It’s going to be a busy couple of months for Acura. At next month’s Detroit Auto Show, Honda’s luxury division will unveil a new concept car, and shortly after that the order books for the 2017 NSX hybrid supercar will (finally) open.
The Acura Precision concept will preview the styling of future Acura models, particularly sedans, the carmaker says. A shadowy teaser image shows a vehicle with sedan proportions and a satisfying cab-rearward silhouette. There’s also a hint of Acura’s “Jewel Eye” LED headlights, and some interesting details, including flared fenders. Acura was light on other details, though.
Following Detroit, Acura will begin taking customer orders for the NSX. An online configurator will launch on Acura’s website February 25. The car still start at $157,800 (including destination,) and Acura says it will top out at $207,500 with all available options. That should put the NSX in the relative ballpark of cars like the Audi R8, McLaren 570S, and Porsche 911 Turbo.
And while Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld may have sparred over the first NSX in a Super Bowl ad awhile back, that car will actually be auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the end of January. All proceeds will go to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground.
Since its debut as a concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the NSX has been one of the most anticipated new cars. It revives a legendary name from the past, and boasts some of today’s most sophisticated hybrid technology. A twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 and three electric motors work together to send 573 horsepower to all four wheels, rocketing the NSX to 191 mph.
We’ll have to get some seat time to determine whether all of that hardware and those impressive numbers translate into an enjoyable driving experience. If Acura can pull that off, the hybrid supercar will have descended from the rarefied realm of the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 Spyder to a (slightly) more attainable level.
