It was well worth the wait
Followup to first-gen NSX sprints like world-class track athlete
TOCHIGI, Japan — In 2011, Honda announced it would build a replacement for the first-generation Acura NSX. In January of 2012, Honda pulled the wraps off the concept car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Finally, the real deal is set to hit Canadian roads in spring of 2016. The new NSX brings jawdropping looks and some highend technologies; the hybrid not only promises to be green, it delivers stellar speed.
Given its time on the show circuit, the NSX could have looked old before its birth, but the finished car has a surprisingly contemporary look that is both swoopy and functional. The large air openings up front keep the engine and transmission cool, while the rear side pods house the intercoolers for the turbochargers — it has a twin-turbo V6 engine and three electric motors.
Sitting mid-ship is the 3.5litre V6 engine and nine-speed twin-clutch transmission, with an electric motor sandwiched between the two. Up front are another two electric motors.
The V6 produces 550 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The rear electric motor chips in with another 109 lb-ft and also doubles as the starter for the engine. Up front, the left and right electric motors combine to produce another 108 lb-ft. The net system output is rated at 573 hp and 476 lb-ft of torque.
The NSX sprinted around Honda’s Tochigi Proving Grounds like a true athlete. On the back straight I nailed the gas and romped from 100 km/h to 190 km/h in what felt like the blink of an eye. A big part of the speed sensation is that there is no lag between the demand for power and the delivery of it; the power comes online in an instant. The rear electric motor is used to mask all signs of turbo lag by spinning the engine up to speed so the turbos are blowing full gale when the engine comes fully online. While this is happening, the front motors provide the forward momentum. The second contributor is the transmission; it has a launch gear (first), seven performance gears and one cruising gear ( ninth). The combination of ratios and the speed of the shifts give the NSX serious pace.
The handling is crisp. Honda says the body is up to 300 per cent stiffer than some of the NSX’s competition. This gives the adaptive suspension and steering setup a solid base. Then there are the front electric motors, which provide torque vectoring.
In a corner, the outside wheel is sped up while the inner wheel has some drag applied. This turns the car into the corner with less steering input and a reduction in understeer.
The NSX has four distinct drive modes. Quiet uses more electric power, tones down the exhaust note and puts the dampers and steering in comfort mode. Sport retains the steering and damper settings but sharpens the throttle and stretches out the upshifts. Sport+ firms the steering and suspension and puts the exhaust in raucous mode. The final mode is Track, which retains all of the Sport+ settings while easing back on the stability nanny.
Even as the three electric motors harvest kinetic energy through regenerative braking, the pedal was devoid of the usual hybrid mushiness.
Inside the leather-lined cockpit, the seats are supportive and well-bolstered, there is a chunky D-shaped steering wheel and a commendable driving position. Buttons are used in lieu of a shifter. Paddle shifters are in place, as is a true manual mode.
Ahead of the gear-selector buttons is the rotary dial to pick the drive mode. Above that is a small navigation/infotainment screen. One negative is the cabin’s modest storage space.
While the driving experience was limited to two quick laps, the NSX meets its objective of being an “everyday” supercar. It has a serious turn of speed, uncanny handling and uber braking. The fact it is easy on the eyes adds to its o-vert (as in green) allure.