The Second-Gen Acura NSX Redemption Arc Begins With the Type S

This is it for the second-generation NSX. Acura's hybrid supercar ends with this, the Type S. Only 350 will be produced with 300 earmarked for the United States where, let’s remember, this NSX is built. After they're bonded and screwed together, the wait for a third NSX, probably an EV, begins.

In many ways, the "new" NSX will be remembered as a failure. Mostly because Acura/Honda’s near decade-long tease of it was relentless and agonizing.

First previewed in 2007 as the Advanced Sports Car Concept, Acura promised it would be in production by 2010, though it was actually another eight years before it arrived. In that time, it went from being an all-wheel drive coupe with a V-10 (!) mounted up front, to a hybrid all-wheel drive supercar, first with a naturally aspirated V-6 mounted transversely, then with a twin-turbo V-6 mounted longitudinally. All through this protracted and indecisive development, the NSX was hinted at endlessly. And the persistent delays left enthusiasts feeling like it would never arrive. Finally at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, the production NSX debuted, where it was comprehensively overshadowed by the surprise reveal of the new Ford GT.

We brought the Type S to the Thermal Club near Palm Springs for a 3-Lap Review video. It was reviews editor Mack Hogan who asked the question in our minds: "When does the NSX redemption arc start?"

Throughout automotive history, there are many examples of enthusiast cars coldly received by customers when on sale that transformed into cult classics (incidentally, many of them Japanese). The MkIV Supra, the FD RX-7, the 2005-2006 Ford GT, the Lexus LFA, and the Porsche Carrera GT all have had legacy rehab, and all are now worth big money. Will the second NSX's talents be appreciated after it's gone?

Honda and Acura did not cut corners in the development. Its platform obviously isn't shared with any other Honda product, and neither is its engine. The V-6 is not simply an Accord unit with two turbos, despite sharing a cylinder count and a 3.5-liter displacement. It's entirely bespoke, with a novel 75-degree cylinder bank. The twin-motor front-drive unit is unique, as is the nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, both Honda developments. It's anyone's guess as to exactly how much all this cost, but tens of millions is a reasonable if extremely rough guess. We do know how much the NSX's Ohio factory cost—$70 million.

It's a polarizing car, dogged by mixed reviews its whole life (though it did win R&T’s 2017 Performance Car of the Year title). While journalists and enthusiasts debated its merits, customers weren't flocking to Acura dealers. By the time Type S production ends, just over 2900 units of the second-generation NSX will have been built. Today's extraordinary car market has changed things, but before the pandemic, many Acura dealers were offering deep discounts on the NSX to shift units. And Acura itself cut prices. The fully loaded Type S you see here has an MSRP around $10,000 lower than the similarly equipped model Acura loaned us for a few months in 2017, despite the newer car's $6000 Gotham Gray Matte paint. That $70 million factory started making limited-edition versions of normal Acura models in a move that seemed like a way to simply fill capacity, though the automaker never said as much.

Few people wanted a near-4000-pound hybrid all-wheel-drive supercar wearing an Acura badge. Similar money could get you a Porsche 911 GT3 or Turbo, an Audi R8, a McLaren 570S, or even a Lamborghini Huracan. Plus any number of great used supercars.

In an interview with Motor Trend last year, Acura head Jon Ikeda said that the NSX wasn't built to make money, but as a halo product with technology that would influence future models. And to be fair, the Type S sold out quickly—thanks to the 300 sold here, 2022 should be the second-best sales year for the NSX—and the NSX GT3 race car program has been a success. But even if Acura says it didn't expect to make money on the car, the question then becomes "How much did you expect to lose, and was it this much?"