Acura NSX 2017
V-6 out of an Odyssey minivan died in mid-2012 because it couldn’t deliver amazement, and a crash program to reinvent the NSX ensued. The 2017 NSX, developed mainly in Ohio by a small group that has come to think of itself as a family, is a four-wheel-drive hybrid-electric knee to the pants of the world’s fanciest exotics. Its creators sincerely hope you like it, as do their loved ones, whom they haven’t seen in two years.
The layout of the three electric motors onboard, including two on the front axle and a third between the twin-turbo V-6 and the nine-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, echoes that of the late, great $850,000 Porsche 918 Spyder, promising many of the benefits for a fraction of the price. Those benefits include rapid torque vectoring, continuous thrust assist to smooth over turbo lag and torque changes during upshifts, a modicum of fuel efficiency, and, if desired, silent operation for brief periods. Someday, this stuff will be in a Civic, but for now at least, the price tag has slid under $200,000.
Acura’s sculptors passed on the virile flair typical of the Italians, as well as the utopian futurism of the BMW i8, preferring instead a somewhat conventional, menacing angularity. It’s not an angry-looking car, but it appears determined. With its wide stance and long wheelbase, the snub-nosed body has unmistakable mid-engine proportions, and it invites a stroll around to investigate its many nooks and crannies. The flaring nostrils up front hide the radiators and the A/C condenser, while the side ducts gulp air for the intercoolers and engine intakes. The original 1991 NSX had flaplike door handles, and this one uses flush grab-sticks that angle out when needed, as on an Aston Martin.The base tire is a Continental ContiSportContact 5 P, sized 245/35ZR-19 in front and 305/30ZR-20 in back. It’s the commuter tire, with only middling dry-road grip but the promise of wet-weather traction and some decent longevity. If you are nailing it on the open road, you’ll find the limit a tad too quickly as the front end fights for grip. Fit the optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, almost the same meats as on the Porsche 911 GT3, and the grip becomes that of cured epoxy. But you’ll be lucky to get 15,000 miles out of a set.
Another issue: Rather than offer a series of escalating modes that increase the driver’s freedom, as, say, on the Corvette Z06, the NSX staircase is designed for outcomes—or to make the car go ever faster. In Track mode, you can’t slide around because sliding is slower. The car intervenes with corrections that make it straighten up and fly right. Faster lap times, yes, but also not as fun. You can shut off the stability control entirely, but then you risk a wall encounter. Besides desperately needing a door bin to hold your cellphone, the NSX needs another mode, call it Track Plus, that lets the driver make mistakes and look into the abyss but will act to prevent disaster. With it, the NSX would be a better learning tool.
The overall impression is that of a company that hasn’t built a sports car in a while, cautiously feeling its way with a complicated new machine produced by a rushed development program. It has the essentials; what it needs can mostly be added with software. The on-sale date isn’t until spring, so there’s still time to make the NSX of our dreams.
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $155,000
ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 213 cu in, 3493 cc
Power: 500 hp @ 7500 rpm
Torque: 406 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
Mid Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 50 hp, 109 lb-ft
Front Motors: two permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 36 hp, 54 lb-ft (each)
Total System Power: 573 hp
TRANSMISSIONS: F: 1-speed direct drive; M: 9-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 103.5 in
Length: 176.0 in
Width: 76.4 in Height: 47.8 in
Passenger volume: 55 cu ft
Cargo volume: 4 cu ft
Curb weight: 3800 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 2.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.1 sec
Top speed: 191 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway: 19/26 mpg
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