Honda has closed the order books for the NSX hybrid sports car - despite the car not even being shown in public.

Dealers have been taking orders for the new 2015 NSX for the past two years, and now have 100 signatures, officials have confirmed to CAR.

That's enough demand for this limited-volume coupe to cap supply for now; it's at least the first year's allocation taken care of.

Honda closes the UK order bank for NSX

The news confirms that there remains plenty of pent-up demand for the NSX hybrid, which has only been shown so far as a hybrid (the pictures in our NSX gallery are of the concept car).

We'll have to wait until Detroit's 2015 North American International Auto Show in January 2015 to see the finished production NSX.

But that hasn't stopped 100 Brits placing £5000 deposits to pick up one of the first cars, expected to land on these shores in 2016.

The Civic Type-R order books open

You might be too late to order an NSX, in the first wave of deliveries at any rate, but you can now slap down a deposit on a Civic Type-R instead.

UK dealers have just opened their order books for the new turbocharged Type-R; place a £3000 deposit today to get one of the first UK cars due in showrooms in August or September 2015.

Next year is shaping up to be a major year for Honda: sales have stagnated in recent years with little new product thanks to the hiatus caused by R&D cuts in the recession, a swingeing yen exchange rate and the tsunami of 2011. Few new models have arrived and the Accord has slipped quietly off sale.

But in 2015, Honda's back with the new Civic Type-R for hot-hatch fans, the NSX production sports car, the new HR-V compact off-roader and the new Jazz. Not to mention an engine supply deal with McLaren to relaunch the brand in F1.

Are the good times about to return to Honda? Let us know in the comments below.