A recently published patent from Honda showcases a new V6 turbo engine that is rumored to be the new engine for Acura’s smaller NSX.
Car companies will usually drop patents just days before an official unveiling and if this patent from Honda is a clue to something big, Honda fans have something to be excited about. According to a recent thread that popped up on Temple of VTEC earlier yesterday (Dec. 13, 2017) known sharer of rumors with bits of truth, user RolledaNSX, posted up a publicly available patent from Honda showing off a compact V6 engine with some of the drawings showcasing a tiny turbo attached to the figure. Check out the patent for yourself by clicking here.
The cylinder invention relates to a V engine using two cylinder heads made from common cylinder heads having an essentially same configuration.
The entire patent is 19 pages long with multiple technical sections. If anything can be gathered from this patent, it looks like Honda might be bringing out a more compact NSX that is easier to manufacture thanks to using the same casting for each cylinder head. In addition, efficiencies have been made in with oiling passages for better oil flow, which happens to be attached to VTEC actuators. As some more informed commenters in the thread pointed out, there is no opportunity for VVL or variable valve lift, so this isn’t an implementation of VTEC as we know and love from traditional Honda’s.
However, it looks like these figures and description does include some sort of cylinder deactivation, a rumored technology that would be used in Honda’s now-defunct V10.
Further contributing to the rumor mill, RolledANSX went on to posit that
This engine will be turbocharged but will it have a eCharger too.
In transverse layout it will most likely have only one turbocharger and then a eCharger will be needed to fix the turbo lag.
But putting the ICE power to the front tires is limited to about 320 hp and a mild boosted 3.0L V6 will make that easy with a ton of torque.
Also by past patents it will have full Continuous VTEC.(A-VTEC like without all the mass)
As of this writing, there’s no word from Honda or other unofficial sources that they’re on the brink of releasing a new engine (or a chassis to fit this into.)
If this engine has some merit, we could look forward to something very exciting for Honda fans. Perhaps those rumors of a baby NSX weren’t limited to just Gran Turismo after all.
