Over six decades of engineering, we have been fortunate to be involved in some of the automotive industry’s most cutting edge, innovative and game-changing projects. Cosworth has become a name synonymous with engineering prowess and we are proud to use our heritage to help shape the future of the automotive landscape.

While we commemorated 60 years of Cosworth in 2018, one of our partners Honda has celebrated a key milestone of its own this year: 30 years of the iconic NSX sports car.

A recognised stylistic icon and a marvel of engineering, the NSX broke new ground for supercars that preceeded it by taking inspiration from outside of the usual automotive sphere: the car’s glass cockpit, designed around an American F-16 fighter jet, the use of innovative materials based on the Shinkansen bullet train, or borrowing the brain of F1 great, Ayrton Senna, for advice on its handling.

Like Cosworth, Honda’s reputation as innovators in engineering has been achieved over years of working at the cutting-edge of development. The second generation NSX, unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in 2015, was the perfect opportunity to showcase this leading technology, and benefits from Cosworth’s expertise to enhance its status yet further.

With the NSX, Honda has been able to demonstrate its commitment to improving efficiency and lessening the impact on the environment without compromise to performance. Using the latest hybrid technology with a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-litre V6 allows the car to rocket to 62mph (100km/h) in just 2.9 seconds.

Honda relies on the OE Manufacturing centre at our UK powertrain headquarters in Northampton, that has been specifically designed to meet the individual needs of any OEM. It is here where we manufacture the V6 blocks and heads for the NSX’s 573hp hybrid powertrain.

With decades of experience developing working relationships with OEMs, we are able to provide flexible machining, assembly and surface coating capabilities that conform fully to OEM production standards.

One of the major benefits derived by Honda from using our OE Manufacturing facility for the NSX is access to our plasma ion coating capability for cylinder block bores, which improves heat transfer, reduces friction and delivers a lighter, more fuel-efficient engine.

Our plasma ion coating solutions – which are used from single cylinders right up to V12 units – are a key differentiator for OEMs looking for a performance advantage. We are proud to work with global car manufacturers like Honda, who put their trust in Cosworth to ensure milestone moments lead onto the next big innovation.

For more on our OE Manufacturing capabilities, click here.