This Is How Good The 2022 Acura NSX Type S Really Is

The Type S was the best iteration of the second-generation NSX. It showed us how good the supercar could be and made us realize exactly what we would be getting. It also marked the first time the Type S nameplate had been seen on an NSX since 1997.

Acura boosted the power of the NSX with the Type S

Acura pulled out all the stops with the Type S to make sure it was as good a farewell as possible. The Type S produces 20 hp more than the standard NSX, and an extra 36 lb-ft of torque. This is thanks to Acura bringing in knowledge from the GT3 program of the NSX. The turbochargers now produced 16.1 psi of boost, up by around 0.9 compared to the standard NSX.

All that power still goes to all four wheels of the NSX, and a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is the transmission used in the Type S. The extra power is certainly a highlight, and the car still has a 0-60 mph time that sits around the 2.9-second mark. Yet despite the extra power and performance, the Type S is still a very comfortable car to be in, keeping with the daily-driving supercar reputation that the second-generation NSX has built up. And Acura didn’t ruin the styling of the NSX either, if anything, they further enhanced that sleek shape.

The NSX Type S features more aggression

Acura made some changes to the NSX, which, while subtle, give the Type S a much more aggressive look. A redesigned front bumper is a major part of that change. Not only does it help to improve cooling, but it also creates a much sharper front end visually. Perhaps looking how the NSX should have looked in the first place. A huge diffuser at the rear helps hunker the car down at the back end. Acura also made further changes to the rear of the car, most notably with the carbon fiber ducktail spoiler.

This spoiler is bigger than the one on the standard model. Meanwhile, five-spoke alloy wheels completed the exterior changes Acura made to the NSX. These wheels are so big they actually increase the track width of the supercar. Acura also decided to throw in the option of a Lightweight Package. This included a high-gloss carbon fiber engine cover, carbon-ceramic brakes, and carbon fiber elements inside the Type S. Amazingly, despite its 3,898 lbs curb weight, the NSX Type S handles like it is a few hundred pounds lighter. Acura absolutely nailed it with this goodbye to one of the greatest supercars to come from Japan.

The NSX itself did not sell in huge numbers

Despite the hype around its release, the NSX in its second generation never fared so well. Many felt it was simply too refined, and on the tamer side of the supercar spectrum. In its conventional driving mode, the NSX felt almost too normal. Compared to the likes of a Porsche 911, it didn’t really remind you that it was that great of a performance car. Many also felt the NSX had too high an asking price, and thus Honda struggled to sell the cars both as a Honda internationally and in North America as an Acura.

As a piece of engineering though, the NSX was a fantastic product. It was refined, comfortable, yet also fast when you wanted it to be. Perhaps it wasn’t quite the NSX successor that enthusiasts had hoped for. But, it was a mighty supercar all the same - such vehicles that also work as daily drivers are incredibly hard to find.

We might never see an NSX again

With the second generation of the NSX now gone, we may never see this supercar again. It is also unlikely an all-electric version will be forthcoming. On top of that, Honda and Acura will be very wary of those poor sales figures for the second generation, so the NSX Type S might be the last to ever bear this name. The original NSX became the stuff of legend, and the second generation may one day be regarded in the same light. The Type S was the ultimate incarnation of the supercar. It’s a sad fact that we may never see the NSX nameplate grace a production car ever again. But the Type S was the best way for it to say farewell.