2016 Acura NSX: No longer just designed for Iron Man.

So, Acura finally released the mass production version of the next generation NSX. We saw a concept in the Avengers in 2012, but this is a real car. In my opinion, it may not be as exotic as the Ford GT we released yesterday, but it has at least as much internal technology. I will talk about it shortly. The overall shape is a bit R8 style, although a bit general, but it is not a bad thing. Acura claims that the front and rear panels are a return to the previous generation of NSX. I didn't see it, but the new one looks better than the 2005 NSX released below.

The original NSX was a crazy combination of chassis innovation and reliability that the industry had never seen before. It used an all aluminum chassis, the first ever, and lived up to Honda’s reputation for quality. I have heard that the NSX wasn’t thoughts of as prestigious or intimate as a Ferrari because you didn’t develop a relationship with your dealer or repair shop. I.E. since the NSX didn’t constantly break down or need service every 12 feet; it was treated as a regular car not a rolling art piece.

To me, a regular Joe that needs to get places on time, this makes the NSX much better than its competitors, not worse. While not a fire breather, the original naturally aspirated V6 was plenty to make the NSX quick and perfectly balanced. It was the epitome of a driver’s car. Lets hope that the new one lives up to that legacy.

The new NSX isn’t as simple as the original. That’s ok though because at the time the original NSX was pretty cutting edge. It had V-TEC, electric power steering, titanium connecting rods, and an all aluminum block long before any of these were standard items on your new Honda (Ti connecting rods excluded). The new NSX continues this trend with a three motor electric hybrid drive and a twin-turbo V6. Acura is calling it the Sport Hybrid Power Unit, which sounds like a lot of buzz words to me. Basically, it is divided into two main components. At the back of the car is the main drive unit. This consists of a twin-turbo V6 mated to a nine-speed dual clutch transaxle. In between the engine and transmission is a direct drive electric motor.

At the front of the car are a pair (one for each wheel) of electric motors that supply power to the wheels when needed. This basically means that when you need AWD, you get it and when you don’t, it’s gone. This should make for a very interesting and capable sports car. No word on what this combo makes powerwise, but the rumor is north of 550 hp. I think that Honda is capable of doing that without the electric drives, so here is hoping the we can snag an extra 120 hp off those.

The chassis also uses new technology. It uses a combination of aluminum and steel around the carbon fiber floor to create an extremely strong vehicle. The body itself is a combination of aluminum and sheet molded composite material (SMC). I have to check. In this process, you take glass or carbon fiber (most likely carbon in this case) and cut them into strands a few inches long. They are then glued between two layers of material (such as plastic sheeting) to provide a very rigid panel. This process is not as difficult as traditional weaving carbon fiber, but it has most of the advantages. The takeaway is that you can get a lightweight panel that is more durable than plastic, but the cost of the fender does not exceed $26,000. There is no news about the total weight of the NSX, but since it does not require an AWD transfer case and front differential like the Nissan GTR, I can't imagine it will weigh more than 3,500 pounds. Not as light as the original, but not bad in the world of a 5,500-pound Bentley GT.