The Highlight of the New Model: The Powertrain

This new "NSX" is produced in the United States. This decision was made with a focus on sales of the North American model under the Acura brand. At the newly established "Performance Manufacturing Center," a dedicated factory in Ohio, a maximum of 8 cars are currently built per day. Deliveries have already begun in America, but even so, the pace is still around 70 cars per month. If they were to emphasize hand-building, I wish they had built it in Japan, but perhaps the next president wouldn't have stood for that.

The development, which took four years, was a joint effort between Japanese and American teams. Roughly speaking, the powertrain is Japanese, and the body/chassis is American. The LPL (Large Project Leader), equivalent to the Chief Engineer, is an American from the US team. Honda has been producing vehicles locally in the US since the 1980s, but having an American as LPL is extremely rare, with only occasional exceptions for large SUVs exclusive to North America. The next president must be pleased.

The highlight of the new NSX is its powertrain. A hybrid unit combining a 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo with electric motors drives the rear wheels, while two motors independently drive the front wheels. In essence, it corners using driving force. The second-generation NSX is a mid-engined, four-wheel-drive supercar equipped with the latest version of "Sport Hybrid SH-AWD."

Full Acceleration That Makes the Driver Hesitate

Despite being a complex mechatronic marvel, the new NSX is easy to drive.

Even as a hybrid vehicle capable of EV-only driving, the engine starts up every time you begin. It feels like a proper car. The drive modes, which switch between soft and hard settings for the powertrain and chassis, default to "Sport." Above that is "Sport+" and then "Track," intended for circuit driving. There is no "Normal" mode on the NSX. Instead, it features "Quiet Mode." This mode prioritizes EV driving by limiting engine revolutions to a maximum of 4,000 rpm.

The transmission is a 9-speed DCT with two pedals. While the first-generation model had a manual transmission, it was apparently not part of the initial plan for this iteration.

The first thing I noticed upon starting was the lightness of the ride. Although the car weighs nearly 1.8 tons, it doesn't feel heavy like many high-performance sports cars. The suspension is nimble, and the steering is light. This light driving feel somewhat alleviates the mental weight of handling 23.7 million yen.

In Sport or Quiet mode, when the battery has sufficient charge, the car runs on EV power using only the twin motors at the front. The fact that it operates frequently in the torque-rich motor-driven range also contributes to the feeling of a light ride.

On the other hand, the full acceleration, so powerful it makes the driver hesitate, is breathtaking. While the first-generation NSX, with its 3-liter V6 introduced in 1990, produced 280 ps, the new model boasts a system maximum output of 581 ps. Naturally, it's fast. 0-100 km/h acceleration is in the 3-second range. The top speed for the Acura NSX is reportedly 307 km/h.

However, what is truly remarkable about this car is its cornering speed.

Astonishing Cornering Performance

As a professional automotive journalist for nearly 40 years, my cornering speeds have dramatically increased during that time. It's not due to my skill, but entirely thanks to the advancements in cars and tires.

What surprised me most about the new NSX this time was its high cornering performance, which made me feel "I can still accelerate more!" even at the apex of a corner. This is the first car that makes me think, "I can push harder, let's push harder" at the point of maximum G-force and greatest danger. The cornering speed, where it turns as if on rails, is higher than anything I've experienced before. This is likely due to the mechanism that precisely controls the twin motors at the front wheels, using torque vectoring to turn and stabilize the car by applying negative torque (braking force) as needed.

During the development phase, they confirmed that it was possible to induce oversteer (making the rear end slide out) using only the front torque control. This indicates the system's immense potential, but in the production model, this capability has been translated into on-rails handling.

However, when I got carried away driving on winding roads, I actually felt carsick. I was literally intoxicated by the performance. For the next model change, I might prefer to be a passenger, watching the cornering from the sidelines, perhaps with an autonomous driving mode. In any case, this is a car that inspires astonishment, making one wonder, "Has the performance of a vehicle traveling on a two-dimensional surface really come this far?!"

Not Yet Released, But Already Sold Out

I believe the design of the new NSX is sufficiently "Honda-like" and sufficiently "supercar-like." It is clearly more "rich" than the first-generation model.

A distinctive feature is the floating rear pillar, where the rear end of the pillar is detached from the glass cabin, appearing to float. If you crouch near the door and look up, you can see the sky through the gap. It is said that this allows air to pass through, generating a Venturi effect that aids in engine cooling.

Looking towards the rear, the engine bay is visible through the glass hatch, or rather, it is intentionally displayed. The design reminded me of the movie "Predator," which was the most "American car"-like aspect for me.

The domestic launch of the Honda NSX is scheduled for February 27th of next year. In other words, it hasn't been released yet, but it's already impossible to buy. When reservations opened in August 2016, the planned sales volume of 100 units for the period up to February 2018 sold out in an instant. Despite being three times the price of the first-generation NSX, the entire first year's planned production sold out. The pre-release sales frenzy is a "tradition" for the NSX.

Honda NSX | The Honda NSX
Body Dimensions | Length 4,490 x Width 1,940 x Height 1,215 mm
Wheelbase | 2,630 mm
Weight | 1,780 kg
Engine | 3,492cc V6 DOHC Twin-Turbo + Electric Motors (Front x2, Rear x1)
Bore x Stroke | 91.0 x 89.5 mm
Compression Ratio | 10.0
Engine Max. Output | 373 kW (507 ps) / 6,500 – 7,500 rpm
Engine Max. Torque | 550 Nm (56.1 kgm) / 2,000 – 6,000 rpm
Motor (Front) Max. Output | 27 kW (37 ps) / 4,000 rpm (per motor)
Motor (Front) Max. Torque | 73 Nm (7.4 kgm) / 0-2,000 rpm (per motor)
Motor (Rear) Max. Output | 35 kW (48 ps) / 3,000 rpm
Motor (Rear) Max. Torque | 148 Nm (15.1 kgm) / 500-2,000 rpm
System Integrated Max. Output | 427 kW (581 ps)
System Integrated Max. Torque | 646 Nm (65.9 kgm)
Transmission | 9-speed Dual Clutch
Drivetrain | 4WD (SPORT HYBRID SH-AWD)
Suspension Front/Rear | Double Wishbone / Wishbone
Brakes Front/Rear | Ventilated Disc / Ventilated Disc
Fuel Economy (JC08 Mode) | 12.4 km/ℓ
Drive Battery | Lithium-ion Battery (72 cells)
Steering Wheel | Right
Tires | 245/35ZR19 93Y / 305/30ZR20 103Y
Minimum Turning Radius | 5.9 meters
Minimum Ground Clearance | 110 mm
Price | 23,700,000 yen