Honda has patented the design of a mid-engined convertible sports car, supporting rumours that it is working on a baby Honda NSX model to rival the Mazda MX-5
Posted on the European Union Intellectual Property Office website, the images show a narrow front section and a lengthy rear that features slats and scoops, for cooling the car’s mid-mounted powertrain.
The images reignite longstanding rumours of a new Honda sports car, but quell earlier suggestions that it would be a spiritual successor to the S2000 with a front-mounted engine.
Honda’s decision to use a mid-ship layout could relate to the sharing of its platform with the NSX - something that was suggested when NSX project boss Ted Klaus told Autocar that the NSX's structure would also spawn a convertible, lightweight version and all-electric model.
While the NSX uses a hybrid-V6 drivetrain that powers all four wheels, power for the baby NSX could come from a simpler, more cost-effective combustion engine-driven rear-wheel-drive set-up.
