The Honda NSX, marketed as Acura NSX in North America, is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by Honda. The first-generation prototype debuted in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show under the developmental code name NS-X, which represented "New", "Sportscar" and "eXperimental". The prototype's name was later adopted as the official name of the production model, with a slight change to NSX. The rear-wheel drive two-seater was the first car from Honda with an all-aluminium body. Powered by an all-aluminium V6 engine, it featured Honda's VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system developed in the 1980s. The NSX was manufactured in Japan from 1990 to 2005 before being discontinued.
In December 2011, Honda officially announced the second-generation NSX concept, which was unveiled the following month at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. The first production version was shown three years later at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. The all-wheel drive NSX hybrid features a twin-turbo V6 engine and several different drive mode operations. Unlike the first generation, the new NSX is manufactured in the United States.
In April 2011, Automotive News reported that Honda is developing a new sports car to be a successor to the NSX. It reports that Honda CEO Ito said the car would be exhilarating to drive but also environmentally friendly. It is expected the vehicle will incorporate an electric drivetrain to give the petrol engine a boost. Back in late 2010, Motor Trend reported that Honda was looking into a mid-engine hybrid sports car to be an NSX successor.
In December 2011, Acura announced that they would show the next generation NSX in concept form at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. On January 9, 2012, Acura unveiled the 2012 Acura NSX Concept.
2012 Acura NSX Concept
The new concept retained a 2-door coupe, mid-engine layout but with all-wheel drive. The use of a high-tech platform made from lightweight materials permitted weight to be kept down. Power came from a V6 mounted behind the cockpit, sending its output to the rear wheels. Acura's SH-AWD incorporates one electric motor in a dual-clutch transmission to augment the thermal engine thus forming a hybrid setup. Additionally, two more electric motors able to instantly send negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering also formed part of the powertrain.
Acura claimed the resulting all-wheel drive system would provide better handling and Ferrari 458-matching acceleration while offering greater efficiency relative to the naturally aspirated 4.5-Litre V8 engine on the rival supercar.
Marketing and reception
In September 2011, during filming of The Avengers, Robert Downey, Jr. (playing the role of Iron Man) was spotted in an exotic sports car based on the new NSX, made specifically for the film, rather than the Audi R8 he previously drove in Iron Man and Iron Man 2. The car itself was built by Trans FX using an existing 1992 NSX.
A Super Bowl advertisement for the vehicle began airing in early February 2012, featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.
In 2013, Acura launched an online configuration tool for the new NSX on Facebook. Later that year, the car was featured in the video game Gran Turismo 6.
Referring to the second generation NSX, noted automotive design critic Robert Cumberford said that its "very hard to mess up the styling of a mid-engine sports car... but Acura has managed it."
