Acura nsx (2017)

First generation (1990-2005) Edit

The origins of this Japanese sports car trace back to 1984, with the HP-X (Honda Pininfarina eXperimental) concept, which was a mid-engined 2.0 L V6 engined rear wheel drive sports car. Honda committed to the project, with the intention of meeting or exceeding the performance of the then V8 engined Ferrari range, while offering reliability and a lower price point. The concept thus evolved and had its name changed to NS-X, which stood for «New», «Sportscar» «eXperimental»,although the production model was launched as the NSX.

The NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer, Masahito Nakano, and Executive Chief Engineer, Shigeru Uehara. It benefitted of advanced aerodynamics and styling inspired by a F-16 fighter jet cockpit and input from the late Formula OneWorld Champion, Ayrton Senna, during the final development stages.

This NSX became the world’s first mass-produced car to feature an all-aluminium body. It was powered by an all-aluminium 3.0 L V6 engine, which featured Honda’s VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system developed in the 1980s, a 5-speed manual or 4-speed Sports Shift automatic transmissions.

It was presented at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show and was built in a purpose-made factory in Japan, for sale from 1990. It was originally available as a coupé and, from 1995, a targa top. It underwent a performance upgrade in 1997, which saw the arrival of a larger 3.2 L V6 engine, and a facelift in 2002 before being discountinued in 2005. North American models were sold as the Acura NSX.

Second generation (NC1; 2016–present)

Honda NSX

In December 2007, Acura announced plans to launch a NSX successor by 2010, based on the styling of the front V10-engined Acura ASCC (Advanced Sports Car Concept). Despite prototypes being tested for production, just a year later, Honda announced that plans had been canceled due to poor economic conditions. Instead, in March 2010, Honda unveiled the HSV-010 GT for participation in the Japanese SuperGT Championship. This car never reached production as a street-legal car.

Reports that Honda was again developing a successor to the NSX reemerged in April 2011. By December 2011, Honda officially announced a second generation NSX concept, which was unveiled the following month at the 2012 North American International Auto Show as the Acura NSX Concept.

The production model was displayed three years later at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, for sale in 2016.
Although the original name was retained, this time it was defined as «New Sports eXperience». Unlike the first generation NSX which was manufactured in Japan, the new NSX was designed and engineered in Marysville, Ohio, at Honda’s plant, led by chief engineer Ted Klaus.

The new NSX is a hybrid sports car powered by 3.5 L twin-turbocharged V6 engine and three electric motors, two of which form part of the «SH-AWD» all wheel drive drivetrain, altogether capable of close to 600 hp. The transmission is a 9-speed dual-clutch automatic. Its body utilizes a space frame design—which is made from aluminum, ultra-high-strength steel, and other rigid and lightweight materials, some of which are the world’s first applications.

The first production vehicle with VIN #001 was auctioned off by Barrett Jackson on 29 January 2016.NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick won the auction with a bid for US$1,200,000. The entire bid was donated to the charities Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground. The first NSX rolled off the line in Ohio on 27 May 2016. Hendrick was there to drive it off. The first sales of the new NSX in the US were registered in June 2016.

References

Games

Need for Speed: No Limits

Stub — This article section needs expanding with relevant information.

Need for Speed: No Limits

Need for Speed: Payback

The Acura NSX appears in Need for Speed: Payback following a Build of the Week article published on the official Need for Speed website on October 9, 2017.

It is unlocked for purchase from the race and drag class dealerships upon completing four questlines in chapter 4 — Open Skies.

Need for Speed: Heat

The NSX appears in Need for Speed: Heat following an article, revealing it to be part of the game’s official car list, was published on August 19, 2019, and appears in the NFS: Heat Studio app as a secret car that’s part of container 5, which was released on September 17, 2019.

Official launch and production

Rear view

Interior

Announcements

On December 27, 2014, Honda announced that the second-generation of the NSX flagship sports car would debut at the on January 12, 2015.

Debut

Honda Performance Manufacturing Center (Marysville, Ohio)

In December 2015, the North American pricing was announced from US$156,000 for the base specification, to US$205,000 for a fully equipped model.

At the same time, Honda announced the European debut for the NSX at the 85th Geneva Motor Show, alongside the FK2 Civic Type R.

The first production vehicle with VIN #001 was auctioned off by Barrett Jackson on January 29, 2016. NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick won the auction with a bid for US$1,200,000. The entire proceeds from the auction were donated to the charities Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground. The first NSX rolled off the production line in Ohio on May 24, 2016.

Specifications

Mechanically, the second generation of the NSX represents a significant departure from the first generation since it features a twin-turbocharged 75-degree per cylinder 3.5-litre V6 engine generating a maximum power output of 500 hp (507 PS; 373 kW) at 6,500–7,500 rpm and 550 N⋅m (406 lb⋅ft) of torque at 2,000–6,000 rpm, mated to a three electric motor Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system and a 9-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The combined total output is 573 hp (581 PS; 427 kW) and 476 lb⋅ft (645 N⋅m) of torque. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds, and has a top speed in excess of 307 km/h (191 mph). The NSX completes a quarter-mile run in 11.2 seconds. Structurally, the body utilises a space frame design, which is made from aluminium, ultra-high strength steel, and other rigid and lightweight materials, some of which are the world’s first applications.[clarification needed]

Production of the second generation of the NSX commenced in 2015 at the in Marysville, Ohio, which is housed inside Honda’s former North American Logistics facility and located in the midst of Honda’s existing R&D and production engineering operations. The powertrain is separately assembled by Honda associates at its engine plant in Anna, Ohio.

Dimensions

The table below indicates the change in dimensions, relative to the original second generation concept car presented in 2012:

Awards

Road & Track named the NSX as its 2017 Performance Car of the Year. The magazine lauded the NSX for its use of hybrid technology in the service of an emotional driving experience. The NSX also won the AutoGuide.com Readers’ Choice Car of the Year Award for achieving high performance with a natural driving feel. The NSX was the Business Insider 2016 Car of the Year on the strength of its striking styling and its unique drivetrain for a car in its price range. The Green Car Journal 2017 Luxury Green Car of the Year award went to the NSX for its combination of performance and efficiency.Automobile staff voted the NSX to its list of 2017 All-Stars; the car won the honor «by consistently putting a grin on drivers’ faces» during testing.Motor Trend awarded the NSX first place in its 2020 hybrid performance car comparison, praising the improvements made to the car by the 2019 update.

2019 update

2019 Honda NSX

In August 2018, Honda announced improvements for the 2019 model year. The improvements included larger front and rear stabilizer bars, which increased front stiffness by 26 percent and rear stiffness by 19 percent, as well as 21 percent stiffer rear toe link bushings. New specially developed Continental tires were also included. These led to software optimizations to the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system, active magnetorheological dampers, electric power steering and VSA settings. According to Honda, the car is nearly two seconds faster than the pre-update model around the Suzuka Circuit. Additionally, a new Thermal Orange Pearl body color became available.

Motorsports

Super GT

The NSX Concept-GT, a race car based on the NSX concept, was unveiled in 2013 to race in the GT500 category of the Super GT Series from 2014. During the 2014 season, the NSX Concept-GT received its first pole and victory at Fuji Speedway in August, with the best-placed Honda driver fourth in the championship. In 2015, the car won at Sportsland Sugo and finished third in the championship. The car featured a hybrid system in 2014 and 2015, but it was abandoned for the 2016 season, with hybrid systems banned from GT500 in 2017. The 2016 season saw the car score a pole position in Suzuka and three podiums.

In 2017, Honda launched the NSX-GT based on the production version, replacing the NSX Concept-GT. The car won the final running of the Suzuka 1000km in 2017, and in 2018, it won the championship with Jenson Button and Naoki Yamamoto of Team Kunimitsu crowned champions. In an incident-filled 2019, the car won the Okayama round and the second Super GT × DTM Dream Race, which was the mid-engined NSX’s final race. Due to regulation changes, Honda will debut a new NSX-GT with a front-engine layout for the 2020 season.

GT3

Honda NSX GT3 on display at the 2018 Paris Motor Show

At the 2016 New York International Auto Show, Honda announced the GT3 version of the NSX, to begin competition in 2017. During its first season of racing in 2017, the NSX GT3 scored its first race victory in the IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD class at , followed by another win at the following round of the championship, the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. It also won the Utah round of the Pirelli World Challenge. For the following year in 2018, the car finished second in the IMSA GTD championship with two wins. It made its debut in the Japanese Super GT Series, scoring a podium in Autopolis. The car also made its debut at the 24 Hours of Spa, finishing the 24-hour race seventh in the Pro-Am class.

Honda introduced an upgraded version of the car, the NSX GT3 Evo, for 2019. Its upgrades include improved aerodynamics and cooling, as well as new turbochargers. The car has been successful, winning the 2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD drivers’ and teams’ titles, as well as the 2019 Super GT drivers’ and teams’ titles in the GT300 class. It has also showed good pace in the Intercontinental GT Challenge with a pole position in Laguna Seca and an overall sixth place finish in the 24 Hours of Spa, despite having to start from 33rd on the grid.

Second generation (2015- Present) Edit

Second generation NSX

In December 2007, Honda announced plans to launch a NSX successor by 2010, based on the styling of the front V10-engined Acura ASCC (Advanced Sports Car Concept).Despite prototypes being tested for production, just a year later, Honda announced that plans had been cancelled due to poor economic conditions. Instead, in March 2010, Honda unveiled the HSV-010 GT for participation in the Japanese SuperGT Championship. This car never reached production as a street-legal car.

Reports that Honda was again developing a successor to the NSX reemerged in April 2011. By December 2011, Honda officially announced a second generation NSXconcept, which was unveiled the following month at the 2012 North American International Auto Show as the Acura NSX Concept.

The production model was displayed three years later at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, for sale in 2016. Although the original name was retained, this time it was defined as «New Sports eXperience».

The new NSX is a hybrid sports car powered by 3.5 L twin-turbo V6 engine and three electric motors, two of which form part of the «SH-AWD» all wheel drive drivetrain. The transmission is a 9-speed dual-clutch semi-automatic. Its body utilizes a space frame design, which is made from aluminum, ultra-high strength steel, and other rigid and lightweight materials, some of which are the world’s first applications.

Unlike the first generation, the 2016 NSX is manufactured in the United States. It is sold as the Acura NSX in North America and as the Honda NSX worldwide. The price is set at $156,000 and can go up to $200,000 when fully loaded.

In February 1, 2016, Acura sold first production VIN #001 of the NSX at an auction for $1.2 million.

Description

The second generation Acura NSX represents a significant mechanical departure from the first generation NSX, carrying a 3.5L (3,493 cc) twin-turbo V6 mated to a three-electric motor Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system and a 9-speed dual-clutch PNDRLtronic transmission.

The electric motors produce 73 hp (54 kW) in conjunction with the V6’s 500 hp (373 kW) for a total of 573 hp (427 kW). The NSX has its total torque output at 623 ft·lb (845 N·m).

Weighing 3803 lb (1725 kg), the NSX has a power-to-weight ratio of 332 hp per tonne or 6.64 lb (3.01 kg) per hp. Structurally, the body utilizes a space frame design, which is made from aluminum, ultra-high strength steel, and other rigid and lightweight materials, some of which are the world’s first applications.

The NSX has a 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h).

First generation (NA1, NA2; 1990–2005)

Post-facelift NSX

The NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer Masahito Nakano and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara. It benefited from advanced aerodynamics and styling inspired by an F-16 fighter jet cockpit and input from the late Formula One World Champion, Ayrton Senna, during the final development stages.

This NSX became the world’s first mass-produced car to feature an all-aluminium body. It was powered by an all-aluminium 3.0 L V6 engine, which featured Honda’s VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system developed in the 1980s, a 5-speed manual transmission, or starting in 1994 the SportShift 4-speed automatic transmission, also known as F-Matic, which allows the option of conventional automatic shifting or manually shifting with a fingertip shift lever on the steering column.

It was presented at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show and was built in a purpose-made factory in Japan, for sale from 1990. It was originally available as a coupé and, from 1995, a targa top. It underwent a performance upgrade in 1997, which saw the arrival of a larger 3.2 L V6 engine, and a facelift in 2002 before being discontinued in 2005. North American models were sold as the Acura NSX.

Cars with the 3.0 L engine are referred to as NA1 models, while the 3.2 L engined cars are known as NA2 models.

Sales figures in the U.S

Development

Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

Honda NSX Concept at the 2014 Indonesia International Motor Show

In December 2007, Honda America’s CEO, Tetsuo Iwamura, confirmed to the automotive press that a new sports car powered by a V10 engine would make its debut to the market by 2010. The new sports car would be based on the Acura ASCC (Advanced Sports Car Concept) introduced at the . With Honda’s CEO Takeo Fukui challenging the developers to make the car faster than its rivals, prototypes of the vehicle were seen testing on the Nürburgring in June 2008. On December 17, 2008, Fukui announced during a speech about Honda’s revised financial forecasts that, due to poor economic conditions, all plans for a next-generation of the NSX had been cancelled. In March 2010, the name of the Acura NSX project was changed to the Honda HSV-010 GT, and the car was entered in the Japanese Super GT Championship. The HSV-010 GT was powered by a 3.4-liter V8 rated at a power output of more than 500 hp (373 kW) and was equipped with a sequential manual transmission from Ricardo. The HSV-010 GT never made it into production stage.

In April 2011, Automobile magazine reported that Honda was developing a new sports car to be a successor to the original NSX. The magazine reported that the car would be exhilarating to drive but also environmentally friendly. It was expected that the vehicle will incorporate an electric drivetrain to give the petrol engine a boost of power. In late 2010, Motor Trend reported that Honda was developing a mid-engine hybrid electric sports car to be an NSX successor.

In December 2011, Acura announced that they would unveil the next generation of the NSX in concept form at the . On January 9, 2012, Acura unveiled the 2012 Acura NSX Concept to the general public.

The new concept retained a 2-door coupe, mid-engine layout but with all-wheel drive. The use of a high-tech platform made from lightweight materials permitted the weight to be low. Power came from a 3.5 L V6 engine mounted behind the cockpit, sending its power to the rear wheels. Acura’s SH-AWD incorporates one electric motor in a dual-clutch transmission to augment the thermal engine thus forming a hybrid setup. Additionally, two more electric motors able to instantly send negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering also formed part of the powertrain.

Acura claimed the resulting all-wheel drive system would provide better handling and matching acceleration while offering greater efficiency relative to the naturally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 engine in the Ferrari 458, the NSX’s main competitor at the time.

Marketing

In September 2011, during filming of The Avengers, Robert Downey, Jr. (playing the role of Iron Man) was spotted in an exotic sports car similar to the new NSX, made specifically for the film, rather than the Audi R8 he previously drove in Iron Man and Iron Man 2. The car itself was built by Trans FX using an existing 1992 NSX. Its design was an altered form of the new NSX’s final design in order to avoid leaks and speculations about the new sports car by the media.

A Super Bowl advertisement for the vehicle began airing in early February 2012, featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.

In 2013, Acura launched an online configuration tool for the new NSX on Facebook. Later that year, the car was featured in the video game Gran Turismo 6.

Although the original name was retained—which stood for «New Sportscar eXperimental»—the second generation model’s name has been defined as «New Sports eXperience».