The Acura NSX was first launched in 1984 and manufactured by the Japanese company Honda. Acura is a brand that operates under the umbrella of Honda Motor Company Ltd. sits. Acura’s focus is on luxury and high performance and was introduced to the North American market in 1986.
Some would say the NSX is the perfect representation of the supercar that can and should be used on a daily basis. It’s a comfortable car and easy enough to drive without some challenging quirks other supercars might throw at you.
Let’s start at the beginning
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The NSX was introduced in North America as a two-seat mid-engined coupe. It was originally built according to the HP-X concept (Honda Pininfarina eXperimental), hence known as the Acura HP-X, with rear-wheel drive and a 3.0-liter V6 engine. Honda entered into this collaboration with the sole aim of surpassing the capabilities of the Ferrari V8 range while offering reliability at a lower cost than the Ferrari.
The project developed and so did the name. It became the NS-X, an acronym for “new sportscar eXperimental,” with the production model that was eventually introduced to the world as the NSX.
Gordon Murray (full name is Ian Gordon Murray) was born in South Africa in 1946 to Scottish parents. He designs Formula 1 cars and also designed the McLaren F1 road car, a stunning piece of road machinery. Apparently, Gordon’s inspiration for the F1 road car came from the NSX after testing a number of supercars. He just found the NSX’s chassis performed the best. Gordon considered the NSX “monumental” in the world of supercar design and believed it could have done with a lot more power. Despite its best efforts to convince, Honda chose not to follow this path. So he finally worked with BMW to develop the engine for the F1. But he clearly loved the NSX as he bought one for his own use and covered just over 46,500 miles!
First generation NSX
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In 1990, the first generation NSX would have cost around $ 60,000. The aerodynamics and design were inspired by the cockpit of the F-16 fighter jets of the time, and surprisingly, the late Ayrton Senna contributed to the design in the latter stages of development.
The NSX was the world’s first all-aluminum body to be mass-produced. Driven by an all-aluminum 3.0-liter V6 engine, it integrates Honda’s VTEC system from the 1980s (variable valve control and electronic lift control) and a five-speed manual transmission. Originally available as a coupe, the NSX was later available as a Targa-Top. Production of this first generation was discontinued in 2005.
What’s next for the NSX?
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Based on the front-engined V10 Acura ASCC (Advanced Sports Car Concept), Acura announced that it would introduce the successor to the first generation by 2010, but this was canceled a year later for economic reasons. As an alternative, Honda launched its challenger for the Japanese Super GT Championship, the HSV-010-GT, which unfortunately was never produced as a street-legal car.
By late 2011, Honda attempted another rollout of the second generation concept, developed as the Acura NSX Concept and unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in 2012.
What can we buy a 2019 model for today?
Motor1.com
The second-generation model cost just under $ 100,000 and had a massive 573 horsepower with a gorgeous 476 lb-ft of torque package. The horsepower comes from a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine with a surprisingly modern 9-speed dual clutch transmission. Incredibly, the NSX uses a hybrid powertrain that’s ahead of the game, where the front wheels are driven by two motors. These in turn work independently of the direct drive motors that drive the rear wheels.
That year a limited edition of 350 special editions of the NSX, called the Type S, was produced. US marketing accounts for the lion’s share of 300, with the remaining 50 spread across Central America and Japan. Starting at $ 169,500, the Type S has received an extensive list of upgrades, including larger fuel injectors and new turbochargers.
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The upside to investing in an Acura NSX 2019 is that the cost is reasonable and a little more exciting than a Corvette. It’s a powerful supercar with an incredibly modern powertrain. Another win-win is that this 2019 car was actually built in the US. This car combines the perfect balance between a mid-engined supercar and all-wheel drive and manages to combine easy handling and agility with outstanding performance. The NSX speeds from 0-60 mph in a staggering 3.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 190 mph.
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Today, a low-mileage NSX 2019 costs around $ 178,000. This beautiful coupe has a 3.5 liter hybrid engine with 575 hp. When you consider that a brand new NSX returns $ 157,000 or $ 169,500 if you manage to snag an S Type, a 2019 model looks like a good investment.
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About the author
Nicole Carling
(20 articles published)
Nicole is based in the UK and has been fortunate to have worked in Formula 1 for over 20 years. She was with Red Bull Racing for 15.5 years before moving to North Devon to pursue her dream of writing from home. The combination of cars and writing is a win-win situation. Photo credit: Mark Thompson, Getty Images
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