DETROIT -- Year after year at auto shows, Acura brought concepts for its NSX, a model that last saw production in 2005. This highly anticipated sports car finally sees the light of day here at the 2015 Detroit auto show as the 2016 Acura NSX, on sale late this year.
More than a simple midengine supercar, however, the new NSX combines the power of an engine and three electric motors, driving all four wheels, giving it over 550 horsepower.
The new NSX follows similar lines to other recent supercars, such as the McLaren 650S. The cabin, nestled between front and rear axles, is covered by a spherical glass canopy. Big vents take in air, feed it through the front wheels to cool the brakes, then let it flow down the sides and up over the rear to aid downforce and feed the engine.
Acura's signature Jewel Eye LED headlights peek out from the front, bookending a refined version of the Acura grille shield. The body, supported by an all-aluminum suspension, uses carbon fiber to lessen weight.
The hybrid drivetrain owes development time to Acura's RLX Sport Hybrid sedan. Where the RDX has an engine driving the front wheels and two electric motors at the rear wheels, the NSX reverses that layout. A longitudinally mounted twin-turbocharged V-6 drives the rear wheels while each front wheel gets its own electric motor. In addition, Acura developed a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, which integrates an electric motor, for the car.
The two front motors and the transmission's motor are capable of driving the car in pure electric mode, although Acura released no details as to the range or size of the battery pack.
Josh Miller/CNET
An LCD stands in for the instrument cluster; it showed a big tachometer with digital speed when rolled out on the Detroit show floor. The car will offer four driving modes, Quiet, Sport, Sport Plus and Track, which are likely to affect the instrument display.
When the NSX goes on sale late in 2015, it will command a price of around $150,000, according to Acura Vice President Erik Berkman. Converted, that's about £99,375 or AU$184,180.
And although there are a good number of very high-performance cars available to the well-heeled buyer, only a small subset boast hybrid drivetrains. The closest competition to the NSX comes from BMW's i8. See all CNET's coverage of the 2015 Detroit auto show here.
Acura revives NSX with one engine, three e-motors and all-wheel drive
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