2017 Acura NSX Supercar Project Leader – Video

Clement D’Souza, who led the creation of the innovative new Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio, the exclusive global production facility for the 2017 Acura NSX supercar, is the latest Honda associate featured in the What Makes a Honda is Who Makes a Honda video series.

A mechanical engineer and 26-year veteran at Honda of America Mfg., Inc., D’Souza was tapped as the engineering project leader in 2012 to lead the creation of a new manufacturing facility to produce the next generation Acura NSX, the only supercar manufactured in America. The result is the state-of-the-art Performance Manufacturing Center where serial production of the NSX will begin this spring.

D’Souza is also a world-class field hockey player who once aspired to play professionally in his native India. He competed as a member of the U.S. team in the 2016 FIH Masters World Cup in Canberra, Australia, March 31-April 9.

D’Souza brought his passion for innovation and his unique blend of engineering talent and commitment to teamwork to the challenge of creating a manufacturing facility that is pioneering new approaches to small-volume, high-performance vehicle manufacturing.

D’Souza speaks to the challenging spirit of Honda as the secret to his enduring commitment to the company. “You can produce something in a new way,” he said. “The ability to dream and try something that nobody else has, I think that’s the reason I’ve been with Honda 26 years.”

The Performance Manufacturing Center is home to master technicians who initiated 12 patent-pending technologies and other novel methods of producing a made-to-order supercar. It utilizes new approaches to vehicle construction, painting, assembly and quality confirmation, with the perfect blend of human craftsmanship and precision automation, to achieve a new level of quality and craftsmanship in the supercar realm.

D’Souza emphasizes teamwork as crucial to the project’s success. “The number one thing for me is the teamwork, relying on your teammates and the team around you, working off the same rhythm and the same passion to a common goal,” he said.

The What Makes a Honda is Who Makes a Honda video series focuses on Honda’s commitment to The Power of Dreams, a global theme that encourages Honda associates to conceive ideas that will create new value for customers and society and show determination to bring those dreams to life. In addition, the video series spotlights the varied careers within Honda and the inspiring efforts of Honda associates.

 

 

2017 Acura NSX Specs:

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE:$155,000

ENGINE TYPE:twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection

DISPLACEMENT:213 cu in, 3493 cc
Power: 500 hp @ 7500 rpm
Torque: 406 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
Mid Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 50 hp, 109 lb-ft
Front Motors: two permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 36 hp, 54 lb-ft (each)
Total System Power:573 hp

TRANSMISSIONS:F: 1-speed direct drive; M: 9-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 103.5 in
Length: 176.0 in
Width: 76.4 in Height:47.8 in
Passenger volume: 55 cu ft
Cargo volume: 4 cu ft
Curb weight: 3800 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/DEST):
Zero to 60 mph: 2.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.1 sec
Top speed: 191 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/DEST):
EPA city/highway: 19/26 mpg