New Honda Sports Car May Debut This Year, Executive Hints
The Honda S2000’s successor may be coming soon—I hope you like EVs.
Last year, Honda confirmed that two of its 30 EVs debuting by 2030 would include a duo of sports cars. One will be a "flagship" successor to the Acura NSX, the other will be a less clearly defined "specialty" model. That second car may debut this year, too, as hinted by a Honda Motor Europe executive.
"We love a sports car," Honda Motor Europe's vice president Tom Gardner told Autocar. "We love performance, and we're very grateful for the strong reaction we've had to the latest [Civic] Type R. There is huge demand for it, and the performance has been very well appreciated."
"Watch this space: [2023 is] 75 years [of Honda motor vehicles]—we had the S2000 at 50," Gardner said. "Who knows…"
Past statements by Honda executives have made clear which of the two sports cars to expect this year. Honda only rolls out a new NSX when it has something to prove, when it has something to stake its reputation on, and that seems to require tech that isn't commercially viable yet. Last year, Honda's CEO told us the company won't produce a Type R EV until solid-state batteries are ready. If Honda won't compromise a Type R with lesser batteries, it's hard to imagine it allowing the same to happen to a halo car like the NSX.
That leaves only one other option: the "specialty" model. Unfortunately, no clear indication of what form this car will take has emerged. Since the S2000's discontinuation in 2009, fans have clamored for its revival, but it's unlikely an EV would be received as an authentic successor. (It would also have to deal with the evolved, unflappable Mazda MX-5.) Another possibility is that that it could take a form similar to the 2017 Honda Sports EV concept seen here, though its design would need updating.
For now, all we have is confirmation that a (probably electric) sports car is coming, and soon at that. After 14 years without anything between the Civic and NSX, it'll be welcomed with open arms.
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