Honda NSX and S2000 replacements arriving in 2009

For a company that spends billions on its Formula 1 program, Honda's been awfully quiet in the sports car scene. The S2000 was released seven years ago and production of the NSX stopped in 2005 after years of poor sales. The good news is that Honda is planning to release a replacement for the S2000 and perhaps a new NSX to replace its 'forgotten supercar'. The bad news is that we may have to wait till 2009 before we see either of them. Honda has already started sketching the next S2000 roadster but the current version is expected to be manufactured till 2009, albeit with some minor tweaks. There's expected to be a lot of interest in the next S2000, considering its deadly combination of looks, driveability and reliability that placed it at number 1 in the Top Gear Survey.

The new NSX, also slated for a possible 2009 release is expected to be very similar to the HSC concept (pictured above) revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show back in 2003, and there is expected to be another concept along the lines of the HSC at the coming Detroit Motor Show. The new NSX will be in some good company with the 2008 release of the new Skyline GTR and the 2007 Evo X. Hopefully the release of these three Japanese powerhouses in the coming years will finally give us Japanese cars that can compete not only on a track, but also on the boulevarde with their bold new styling.

[What Car]