The recently unveiled Acura NSX Type S may serve as the last hurrah for this generation but it doesn’t sound like it’ll be the final chapter for the nameplate as a whole. One company exec recently confirmed to The Drive at Monterey Car Week that the Acura supercar will eventually return for a third generation. Acura Vice President and Brand Officer Jon Ikeda said, “If you notice, we make an NSX when there’s something we want to say. The first-gen was gas. Second-gen was a hybrid. There’s gonna be another one.”
When we asked if, logically, that meant the next NSX would be all-electric, Ikeda simply replied with a smile and refused to comment further.
While the original NSX made a splash in the ’90s with a mid-mounted, naturally-aspirated V6, its successor that went into production in 2016 not only gained two turbochargers but also three hybrid-electric motors—two powering the front axle and one for the rear.
Because of this complexity, developing and manufacturing the NSX was undoubtedly an expensive endeavor—building supercars of this caliber and quality usually is, even without electrification. And although Acura’s flagship performance car is very good, this generation never sold very well, only moving 128 cars in the U.S. last year, making the company’s supposed commitment to a whole new generation of NSX all the more surprising. Ikeda is aware of this, of course, but essentially says “money isn’t everything, bub.”
When confirming the same news to Motor Trend, the Acura exec explained, “We didn’t go into it to make a lot of money.” Instead, the NSX proved its worth by acting as both a marketing and engineering exercise, bringing people into dealerships and giving the company practice and know-how when it comes to building fast, electrified cars.
“We learned a lot about electrification and fun to drive which is a staple,” Ikeda told MT. And, of course, boardroom-ready business cases aside, a new NSX is happening simply because Acura wants a new NSX.
“We didn’t want to let the NSX die on the vine either. To go quietly into the night is not what it deserves,” Ikeda added.
Got insider info about the next NSX? You can reach the author here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com