The long-awaited 2017 Acura NSX is fast, inspirational, and economical. It opened up the world of mid-engine sports cars to many car lovers who could never afford or even care about a Ferrari.
The new NSX is as contrarian and occasionally conservative as the parent company itself. And it absolutely earns the NSX moniker. Like the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and BMW i8, the 2017 Acura NSX uses electric motors — three of them — to lend instantaneous torque off the line.
The engine is an all-new, twin-turbo V-6 making 500 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Peak power, utilizing the electric motors, is 573 hp 476 lb-ft of torque. The NSX is an all-wheel-drive coupe, but when operated in “Quiet” mode it can operate for short periods as an electrically powered front-wheel driver.
As for the weight - Acura didn’t pursue a full-on carbon-fiber monocoque, using instead a more traditional mix of aluminum, high-strength steel, and carbon floor. The hybrid powertrain was developed in Tochigi, Japan. But nearly everything else, from the chassis, powertrain integration, interior, and final styling was a product of the American team in Raymond, Ohio, and the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles.
