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Honing
vehicle control quality to achieve outstanding high-
speed
performance in a driver-oriented sports
car
The main development
objective for the New NSX-R was to be able to "extract maximum
performance from the vehicle on a variety of
circuits".
While driving, the driver continually relies on
feedback provided by the car, which is collected via the
senses and interpreted in relation to past experiences. Based
on the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle, the driver
collects information on the car's behavior and responsiveness
through all five senses, comparing it with his or her own
input. Thus, in order to create a car that can be driven at
high speed, not only must the overall dynamic performance
level of the car be improved, but also the ease of driver
control - in other words, the vehicle's control quality. This
objective was the driving force at the heart of the new
NSX-R's development program.
In addition to the weight
reduction technologies central to the Type R's development, we
have channeled our efforts toward increased high-speed
stability and improved aerodynamics as a way to further
improve overall performance. We have striven to develop a new
technological concept, "aerodynamically-induced stability",
which involves the creation of aerodynamic downforce for the
benefit of increased driving control. We sought a level of
driving control that would give the driver the confidence
necessary to accelerate still further in already high-speed
racing circuit conditions.
Aerodynamically-induced
stability not only increases control of the vehicle at high
speeds, it also allows the chassis to be tuned for enhanced
cornering in tighter turns. This results in the kind of
versatile handling where the driver feels at one with the car
at all speeds, and has allowed us to enter a new realm of
driving experience that meets the requirements of both
high-speed circuits and technical courses - two very different
environments that on most race cars would require settings for
completely opposite priorities.
The mid-ship layout of the
NSX was crucial in allowing us to implement the detailed
chassis settings required to maximize the effect of
aerodynamically-induced stability - and combine it with
outstanding handling performance.
Racing engine
technologies normally unheard of in a production vehicle are
incorporated, including a balanced and blue-printed crankshaft
assembly. In the same vein, the main aerodynamic parts
relating to the creation of the aerodynamic downforce of the
car are formed from carbon fiber materials using proprietary
technologies. Every possible factor has been taken into
account to achieve our ultimate goal. This is what lies at the
heart of the new NSX-R's outstanding driver affinity and its
exceptional high-speed performance on racing circuits.
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