Acura NSX Type S production starts in Ohio
This is the end of the road for the Japanese exotic, with the automaker building just 350 examples of this high-performance car.
Sorry, Acura fans, but it's curtains for the NSX supercar. After half a decade, the Japanese automaker is pulling the plug on this hybrid exotic, but at least it's getting a proper sendoff. Production of the limited-edition Type S model commenced on Thursday at Acura's Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio.
Just 350 examples of the limited-edition NSX Type S will be built, practically guaranteeing its exclusivity. The car was unveiled at last year's Monterey Car Week and all examples were spoken for in short order when the reservation book opened last August.
They are subtle, but a few things set the Type S apart from "regular" NSXs. For starters, they have more aggressive front- and rear-end styling. Five-spoke wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires work with a retuned adaptive suspension system to deliver plenty of smiles per gallon. A carbon fiber roof plus a smattering of Type S decals round out the visual changes.
Matte paint jobs look great, but they do require special care to stay that way.
Motivation is provided by a familiar but mildly upgraded hybrid powertrain, one centered round a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. Working in conjunction with three electric motors (which provide all-wheel drive for enhanced traction), this combination delivers 600 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque, 27 more hp and 16 additional lb-ft than lesser NSXs are graced with. New turbochargers and intercoolers as well as an enhanced hybrid battery pack help deliver that increased performance. Yielding even faster acceleration, the car's nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission has also been retuned.
The first two examples of the Acura NSX Type S that rolled off the assembly line were painted Gotham Gray, a matte-metallic paint that looks stunning but requires special care. Production of this limited-edition exotic is scheduled to wrap up later this year. We're sad to see the NSX leave the market, but the upgrades made to the Type S ease the sting considerably.
