First Posted: 1/12/2015
DETROIT — Honda is revving up its Ohio plants and bringing in new products.
The motor company is investing $340 million in its Anna engine plant and beginning production of its new NSX supercar in Marysville in the fall.
Honda announced these plans and more at the North American International Auto Show on Monday and Tuesday.
The Anna Engine Plant will begin making the new Honda 4-cylinder VTEC Turbo Engine before 2015 is over, said John Mendel, executive vice president of the Honda automobile division, at a news conference at the show on Tuesday.
Honda hasn’t yet released which models the engine will be used in, but Mendel said the new, more fuel efficient engine is made for every driver.
It has a “broad application,” with fuel efficiency, power, and is “providing a larger dynamic range,” he said.
It is unclear yet whether the new engine will mean more jobs in Anna or just continued use of the existing workforce, though it will mean the addition of a third assembly line especially for 4-cylinder engines.
While the new engine means more money in Anna, the new NSX supercar will be made at Honda’s new Performance Manufacturing Center a little further east in Marysville.
Honda’s luxury car brand, Acura, is responsible for the NSX, which is a next-generation sportscar, long-awaited by enthusiasts. The first NSX was released in 1989 and is known as a legendary sportscar.
Production on the “supercar” will begin in the fall, with customers being able to custom order NSXs online this summer.
The car is specially engineered for the driver’s convenience. Honda wants drivers to feel as if they are one with the car when they sit in the “human support cockpit.”
“Our goal was to create a human-centered supercar that delivers a new sports experience,” said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president and manager of the Acura division. It will “reward drivers of all skill levels in the real world.”
Acura hasn’t announced a price, other than that it will begin in the mid $150,000 range.
Honda also announced its Fuel Cell Vehicle, with an even smaller engine than before, and the anticipated release of a battery electric vehicle and a hybrid model by 2018.
