Honda’s hybrid NSX supercar sprung in Australia

A PROTOTYPE of Japan’s reborn Porsche 911-fighter, the Honda NSX supercar, has been spied a long way from its home in the US – right here in Australia.

Images of the hybrid mid-mounted coupe caught by sharp-eyed readers have flooded into Wheels over the weekend after a heavily camouflaged left-hand-drive engineering mule was spotted creeping through Alice Springs in central Australia.

This image from Michael Robertson shows that apart from the camo stickers, the Alice-based NSX is very close to the production model shown at Detroit last month as part of its global reveal.

The Australian testing program appears to be so top secret that, when asked what the aluminium spaceframe NSX was doing here, Honda Australia would only say that it could not comment on what it regarded as spy images of the car.

Believed to be in Australia for hot weather testing while its Ohio development base shivers under a blanket of US winter snow, the Northern Territory location is also home to Australia’s only open speed limit where Honda’s testers can wring out the NSX’s mid-mounted V6 engine and the three lithium-ion battery fuelled electric motors that help to provide drive to all four wheels.

Little is known about the NSX’s performance figures ahead of the car’s US launch expected later this year. However, we do know the direct-injected six-pot likes to drink premium fuel.

Combined engine power is rumoured to peak at around 400kW. According to Jason Wright, another Wheels reader who snapped images of the NSX, whatever rests under the super car’s shapely body sounds the business, described as having “very throaty and impressive acceleration” as it fled the cameras.

Seen any other camo-clad cars lately? Let us know at wheels@wheelsmag.com.au.