Photo: Acura
Ever since Acura came out with the second generation of the NSX four years ago, everyone was wondering when will the be treated to more suck-squeeze-bang-blow. The Type R rumors came back thanks to Forbes.com, suggesting the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show in October as the venue where we’ll see the go-faster model in the flesh.
The NSX hasn’t been selling well in the past handful of years. From a maximum of 581 in the United States in 2017, sales slowed down in 2018 to 170 examples of the breed. The trend can be seen in Europe and Japan, and Acura is willing to discount the mid-engine supercar by $20,000 in order to make ends meet.
That’s right! A bone-stock NSX costs $139,900 in the United States as opposed to $157,500 excluding the destination charge. The arrival of the Type R would help Acura a bit, but not by much. The 650-horsepower combined output is a match for the McLaren 650S, and looking at the bigger picture, those interested in a McLaren, Ferrari, or Lamborghini wouldn’t cross-shop.
The problem with the NSX is that Acura took too long to launch the successor of the trailblazing original, a disappointing second generation that features too much plastic in the cabin and too little specialness. The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 doesn’t sound all that exciting either, and the combined output of 573 horsepower pales in comparison to the Corvette Z06.
As far as handling is concerned, the NSX is too digital to be enjoyed as much as the Mazda MX-5 Miata in the twisties and not as high-tech as the McLaren 720S. The branding is also amiss, more so if you compare the price tag of the NSX with that of the second most expensive Acura in the lineup (the RLX at $54,900 excluding destination charge).
Customers weren’t convinced by the 2019 update either, coming with $4,700 worth of features as standard. With all due respect to Acura and Honda, the engineers should focus on more important matters such as the 1.5-liter turbo’s problems in the Civic and CR-V rather than beating a dead horse.
That’s right! A bone-stock NSX costs $139,900 in the United States as opposed to $157,500 excluding the destination charge. The arrival of the Type R would help Acura a bit, but not by much. The 650-horsepower combined output is a match for the McLaren 650S, and looking at the bigger picture, those interested in a McLaren, Ferrari, or Lamborghini wouldn’t cross-shop.
The problem with the NSX is that Acura took too long to launch the successor of the trailblazing original, a disappointing second generation that features too much plastic in the cabin and too little specialness. The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 doesn’t sound all that exciting either, and the combined output of 573 horsepower pales in comparison to the Corvette Z06.
As far as handling is concerned, the NSX is too digital to be enjoyed as much as the Mazda MX-5 Miata in the twisties and not as high-tech as the McLaren 720S. The branding is also amiss, more so if you compare the price tag of the NSX with that of the second most expensive Acura in the lineup (the RLX at $54,900 excluding destination charge).
Customers weren’t convinced by the 2019 update either, coming with $4,700 worth of features as standard. With all due respect to Acura and Honda, the engineers should focus on more important matters such as the 1.5-liter turbo’s problems in the Civic and CR-V rather than beating a dead horse.
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