Gallery: how the new Honda NSX was born

They say a year is a long time in show business. Well, it's even longer in the world of cars. And you know what's longer than a year? Nine years.

Nine years. That's how long we've been waiting since Honda announced it would build a successor to one of the coolest, and finest, supercars in the world: a new NSX.

Nine years. In that time we've seen the Ferrari F430 bow out, the F430 Scuderia arrive, obliterate, and then bow out, the 458 Italia charge onto the blocks, the 458 Speciale hove into view, and witnessed the TG award-winning Speciale Aperta. To chart the 911's seven-year trajectory would require a new internet, too.

But at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this month, we finally saw the final, final production version of the Honda supercar set to do battle with the Ferrari 458, Porsche 911 and indeed, the upcoming Ford GT.

You can read all about the new NSX's vital stats here - 3.5-litre turbo'd V6, electric motors, fancy gearbox, all-wheel-drive, many horsepowers etc etc - but here, we've provided a definitive timeline of the NSX's birth.

July 2005: Then Honda President and CEO Takeo Fukui lights the fire at his mid-year speech, saying: "We are now focused on the development of a new model to succeed the NSX for a new era.

"We would like to debut a new super sports car equipped with a V10 engine in three to four years. Please look forward to seeing the NSX successor."

Good thing we didn't hold our breath...

January 2007: Unveiling of the Acura ‘Advanced Sports Car Concept' at the Detroit Motor Show. A front-engined, V10-powered rear-wheel-drive supercar concept. Not a mid-engined layout, like the original NSX.

And yet in December 2007, American Honda CEO Tetsuo Iwamura confirmed that a new supercar based on the Acura ASSC seen at Detroit - with a V10 - would appear by 2010.

Read the full story on the ASCC here

June 2008: The first prototypes of Honda's new NSX are spotted testing around the Nurburgring, dressed up in the obligatory camouflage livery, and screaming to high heaven.

December 2008: The global financial meltdown referred to as the ‘credit crunch' - not a new breakfast cereal, Stig - means Honda pulls the plug on project NSX. Boo.

March 2010: Honda reveals one of the world's coolest - and scariest - racecars in existence, the ‘HSV-010'; a V8-powered monster based on the chassis of what was originally intended to be New NSX, packing 500bhp from a 3.4-litre V8 and let loose to race in Japan's GT500 series.

If you've got a moment and need some noise to brighten your day, click the link below and listen to the HSV-010 open its lungs.

Read the full story on the HSV-010 here

November 2011: Honda's design manager Yoshikazu Kigosi confirms to Top Gear that the company is looking for a range-topping superstar.

Speaking at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, he told us: "We need a halo car, and this is a decision that's come from Ito-san [Honda president Takanobu Ito] down. A new S2000 is a difficult car for us to do, because of its front-engined, rear-drive platform.

"But we are definitely looking at the EV-ster and a new NSX."

January 2012: So, at long, long last, Acura - that's Honda's luxury brand in the States - reveals the NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show.

And the big news? It's a hybrid, sporting two electric motors at the front - one on each wheel - with a mid-mounted V6 and another motor in the gearbox to help the engine's power.

Read more on the first NSX Concept here

April 2012: Built for The Avengers movie - or Avengers Assemble as we got here in the UK - Acura reveals this NSX Spider. Of course, it wasn't labelled NSX Spider, but just one of a range of ‘Acura vehicles' that the fictional S.H.I.E.L.D agents got to drive in the movie. Lucky so-and-sos.

January 2013: Another Detroit Motor show passes, and Acura rolls out another NSX Concept. An evolution of the one we saw in 2012, meaning we now got to see a little bit more of the insides. Yep, someone bothered to fit some seats and a steering wheel.

Our spies on the floor at the time noted how the steering wheel was ‘round-ish', while the seats were definitely ‘seat-like' in construction.

Read the full story here

August 2013: An NSX prototype laps Road Atlanta prior to the Indy 200 race, while over in Japan...

August 2013: ...Honda reveals the ‘NSX Concept GT', a racing hybrid for competition in the 2014 Super GT Series.

Based on the 2012 NSX - that's the first ever concept NSX we saw - this one has a turbocharged 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine, together with a ‘racing hybrid' system on board. Also, it looked bloody excellent.

September 2013: At the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, NSX project leader Ted Klaus confirms to Top Gear that the new NSX will battle the Ferrari 458 Italia, Audi R8, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 and Corvette Z06. Also gives an indication of a possible 500bhp+ power output.

Read the full story here

January 2014: Err. Nothing. To keep you on the boil, here is a picture of a smiling Golden Retriever.

April 2014: Five NSX Concept GT teams debut in the first round of Japan's Super GT Series. See? Told you it would go racing.

January 2015: After a camouflaged NSX prototype was spotted at the Nurburgring with extensive changes to the exterior in mid 2014 - caused by a change in engine specs and design - Honda finally showcases the production NSX supercar at this year's Detroit Motor Show.

Worth the wait? Here's hoping...

Read the full story on the new Honda NSX here