The 2017 Acura NSX is the perfect modern successor of one of the most significant sports cars that headlined the 90s and most of the early 2000s. The vehicle is a masterpiece of engineering, sporting a three-motor, one-engine hybrid setup along with a nine-speed double-clutch transmission and electronic all-wheel drive.
Needless to say, car aficionados love it, and there's probably little reason not to. That answers the question of whether or not it drives well.
The Car And The History
Going over a quick refresher of the NSX's history, the 1991 model first landed on the showrooms back in 1990, boasting a five-speed manual and a 3.0L V-6 VTEC with 270 HP. Anybody keeping tabs on the sports car knows that it was discontinued in 2005 and that Honda said the vehicle isn't saying goodbye yet two years later in 2007. The beast that is the 2017 Acura NSX is the result of the craftsmanship that took a little under a decade to materialize.
The Engineering Masterpiece
Now, for the nitty-gritty details, it has a twin-turbocharged 3.5L V-6 engine, clocking in at 500 HP and 406 pound-feet torque. As everyone can see, that's miles away compared to the original's offering. It doesn't end there, though, as it has three more electric motors – one called the Direct Drive Motor attached to the engine that adds in 47 HP and 109 pound-feet worth of oomph and two positioned on the front axle called the Twin Motor Unit, with the four power sources totaling to 573 HP and 476 pound-feet.
Sure, it appears as if it's just A-OK at first, not exactly mind-boggling, but what makes it notable is how the electric motor lends the engine a hand. The Direct Drive Motor helps the engine in handling the load, ironing out any engine lag wrinkle as it speeds up. Once the NSX hits the 2,000 RPM mark, the work is handed back to the V-6 engine. Thanks to the entire system, it's capable of achieving maximum torque at the tap of the throttle.
What's more, the electric motors don't just sit there and look pretty when the engine is working its magic, as they juice up the batteries when braking or smooth the drop in engine power when shifting gears.
That's already a sweet recipe right there, but the fun is just getting started. First things first, the carmaker refers to its torque vectoring technology as Super Handling All-Wheel Drive or SH-AWD, a system that can prioritize the wheel with the most grip in terms of engine power for optimum handling and accelerating.
The new NSX has it too, but it's a little different. In the case of the updated supercar, it's not just SH-AWD but Sport Hybrid SH-AWD. What that entails is that the vehicle takes advantage of the Twin Motor Unit for the front wheels, independently taking the helm of each one, while the engine takes charge of the rear wheels.
Meanwhile, the nine-speed double-clutch transmission lets the NSX stay on top of any potential slackening, allowing it to go as it likes. It can also be set in four modes, including Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track. While the quiet mode relies on the electric power sources, the rest depends more on the gasoline engine.
The NSX also has a disconnected brake pedal and mechanism build, using brake-by-wire technology instead. This allows the vehicle to determine just how much regenerative and hydraulic braking forces are necessary in every instance. In the event that the electronics fail, though, the hydraulic system will kick in and take care of the whole load.
The Bottom Line
The new NSX redefines the powertrain technology, making it one of the most noteworthy sports cars. The first model was even sold for a jaw-dropping $1.2 million at the recent Barrett-Jackson charity auction. It should also be noted that Acura is a subsidiary of Honda, which practically guarantees reliability.
It starts out at $156,000, and tricking it out can go for as much as $200,000. Anyone looking to build their own NSX can also do so at the carmaker's website.
