acura nsx 1989 2005 020

acura nsx 1989 2005 020

Last month a mysterious Acura concept sporting a similar shape to the mid-engine Audi R8 supercar was spotted on the set of the upcoming The Avengers movie.

In the movie, the Acura concept will serve as the personal ride of Robert Downey Jr.’s character Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man.

You may recall that Stark previously rode around in an Audi R8 but since he’s now working together with government agency S.H.I.E.L.D, which exclusively uses Acura vehicles, the Audi was no longer needed.

AutoExpress, which has snapped up some new images of the striking concept, is reporting that its design may point the way towards a new NSX flagship, although a new name is possible as well.

Previous plans for the new NSX called for a front mid-engine design with a V-10 heart, but those were canned once the financial crisis hit.

However, with Honda president and CEO Takanobu Ito rallying to bring back some performance cred for Acura and Honda, including commenting that plans for an exotic sports car were back on the table, this latest movie concept could very well herald a new NSX--but perhaps one very different to its predecessor.

You see, there’s word on the street that Acura will be looking to differentiate the car by packing it with an advanced hybrid drivetrain.

Acura is likely to go with a V-6 engine mounted in a lightweight aluminum chassis once again, but with the addition of two electric motors. In this way the engine could drive the rear wheels while the electric motors take care of the front.

Importantly, Acura’s new NSX isn’t likely to target stratospheric price levels like the Lexus LFA. Rather, it’s likely to occupy the $80,000 to $100,000 price bracket that more affordable supercars like the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 and higher trims of the Chevrolet Corvette now dominate.

Sadly, any release date is likely to still be years away.