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Acura NSX will use Cosworth block, plus other neat tidbits

The blue NSX you see here was built just two weeks ago. Prototype number six, it rolled off Acura's newest assembly line in Ohio and was rushed out to the Monterey peninsula for various car week activities. We had a chance to sit down with several members of the NSX team to discuss the car, the long road from concept to production, and some interesting details. Below are some choice bits from our conversations. Acura is pretty proud of the fact that NSX version 2.0 was designed and is being built in the US. The new assembly line, called the Performance Manufacturing Center, is in Honda's hometown of Marysville, Ohio. While the line is brand new, the building has seen many uses over its lifetime, most recently as a warehouse facility. PMC staff numbers about 100, with 60 technical and 40 non-technical associates. The car uses parts sourced globally, and one of those sources is Cosworth. The engine blocks and heads come from the English firm and get assembled into twin-turbo powerhouses at Honda's nearby Anna, Ohio, engine plant. The Cosworth name is rarely associated with a bad engine, so we were geeked to hear the NSX's 550-plus-horsepower hybrid powertrain has good genes. Acura hasn't decided how many cars will come to the US each year, but supplies will be limited. We're told there is a total figure for global sales – basically anywhere Honda and Acura vehicles are sold – but they're not ready to divulge that number. Dealer allocation is also yet to be sorted out, although we're told that any dealer that has the necessary tools and equipment to service the new NSX will be able to sell them. Acura currently has 272 US dealers. The switch from the transverse engine originally planned to a longitudinal twin-turbo engine threw everyone involved for a loop. The designers had to lengthen their nearly finalized design, and the engineers working on the production process had to revise or redo much of their work. Though we've been waiting a while for the car since the concept first surfaced in 2012, it's pretty amazing to think that the car was engineered one and a half times and a new factory was built in about three years. But yeah, it's delayed, with series production now set to commence in the spring of 2016. One result of the switch to a longitudinal engine is a transmission hump in the cargo area aft of the engine. The hold is still sized to fit a bag of golf clubs, though it will be a tight fit.

F1 champ Fernando Alonso geared up for rookie run at Indy

NEW YORK - Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso surprised himself with his qualifying success for Sunday's Indianapolis 500, but the Spaniard knows his biggest challenge will come on race day. Alonso, racing on an oval for the first time, averaged more than 230 miles per hour (370 kph) to qualify fifth fastest for a place in the second row in the 33-car field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "I was a bit surprised," Alonso, 35, told Reuters on Tuesday. "When we announced to come here one month ago, we did it without knowing how competitive we could be, if I was able to adapt to oval racing, to these cars." "I still lack experience in important moments of the race. I will try to compensate with the speed, with motivation and we will see what happens." A lack of experience may cost him on the biggest day of US racing when a champion will be crowned after 200 laps of the massive 2.5-mile oval, but Alonso is geared up for the chance. "You respect the place, respect the speed. You respect your colleagues out there, but at the end of the day, when you are in your car and close the visor, you would like to have one mile per hour more. It's never enough," he said. While Alonso passed the entrance exam with flying colors in qualifying, he knows the hardest test is to come. "The biggest challenge I will face is in the race when you are running in traffic, those groups of cars that form in the race. It changes completely the behavior of the car. "You feel the car very loose... we've been practicing that with the team, trying to create our own groups because we are six cars," Alonso said. "I still lack experience in important moments of the race. I will try to compensate with the speed, with motivation and we will see what happens." GUESSING GAMES Alonso said timing his moves may be a guessing game. "Taking the opportunity to overtake and to pass will be a difficult decision to make," he said. "There are many factors you need to address while you are driving 230 miles per hour. "You have to stay calm, be ready for the last one-third of the race. That is where it comes." Alonso said the race demands a balance between pushing the limit and not crossing the line into recklessness. "With no experience, for me you're not sure sometimes where you are with that line - if you are over the limits of the car, or over the limits of running with the traffic.

Honda's latest fuel pump recall covers 761,000 vehicles worldwide

Honda will recall around 761,000 vehicles worldwide to replace fuel pumps that could fail and lead to stalling engines. This recall, which is described in the National Highway Safety Administration campaign number 21V215000, isn't the Japanese automaker's first recall for bad fuel pumps. It includes 628,000 vehicles sold in the United States. Honda isn't aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue. This most recent recall includes models from both Acura and Honda, some from 2019 only and others stretching into the 2020 model year. From Acura, some ILX, MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX and TLX models are included. From Honda, the recall covers certain Accord (including the Hybrid), Civic (Coupe, Sedan and Hatchback and including the Si and Type R), Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline. Finally, some Honda CR-V models from 2018 and 2019 are also included. Less than a year ago, Honda issued a recall over the fuel pumps of 136,057 vehicles in the U.S., some of which seem to overlap with this latest recall. Back in 2019, two separate recalls covered well over half a million vehicles for other fuel pump-related maladies, though it's not clear if any or all of these issues are related. With so many recalls over fuel pumps, it would be a good idea for owners of 2018-2020 Honda vehicles to enter their VIN numbers at either Honda's dedicated recall website or use the various tools provided by NHTSA. Related video: Featured Gallery 2019 Honda Pilot View 37 Photos Green Recalls Acura Honda