The Acura NSX is a legend, its blend of supercar handling, blistering performance and everyday reliability is unmatched before or since. Honda's greatest accomplishment was such an amazing car that it ran in series production nearly unchanged for 15 years and still challenged the best in the world when it was put out to pasture in 2005. Now there is a new NSX, and it promises to be worthy of this hallowed badge.
Unveiled to much fanfare at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the NSX brought a level of excitement that has been missing from Acura showrooms since the NSX ended production. The design stuns from every angle, its gun-slit headlamps, prominent Acura power plenum grille and huge air intakes dominating a front end that means business.
The new model manages to pay homage to the classic NSX while still presenting something bold and fresh. An instant classic, its performance and exclusivity should push the envelope of what is today considered possible and bring a true halo car to sit high atop the Acura range.
The mid-engined, two-seat sports car uses a brand-new trick electric-assisted SH-AWD ("Super Handling All-Wheel Drive") setup where the rear wheels are driven by a V6 engine and electric motor, while each front wheel is driven by its own electric motor. The result is not only big power with hybrid efficiency but increased control, as these wheel-mounted electric motors can apply positive or negative torque at any time to aid in cornering stability and performance.
The next NSX is expected to debut in late 2014 as a 2015 model priced from around $120,000 to start, or slightly more than a Porsche 911 or Nissan GT-R, but well under the $190,000 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and $375,000 Lexus LFA.
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