The Acura NSX Type S is a Thrilling Way to Say Goodbye

Acura’s flagship supercar is set to hit the rafters in a short period of time, why not give it the sendoff it deserves? A cult-classic soon to be turned martyr

Not everything lasts forever, the golden age of internal combustion engines has long been fleeting. Acura has understood that. 30 years ago, it stood at the forefront of the Asian supercar game. The ‘95 Chicago Bulls to every other brand who hadn’t even had the concept of a supercar cross their product boards. In the car world, we come across a lot of numeronyms and seemingly empty acronyms. NSX— New Supercar Experiment in Acura’s eyes holds a wealth of sustenance behind it, not just number letter mumbo jumbo, but instead a meaning of pioneering that brings a smile to anyone’s face, regardless if you’re a Bulls fan or not.

Throughout the 90’s, the Japanese subcontinent was obsessed with public image. Not flashy of the likes of the Kardashians or any modern-day rapper but quite the opposite, the desire to not be seen. While automakers like Toyota and Subaru were making discrete vehicles to undercut various foreign markets, Japanese vehicles always tended to be seen as lacking in personality and utilitarian-centric. The Asians were pumping out econoboxes like it was nobody’s business creating a culture of boring.

Thus, comes Acura’s pitch. A supercar. Probably derided across every single meeting it came across, the idea of a supercar was alien in most executives’ minds. Trying to make a statement with the still-fledgling Acura brand in North America, the company had the will to make a splash. The brand had to compete with the fact that most people in the United States and Canada were still resistant to the idea of a Japanese luxury brand— can you blame them? This is the same country that made the Toyota Corolla with five seats of back-breaking cloth and leaf springs older than time itself. 

A New Era of Super Car

Previously reserved for the uber-established, supercars weren’t Honda’s cup of tea. To even get in the ring with the big boys, nevertheless throw punches, Acura couldn’t half-ass this. Front engine? No. Too basic. Pushrod? No dice. Naturally aspirated? You wouldn’t dare. This has to be done right. Out came the rear mid-engine 3.0 L VTEC V6 we know today. Acura went as far as commissioning Italian designer and automotive coachbuilder Pininfarina to take a gander and weigh in on the design of the NSX. 

In the name of being unique, the NSX took cues from F-16 fighter jets to craft its interior design, and recruited Honda F1’s poster child Ayrton Senna to take part in development of the vehicle. With all this, Honda still utilized its racing components from Formula 1 competition evident all over the vehicle.

The NSX was a pioneer in the super car game, putting Japan on the map as an established player in the high-performance arms race. The NSX originally set the Ferrari 328 as its benchmark, hoping to compete with its Italian peers in something that resembles the United States and the USSR’s dash to the space race. The NSX went above and beyond paving a pathway for the namesakes of heralded vehicles like the Lexus LFA and the Nissan GT-R.

Type S for Super

Now here we lay in the waning days of the original Japanese supercar. Wrapped nicely in a bow and the iconic Type S name attached, we’ve seen the best of the NSX, yet this might be the farewell present no one wants… the best one yet.

The 2023 NSX Type S is truly a work of art, to be admired in the likes of the Louvre or the MoMA. After a 11-year hiatus, the second generation NSX returned stateside in 2016 sporting a new hybrid setup. More controversial than politics at the Thanksgiving table? Yes. Was it made to perfection? Yes times two. Instead of the naturally-aspirated V6 the supercar has traditionally used, Acura added a pinch more meaning to the N in NSX by including a hybrid powertrain added onto the existing 6-cylinder setup. Met with piles of backlash, which included possibly a lot of individuals sending mail to Acura HQ in Japan, Acura stayed true to its guts in the process of making one of our favorite supercars of all time.

In the final year of the second-gen NSX, Acura upped the stakes, creating the Type S for the final victory lap before the nail in the coffin gets hammered. Stepping on the pedals shines light on the Type S’ upgraded… everything. From the moment the engine roars to life the enhanced turbochargers make their presence known. We witnessed them spilling all 600 hp out on the tarmac and being shot out of a circus cannon from the moment we could even get out the word “go” on our 0-60 test. It took less time to get to 60 mph than the time it took our brains to comprehend we were even moving, hitting the mark in a mind-boggling 2.9 seconds. 

If There Ever Was a NSX You Should Buy, It’s This One

We got to watch our NSX work its magic in a Type S exclusive stunning Gotham Gray. And while not even Batman could stop this car, its carbon ceramic brakes screech it to a halt from 100 mph in 302 ft. It doesn’t seem bothered by its somewhat hefty 3,898 lb curb weight, handling around corners like we stuck a Viper engine in a Geo Metro and took it to Pocono. Like all its predecessors, the NSX takes a holistic approach to running between the red and white curbs on the track, possessing a host of features to maximize your opportunities to run laps around its European peers. 

Bespoke Pirelli P-Zero tires provide the NSX with new kicks that we thought made the ride more comfortable than usual even when we put the car in Comfort mode. On the track, the tires made even more sense tearing around the tarmac and showing off its Japanese kamikaze speed when we notched the dial to Sport+.  

In every Facebook group chat and on TikTok (I think that’s what the kids call it), there’s always the meme of the Great Value supercar. It’s here. Right here. The NSX has positioned itself on the demure and reserved side of the vast supercar scale. Sans the sinister exterior, the interior comes somewhat out of a Honda Accord. In fact, we had this same infotainment screen on a 2020 Acura MDX we tested a couple years back. The seats and other gizmos come in as being par for the course, especially when you shell out $171,495 prior to options, we’d expect a little bit more out of the Type S.

Of course, one can argue that might be its superpower, slashing vehicles twice or thrice its price point, bringing us back to reality. Fire up the configurator on a McLaren 720S or Ferrari SF90 and your wallet will cry just by looking at the final spec sheet. Might as well file for Chapter 7 now. 

At all costs, one must rave about everything the NSX does right. Get caught up on its few nulls and you quickly find yourself straying far away from the NSX’s purpose. Over thirty years later after the inception of the car that seemingly started it all, Acura has continued what the original example was all about— destroy everything that was in its way at a cost that won’t make your wife leave you.

With only 350 examples of the Type S being created for the States, the NSX bids us farewell too soon and exclusively. Its path to Saint Peter’s gates isn’t a lonely one, with the competitor Audi R8 also being axed for upcoming model years. Like Hawkeye’s explosive arrows from his quiver, the NSX saves the best for last blowing up at the end.