The second-generation Acura NSX can zoom around a track and blast down canyon roads, but it’s also perfectly enjoyable at slow speeds.
Supercars such as the new Acura NSX have a lot of track-honed DNA. Their tires are sticky. Their suspensions can be stiffened up to reduce body roll in sharp curves. Their brakes can withstand the heat of repeated high-speed stops.
That’s great for cars whose tires only contact the floor of a trailer or the pavement of a race course. It doesn’t really matter if they’re uncomfortable because track car. But many people who buy supercars drive them more on streets and highways than they do at a circuit, which means on-road comfort is important.
The new Acura NSX seems to offer the best of both worlds, according to the above video from The Hooniverse. It can be dressed in a variety of lightweight carbon fiber bits, equipped with high-performance carbon ceramic brakes, and process any surface through its active damping system. Its turbo V6 and three electric motors combine to generate a total of 573 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque, which a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission helps other parts convert into a 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds. Throttle response is instant. Steering feel is remarkable. The Hooniverse‘s Jeff Glucker goes so far as saying the NSX (around $200,000 as tested) feels like a “budget” version of the McLaren P1 or Porsche 918 or Ferrari LaFerrari.
Those kinds of numbers sound as if they’d be a lot of fun on a drag strip or road course. The good news is the NSX is perfectly happy and relaxed puttering around town. When the NSX is on public roads, its seats are as comfortable as they are body-gripping. It’s liveable and comfortable. If you don’t feel like getting an earful of intake and exhaust noise, you can put the NSX in a quiet mode and sail along under silent electric power.
Not only does that combination of personalities make the new NSX well-rounded, but it also makes it similar to its predecessor – a machine with supercar looks and everyday livability – in spirit.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
