What separates Acura's NSX sports car from its rivals is heritage.
Acura built the first NSX to challenge the best speedsters of Europe even though the Honda luxury brand lacked a racing pedigree.
For 2017, the all-new NSX possesses the stoic classicism and remarkable performance of its forbearer but just happens to be an all-wheel drive, gas-electric hybrid.
Engineers in Ohio, where the car was developed, strove to package the NSX's powertrain, fuel tanks and battery pack as low and as far forward in the car as possible. This setup places the car's mass at the center of inertia, allowing for optimum control. In the end, 42 percent of the car's weight is up front, with 58 percent in the rear.
Behind the bucket seats is a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter double-overhead-cam V-6 engine mated to a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission. It's an all-new design that's used exclusively for the NSX and produces 500 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque through the rear wheels.
Sitting directly on the crankshaft between the engine and transmission is an electric motor that provides 47 horsepower and 109 pound-feet of torque. It's not only the hybrid battery pack generator but it's also the starter motor, so there's no belt drive system typically used with a traditional starter motor. The hybrid system's lithium-ion battery pack is placed between the engine and the driver.
Up front, a pair of electric motors is placed over the front axle. Each motor drives one of the front wheels while producing 36 horsepower and 54 pound-feet of torque. By using the electric motors' continuously varying torque-both positive and negative-the resulting torque vectoring enhances performance at all speeds, whether the driver is on-throttle or off. The motors also recharge the hybrid battery pack through regenerative braking.
Total system power is rated at 573 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque. It flows through a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission that provides seamless shifts.
These electric aids means that the G-forces build from the nanosecond you touch the throttle, endowing that zero to half-second range with a surprisingly forceful response, one that continues to build as the speed climbs. The feeling is enhanced by Acura's Intake Sound Control, which feeds actual intake sounds into the cabin. A throttle body varies the volume of sound by 25 decibels.
Car control is exceptional, with the lightning fast reflexes expected of a car of this caliber. The NSX's variable ratio electric power steering has a natural steering feel that's so quick, you can drive with your hands at 9 and 3 and never take them off the wheel.
While lapping a racetrack unleashes this car's full potential, as well as displays its forgiving nature, getting to the track reveals the NSX's sublime creature comfort. Kudos to its double wishbone front suspension and multi-link suspension rear, as well as the magnetic ride dampers at each corner for providing agile low speed response while delivering impressive high-speed stability, keeping the car well-planted at triple-digit speeds.
Thankfully, vented Brembo aluminum disc brakes are standard; carbon ceramic rotors are optional. It's controlled through an electronic control unit that adjusts braking to fit the NSX's driving modes, which include Track, Quiet, Sport and Sport Plus. The system also recovers energy generated during braking.
Speaking of modes, there's one for every mood, changing 11 parameters, including electronics, human/machine interface, electric power steering, electric brake assist, active suspension dampers, torque vectoring, electric vehicle operation, accelerator pedal mapping, vehicle stability assist, transmission mapping, engine sound, and battery management though the car's four performance modes.
You'll do all of this while ensconced in well-bolstered seats trimmed in a combination of leather and Alcantara. Like the seats, interior surfaces are beautifully padded, particularly on the center console, where you can brace your leg comfortably during aggressive driving. The center console plunders the Honda/Acura parts bin, including the push button transmission that controls the dual-clutch transmission and the infotainment system. The steering wheel is perfectly shaped and features a flat top for better driver visibility. In addition, Acura designers thoughtfully hid the wheel's stitching, so that it doesn't cause discomfort. And remarkably, the NSX can cruise as quietly as on one of Acura's sedate sedans, perfect for when you have a hangover.
Complaints? The trunk is Lilliputian. Need space? Buy an MDX. Performance, not practicality rate here.
Just as the first NSX captured its era, the new 2017 Acura NSX captures the moment, a time when what powers a sports car is changing, even as its reason for being does not. And once you experience the 2017 Acura NSX's performance, engineering, agility, comfort and stellar build quality, you'll know what to do next.
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Prices: $156,000-$205,700
Horsepower: 573
Torque: 476 pound-feet
Top speed: 191 mph
EPA rating (city/highway): 21/22 mpg
Observed fuel economy: 26 mpg
Wheelbase: 103.5 inches
Length: 176 inches
Height: 47.8 inches
Ground clearance: 3.7 inches
Curb weight: 3,803 pounds
Cargo volume: 4.4 cubic feet
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Larry Printz is automotive editor writer and editor in Burlington, Vt. Readers may send him email at [email protected].