Acura NSX concept car revives the swinging '90s

Do you remember a time when Honda, and by extension US-centric Acura too, was, well, desirable?

If the new NSX ever makes it to production, those times may be with us again.

Nowadays, the Honda range is pretty lacking in sex appeal, but cast your mind back to the '80s and early '90s. Back then, Honda was churning out attractive, efficient and technologically idiosyncratic cars.

In 1990, at the company's (and the Japanese bubble economy's) zenith, Honda gave the world its NSX supercar. It set schoolboys' hearts aflutter and — thanks to its reliability, and high-tech aluminium body and 8000rpm-capable V6 — woke the Italians out of their slumber.

The new concept car follows a similar path, but its mission this time is to wake Honda out of its slumber.

This potential 21st century NSX features a hybrid drivetrain with a motor each powering the front and rear wheels.

A V6 petrol engine behind the passenger and driver also powers the rear wheels. Transmission duties at the back are handled by a dual-clutch automated gearbox.

Apparently, the production car is set to debut in about three years and will be made in the USA.

Derek Fung travelled to the Detroit Motor Show as a guest of Ford.