would allow them to take the lead in realizing the wishes of the development team. The fruits of these moves will begin to appear in the market next fiscal year.”

Exactly what those fruits are, says Ito, will be cars that are environmentally friendly and safe, but also ones that are “highly distinctive”. Honda, after all, has a long history of unique vehicles from the NSX, S2000, CRX and del Sol. But perhaps most importantly, he says, “This strategy will be represented by our effort to make vehicles more sporty.”

The first true example of this plan will be evident when Honda unveils the next-generation NSX at the Detroit Auto Show next week.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/01/honda-president-commits-to-distinctive-and-sporty-vehicles.html

Casey Shain Renders the Next Gen Acura NSX Based on Avengers Movie Car

The Acura NSX supercar could be back in three years. A concept version of the Ferrari-fighter will debut in Detroit next month with a compact V-6 engine and lithium ion hybrid system. Journalists were given a glimpse of the car, which provided details for this artist's rendering.

LAS VEGAS -- Honda will overhaul and reposition its Acura lineup over the next 18 months and abandon its long pursuit of top-tier luxury-car status for the brand.

After years of trying to propel Acura into the front ranks with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus, Honda says it will settle for offering mid-level premium vehicles that favor fuel economy over performance.

With one exception: At the Detroit auto show next month, Honda will bring back the Ferrari-fighting Acura NSX -- a new version of the mid-engine supercar that disappeared in 2005 after a 15-year run. But instead of a monster engine, the NSX will have a compact, direct-injection V-6 teamed with a lithium ion battery pack. Another key to recalibrating Acura is the rollout of three new or redesigned sedans in the next 18 months, including a smaller compact and a bigger flagship.

"We are not satisfied with Acura's current positioning," Honda Motor Co. CEO Takanobu Ito said this month at the Tokyo Motor Show. "We want to showcase interesting and fun technologies and show excellent environmental performance."

In the works for Acura:
-- The ILX compact sedan will arrive in spring, using Honda's global Civic platform. It replaces the tired TSX that used the bones of the European Accord.
-- A redesigned RL flagship that is larger than the current version is due next fall.
-- A redesigned mid-sized TL sedan follows in the spring of 2013.

"Our sedans haven't been doing the job for the brand," said Vicki Poponi, American Honda assistant vice president for product planning, at a briefing here for dealers and the media.
Poponi said the TSX, TL and RL were cannibalizing sales because they were too close in footprint and interior size. The new models will create a bigger spread in the lineup.

Changes in the crossover categories also are coming, with a redesigned RDX compact arriving next spring and the next MDX in 2013.

In using the Civic as the basis for the ILX, Acura is traveling the same platform-sharing course it did with its Integra and RSX coupes in the 1980s and 1990s. But Poponi said the ILX will bear no resemblance to the Civic or the Canadian-market Acura CSX, which has been derided as a rebadged Civic.

"All the suspension settings will be tuned to be Acura," Poponi said. "Consider it as different as the TL is from the Accord or the MDX is from the Pilot."

The ILX will be available with a choice of a 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine with automatic transmission, a 2.4-liter engine with a six-speed manual transmission or a 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain. Features will include push-button start, rearview camera, Pandora link and SMS with text-to-voice capability.

Acura hopes that sales of the ILX, to be priced "well below $30,000," will be about 40,000 units annually. The current-generation TSX peaked at 31,998 sales in 2008.

Next up is the flagship RL, which has had little success competing in the $50,000 sedan segment against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E class, BMW 5 series and Lexus GS. Critics have called it overweight and underpowered, and the interior is cramped.

Poponi said the redesigned version will have more cabin space, with rear legroom going from worst-in-class to the best-in-class.

"It will have [BMW] 7 series cabin space with the agility of a 5 series," Poponi said. "Our sedans need to instill passion and emotion. The new flagship establishes that, and sets the ceiling for premium pricing. Once we have set that, then our SUVs can come into the market and leverage that prestige."

The RL will debut in April at the New York auto show and go on sale next fall.

As for the RDX, the previous generation has been criticized for the jerkiness of its turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The new RDX will have a V-6 with "top-class fuel economy," Poponi said.

The RDX also will use the Honda CR-V's simpler electric power steering and all-wheel-drive systems, rather than the pricier Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system of the old RDX. Poponi says it will be "quieter, roomier and more comfortable."

Then there is the NSX that arrives in concept form next month in Detroit. The original V-6-powered NSX was decked out with astonishing technology when it debuted in 1990. It was the first car without turbos to deliver 100 hp per liter of engine displacement. It also was the first major project for body engineer Takanobu Ito, now Honda's CEO.

Ito killed a previous NSX concept after the autumn 2008 Lehman Brothers meltdown destroyed Honda's desire to re-enter the segment. The project has been revived, but Ito has changed the concept.

"Our approach is efficiency and a strong power-to-weight ratio," said Acura sales boss Jeff Conrad. "The original NSX did this. But the proposed successor went into the classic world of a heavy vehicle, requiring a V-10 engine and other technologies to be a performance car."

Conrad adds: "That is not Acura DNA. If we are thinking about being sporty, we need to do it with the machine's efficiency. That's the thing we can do. The way we achieve it will be unique to Acura."

In addition to the NSX's compact V-6, the lithium ion battery-powered Sport Hybrid All-Wheel Drive system uses two integrated drive units at the rear wheels connected to a motor-generator that delivers power.

Regenerative brakes will capture electricity and deliver torque to the outside wheel -- while absorbing negative torque from the inside wheel -- as the car goes through a corner.

American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura did not set a date for the NSX's launch, saying: "We hope within three years. ... As soon as possible."

Too much machine
Despite the NSX's go-fast ambitions, a major part of Acura's new philosophy will be dialing back on performance in exchange for fuel economy. Executives say that today's luxury cars have more power than they need, and that premium-vehicle buyers now care more about mpg than mph.

Conrad said Acura has returned to its original philosophy of elegant engineering and top-of-class fuel economy, and has stopped chasing the elite of the luxury segment. The new slogan: "Smart luxury."

Mike Accavitti, the former head of Dodge who became American Honda's vice president of marketing in August, describes the current luxury market as "too much machine and not enough humanity."

Said Accavitti: "Our overweight bodies require overweight engines and more safety systems to protect them. Some of these cars the average driver just can't control. We have been increasing performance beyond the ability of the driver, or we have complicated the driving process."

Poponi said of Acura's previous batch of products: "Our engineering ego was getting in the way."

Peaks and valleys
American Honda hopes this philosophy can stabilize Acura's sales, which have peaked twice -- once in the early 1990s and again in setting a brand record in 2005, at 209,610 units. But each time things fell apart because of ill-conceived products and faulty marketing -- not to mention the recent recession. This year, sales through November were down 7 percent to 110,170. Honda says short supplies caused by the March earthquake in Japan were a factor.

For a new crop of customers, Honda is looking at Generation Y. The leading edge of that generation is turning 30, and Honda says the generation's top priorities are exterior styling, price and environmental friendliness.

"A good sound system" finished fifth in its research, and less than 20 percent care about high performance, Honda says.

"Technology is only as good as the driver," said Gary Evert, division director for advanced automotive planning at Acura r&d. "The vehicle almost always has more capability than the driver can handle. Anything outside the customer's understanding is waste.

Source;

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111212/OEM03/312129953/1115/FRONTPAGE

Acura to Debut Three New Vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

12/11/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Acura announced today that it will unveil three all-new vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show including an all-new compact sports sedan, a redesigned RDX crossover sport utility vehicle, and a concept version of the next generation Acura NSX super car.

The Acura ILX Concept is a styling study of an all-new luxury compact sedan scheduled for launch in spring 2012. To be positioned at the gateway to the Acura lineup, the ILX will feature three powertrains including Acura's first-ever gas-electric hybrid. Acura also will unveil a prototype of the 2013 RDX, the second generation of Acura's five-passenger SUV. Finally, Acura will debut the NSX Concept, which represents the styling direction for the next generation of Acura's super sports car.

"Acura has a steady cadence of exciting new models coming to market and it will all begin in Detroit," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura sales and service. "From the all-new Acura ILX at the gateway of the lineup to the pinnacle of performance with the Acura NSX Concept, Acura vehicles are being created for luxury customers who aspire to the highest levels of quality and value, with beautiful styling and the right balance of technology, performance and environmental responsibility."

All three vehicles will be introduced at the North America International Auto Show on January 9, 2012. The press conference will be webcast live on www.acuranews.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/acura-to-debut-three-new-vehicles-at-the-2012-north-american-international-auto-show

Tokyo Motor Show: Honda’s new technology put to the test

By Graeme FletcherTokyo • In terms of North American content, the 42nd edition of the Tokyo Motor Show was a tad thin. However, that is not to say there was little going on. On the contrary, the sprawling show provided a ton of insight into how the world is about to unfold. Honda, a company that has been criticized for being slow to advance its powertrain technology, revealed where it is heading in the next few years, while the long-awaited Subaru/Toyota collaboration finally surfaced in road-going livery.

In Honda’s case, the technology was not only on display at the show, I had the opportunity to put it through its paces. The first is a range of new engines that combine direct injection with Honda’s iVTEC valve-lift system and variable cam phasing. The net result is more power and better economy in all cases. The unit up for testing was the 2.4-litre four-cylinder. It puts out 181 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque while being five per cent more fuel-efficient that its predecessor. On the track, this engine pulled strongly over a much broader range — Hondas typically have to be revved to access their twisting power.

The bigger surprise was found in Honda’s intention to shift from traditional automatics toward a range of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). While I’m not a CVT fan, Honda’s design has two key features going for it. First, unlike most, launch is crisp because the engine’s torque is not reduced to prevent the CVT’s belt from slipping. This brings a significantly stronger tip-in response. More importantly, the shift logic is stepped (as in pre-programmed gears), which means it does not have that really annoying motorboating drone under hard acceleration.

The other engine that would serve Canada very well is an all-new 1.6L turbodiesel. This new engine produces the same output as the current 2.2L turbodiesel (140 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque) it is replacing without sacrificing the linearity and pull that defines the diesel engine. As an aside, driving a European Civic equipped with the 2.2L turbodiesel proved to be a truly rewarding experience — it has fresh looks to go along with the utility of its hatchback design. It would do well in Canada.

The second new technology was a new electric version of Honda’s Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. This iteration system uses a 3.5L V6 that’s married to a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission to drive the front wheels, while the rear wheels are driven by two separate electric motors. During cornering, the outside electric motor drives that wheel faster. At the same time, the inner motor applies a negative torque — the slowing effect amplifies turn-in response. The net result is a faster-acting torque vectoring system. The beauty of the system is the manner in which it adds that prized ride-on-rails sensation through a corner. Through the test course, the turn-in proved to be as crisp as it was immediate.

This all-wheel-drive iteration is, in a word, superb. It not only hones the European Accord tester’s handling, it transforms it into a seriously quick ride. Credit goes to two important aspects. First, the new 3.5L V6 is good for 300-plus horsepower; the electric motors then chip in with another 27 hp each. Honda is not saying how much torque they contribute to the fun factor but, based on the low-end grunt, each has to contribute at least 150 lb-ft of torque.

The design is also capable of pulling away under electric power alone. The rear motors drive the car seamlessly until the driver stands on it — then look out. Even in the Accord tester it could almost be described as too much power. The seven-speed twin-clutch also adds to overall driveability — the shifts, which are initiated through paddle shifters, are blindingly quick, which adds to the overall responsiveness.

The engineers were coy about the size of the battery the new SH-AWD system uses, but it will have to be close to a five kilowatt/hour unit. The reason is twofold. First, there must be enough oomph to provide that delicious launch. More importantly, the battery must be large enough to support the SH-AWD functions when needed after said launch. This system is said to be the driving force behind the next-generation NSX. However, if this car were to remain true to its predecessor, it would mean a mid-mounted gasoline engine with the electric motors sitting up front.

Subaru showcased its new BRZ, the lightweight sports car it shares with Toyota. It is powered by Subaru’s traditional flat-four boxer engine and produces 197 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. Power is relayed to the wheels through a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed manumatic transmission. Inside, the cabin is highlighted by its front sport bucket seats and a tachometer that takes centre stage in the instrument cluster — both speak to the BRZ’s sportier intentions. The layout is also very much 2+2 in nature. Rear-seat leg space is tight. Other anomalies? First, this is a rear-drive car.

When it lands in Canada, the BRZ’s introduction is going to pose a dilemma for Subaru given that the company stresses its advanced symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, which is standard across its lineup. Secondly, it is a stylistic orphan.

Source;
http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/12/01/tokyo-motor-show-hondas-new-technology-put-to-the-test/

2014 Honda/Acura NSX Rendering

The car enthusiastic surely know the NSX quite well,The super car or even can say an exotic car,2door coupe is in every one dream of having one.The mid engine drive at rear is produce by Honda since 1990 to 2005.The legandary NSX was prise as one of greatest driver’s cars of all time.

Honda President and CEO, Takanobu Ito said in 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show that the team of engineer begin develop the next generation NSX for some time .The news have told that it should arrive by 2014.It’s early to say how they will look like but autoten getther rendering image from many source which each source has a very good work and seem very realistic .The picture is produce by topspeed a sporty clean looking and autoten thinks some rework at rear pillar and attention to more detail can bring the car up at assembly line.

The new car will be used to improve the new Accord platform, power system may come from a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine or 3.5-liter V6 engine, and 400 horsepower V6 engine. The car advice’s website report that expect to use SH-AWD system Super Handling All-Wheel Drive’ system incorporates a complex torque split technology that allows the car’s computers to calculate where best to send power – front to rear and side to side.

Source;
http://autoten.com/2011/10/29/honda-nsx-have-confirmed-by-2014here-is-all-rendering-we-can-find/