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At this year’s Tokyo Motor Show in October, Honda, or should we say Acura, has a piping hot surprise in store. Three years since it launched the brand’s signature NSX supercar, Acura will finally add its high performance Type R variant to the lineup.

For some, a flagship addition to the NSX range is long overdue, while for others, a Type R now seems like nothing more than an anticlimax. Why? In the U.S., the NSX’s biggest market, sales of the super coupe this year have been modest to say the least. In the first four months of 2019, sales in fact just made it into triple figures with a mere 110 units finding homes. It goes without saying that Acura’s signature supercar, even at a steep $160,000, hardly makes an impact on the firm’s coffers, especially when you consider that the Civic sold over 100,000 units in the same time period.

This second generation NSX was originally designed to fill a tiny niche for those who wanted a daily commuter supercar with a measure of hybrid cred and a feature extremely rare amongst supercars—an electric-only Quiet mode. Being able to crawl through school zones at 15mph in complete silence and then blast around a race track at speeds reaching 190mph makes it the most extreme of supercars, a kind-of ‘Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde’ of supercars.

Enabling this full-off full-on function that we will progressively see appearing on future supercars is a hybrid-electric powertrain that, in the NSX, combines a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine with three electric motors for a combined total power output of 573 horsepower. That V6 and its 9-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission plus one of the electric motors drive the rear wheels while the other two electric motors power the fronts in a complex torque-vectoring setup, giving the NSX an awkwardly named Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD).

While it can sprint from zero to 60mph in 3.1 seconds, Top Gear says “the Honda is not as quick as its rivals in the McLaren 570S and Audi R8, and it’s not as engaging a drive either.” However, in the NSX’s defense, Motor Trend stated that the NSX, “did edge out the Nissan (GT-R) in back road speed, track speed, comfort and specialness. It also has a smoother transmission and is easier to drive on a track.”

By launching the NSX Type R, Honda plans to push for the top spot in the supercar handling and performance stakes. Modifications for the Type R include a power boost to 650 hp, stiffer uprated suspension and stabilizers and bigger carbon-ceramic brakes while the coupe will be fitted with aeroparts like a rear wing and front splitter inspired by Honda’s NSX-GT race car which competes in Japan’s Super GT championships. What is still not clear however, is whether the Type R will retain the NSX’s controversial SH-AWD system. Also, prospective buyers of a Type R, given that its sticker price will rise to around $200,000, will expect more luxury and a higher premium feel inside the car, in addition to the extra herbs and more on-the-edge steering.

https://www.motor1.com/news/351774/a...-type-r-rumor/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterly...ra-nsx-lineup/
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/a...r-show-report/