Acura NSX (2017)

Scope of this guide

This guide is scoped to the second-generation NC1 Acura NSX hybrid supercar, from the 2017 model year onward, with the 3.5L twin-turbo V6 petrol hybrid (3493 cc) and Sport Hybrid SH-AWD all-wheel drive. It is not a guide to the first-generation NSX that ended in 2005, and it is not a guide to the later Type S, which has different figures that we have not checked here.

We have not driven this model for this article. Everything here comes from Acura's own press material (hosted on the Honda news site), a PistonHeads used buying guide written for this car, and the government vehicle recall checker. Where those sources disagree, or where a number in our catalogue could not be matched to a manufacturer page, we say so in the text.

Acura in North America, Honda in the UK

This is the Acura-badged car, the version sold in North America. In the UK and the rest of Europe the same second-generation car was sold as the Honda NSX. The press material we used applies to United States products only, according to its own footer, so it describes the American specification, and the PistonHeads guide is written about the UK-market Honda NSX (NC1).

If you are a UK reader, that matters in three ways. First, anything sold here new carries the Honda name, so use that name when you search listings and when you ask a dealer or specialist. Second, a car badged Acura in the UK is probably an import, and it may differ from a UK-market car in equipment, lighting, speedometer units and paperwork. Third, the government recall check below is for vehicles it recognises, and the Honda NSX is the one a UK reader should expect to find there. Do not assume an imported Acura will return the same result.

The figures at a glance

• Engine: 3.5L twin-turbo V6 petrol hybrid (3493 cc), a 75-degree V6 mounted behind the seats, with three electric motors.
• Power: 573 bhp as our catalogue figure, which is Acura's 573 hp total system output (SAE net).
• Torque: 645 Nm, which is our conversion of Acura's 476 lb ft.
• Gearbox: nine-speed dual-clutch automatic, with paddle shifters and no manual option.
• Drive: Sport Hybrid SH-AWD, with the engine and one motor driving the rear wheels and two motors driving the front.
• 0-100 km/h: 3.0 seconds in our catalogue, with the caveat explained below.
• Top speed: 307 km/h in our catalogue, which is Acura's approximate 191 mph.
• Body: two-seat fixed-head coupe.
• Weight: 3,941 lb (about 1,788 kg) for the standard car according to Acura, and 1,800 kg according to PistonHeads.

How the 573 bhp is made up

Acura quotes a maximum total system output of 573 hp. Of that, 500 hp comes from the twin-turbo V6 at 6,500 to 7,500 rpm, and the rest from the electric side. Acura's power unit document says the front twin motors and the rear direct drive motor add 73 hp between them, while its own table lists 36 plus 36 plus 47 hp for the three motors, which adds up to more than 73. The document does not explain the gap, so treat the split between engine and motors as approximate. The 573 total is the figure every source we read agrees on.

Acura prints power in hp, not bhp. Both Acura and PistonHeads use the same 573 number, and for catalogue purposes we publish it as 573 bhp. European listings often show PS, and 573 hp works out to roughly 581 PS by our own conversion, which is why you may see 581 in a UK advert. That is the same output, not a stronger car.

Why the torque figure is a conversion

Acura gives the total system torque as 476 lb ft, and the engine alone as 406 lb ft at 2,000 to 6,000 rpm. We convert the total to 645 Nm, which is the figure in our catalogue. Acura does not print a newton metre number on the pages we read, so 645 Nm is our arithmetic rather than a manufacturer quote. PistonHeads prints 476 lb ft as well, so the two sources agree on the underlying figure.

Performance claims and what they mean

The catalogue shows 3.0 seconds for 0-100 km/h, and we cannot call it a manufacturer figure. Acura's press kit and specification page do not give a 0-60 mph time at all, and its technical material says only that the front motors improve 0-60 mph and quarter-mile times. PistonHeads lists 3.0 seconds, with an ish after it, for 0-60 mph, and says in its text that Honda gave no official figures and that the car is in the very low threes, or the high twos in ideal conditions. A 0-60 mph time is not a 0-100 km/h time, because 60 mph is about 96.6 km/h, so the 3.0 seconds in our catalogue is best read as an approximate figure borrowed from a 0-60 mph claim. You may also see 2.9 seconds quoted elsewhere. We could not match that to a manufacturer page, so we do not use it.

Acura's specification page gives an approximate top speed of 191 mph, and PistonHeads gives 191 mph as well. That is 307 km/h, and it is the number in our catalogue. Notice the word approximate: it is not a measured maximum from a test.

Model years and availability

Acura released the specification in March 2016, and PistonHeads says the car launched in 2016 with showroom sales starting in early 2017, which is why the model year is 2017. Our catalogue span is 2016 to 2022. We did not fetch a source for the end of production, so treat 2022 as the catalogue year range and ask a seller for the build date and model year of the specific car.

PistonHeads also describes a revision for cars built after late 2019, covered below. It was written in February 2021 and calls the car on sale from 2017 to the present, so it does not cover the last years of production.

The hybrid powertrain

The engine is a 3,493 cc twin-turbo V6 with two single-scroll turbochargers, a maximum boost of 1.05 bar, a 7,500 rpm limit and a 10.0 to 1 compression ratio, according to Acura. The rear direct drive motor sits between the engine and the gearbox. A lithium-ion battery in the intelligent power unit stores the energy that the motors use.

This is not a plug-in hybrid. PistonHeads notes that the energy recovered under braking did not last long, so do not expect to drive far on electricity alone. Acura describes Quiet mode as electric-only for short distances below 50 mph, with the exhaust valves closed. PistonHeads adds that you need a very light throttle to keep the engine off.

The drive modes, Quiet, Sport, Sport Plus and Track, change throttle response, gearbox shifts and exhaust valve behaviour. Acura says Track mode gives the fastest upshifts, 40 milliseconds quicker than Sport Plus.

What PistonHeads reports about reliability

PistonHeads is positive. Its verdict says it knows of very little that goes wrong, and it does not call out the usual serious faults. It does list a few points to check:

• Early cars had faulty thermostat seals, and reaching them means taking bodywork off.
• The battery can go flat if the car is left unused for long periods, so ask how the car has been kept.
• A recall covering the twin resin fuel tanks is mentioned, with a figure of about 700 cars, though PistonHeads itself treats that number as a story it could not verify.
• Carbon fibre steering wheels have been reported to crack in warm climates, and some cars have A-pillar rattles.
• Some upper brake lights needed warranty work, and the headlamp throw is described as weak.

These are one magazine's observations as of 2021, and we have not inspected a car ourselves.

Gearbox, chassis and brakes

The nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox has a wet multi-plate limited-slip differential. PistonHeads finds the paddles average in feel and the shifts slower than the best from Porsche and Ferrari. The chassis is a multi-material aluminium spaceframe with ultra-high-strength steel A-pillars, and the car uses magnetorheological dampers and variable-ratio electric steering.

Brakes are Brembo, with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston at the rear. The pedal is brake-by-wire, so there is no direct mechanical link to the brake hydraulics. Carbon ceramic discs were an option, and PistonHeads lists them as a costly one.

PistonHeads says cars built after late 2019 gained stiffer anti-roll bars (26 per cent at the front and 19 per cent at the rear), revised dampers and steering, and Continental SportContact 6 tyres. If ride and handling matter to you, ask which side of that change a car falls on.

Tyres, wheels and running costs

Acura lists 19-inch wheels with 245/35 ZR19 tyres at the front and 20-inch wheels with 305/30 ZR20 tyres at the rear. PistonHeads gives the same sizes. Check the tyre brand and wear across each axle when you view a car.

For fuel use, the two sources use different tests. Acura gives EPA figures of 21 mpg combined, in US gallons, which is about 25 miles per imperial gallon by our conversion. PistonHeads gives 28.2 mpg combined and 228 g/km of CO2 for the UK-market Honda, which are not directly comparable with the American number. Acura says the twin fuel tanks hold 15.6 US gallons, about 59 litres by our conversion, and the car wants premium fuel. Service and insurance costs are not covered in a way we could verify, so we give none.

Interior and practicality

PistonHeads calls the cabin plain but well built, with seats that are a little hard and a little high. The infotainment screen draws criticism for dated graphics, complicated menus and climate buttons that are easy to press by accident. Storage in the cabin is limited. Acura gives a cargo volume of 4.4 cubic feet, about 125 litres by our conversion, and PistonHeads says a golf bag or hard suitcase will not fit.

What to check before buying

• Confirm the exact market and badge. In the UK a Honda NSX is the car with local support, and an Acura is likely a private import.
• Ask for the build date, and whether the car has the late 2019 chassis changes.
• Look for a service history that includes thermostat seal work on early cars.
• Check the battery condition and ask how often the car is driven.
• Check that every open recall is closed, including the fuel tank item.
• Inspect the carbon steering wheel for cracks and listen for A-pillar rattles.
• Test every drive mode, the nine-speed gearbox, the infotainment screen and all lights.
• Look at the tyres for matching brands and even wear.

Recalls and the UK check

PistonHeads mentions the fuel tank recall and tells you to check status, but it does not give a full recall list, and we did not run any registration through a recall system. In the UK, run the registration or VIN of any Honda NSX through the GOV.UK vehicle recall check at https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall, and ask the seller for dealer paperwork showing recall work has been done. For an Acura-badged import, ask the seller to show recall history from the market of origin, because the UK check may not recognise it.

Verdict

The NC1 Acura NSX is a hybrid supercar with a well-documented powertrain and a good reputation in the one detailed used guide we read. Pick the right version for your market, check the battery, the recall history and the build date, and treat the 573 bhp, 645 Nm, 3.0 seconds and 307 km/h figures as published or converted ratings with the caveats above. We have not driven it, so use the sources and a proper inspection to decide.