2017 Acura NSX: First Drive

CARS.COM — “New Sports eXperience” is the motivating phrase behind the Acura NSX, which had its first run from 1989 to 2005 as a modestly powered, mid-engine, aluminum-constructed sports car. Pushing the boundaries of high-performance technology today means something very different from what that original car embodied, so the formula for New Sports eXperience is considerably different in the 2017 Acura NSX: The basics include a hybrid powertrain made up of three electric motors, a lithium-ion battery pack, a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged V-6 engine and a dual-clutch nine-speed automatic transmission.

Related: 2016 Acura NSX: First Look

With this gaggle of technology stuffed under its angrily shaped body panels, the NSX is a wholly unique driving experience. It’s actually refreshing for a “supercar,” because there aren’t any weird doors to climb through or to drop into like the exotically designed BMW i8 plug-in sport hybrid. A traditional set of doors access a surprisingly roomy and comfortable interior with a natural seating position and fantastic forward visibility. The thin A-pillars, low belt line and tall glass are surprises considering the NSX’s wild design, and the clear forward view is as welcome on the track while pointing the nose toward an apex as it is on the road when providing a good view of pedestrians.

I got my first drive on canyon roads outside Palm Springs, Calif., and a 1.8-mile closed-circuit track. The NSX skews more toward an entertaining road car than an all-out track car, but it is still more than suitable for being thrown around the track, with tricky moves performed by the intelligent Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive. There’s no mechanical connection between the front and rear wheels, much like the Porsche 918 Spyder and BMW i8 — as well as the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid.

Two electric motors power the NSX’s front wheels independently, while a twin-turbocharged gas engine and an additional electric motor drive the rear wheels. The electric motors alone can drive the car at low speeds and recapture electric energy through regenerative braking, where the gas engine does most of the work at higher speeds like a traditional gas-electric hybrid (one with 400 horsepower more than a typical hybrid).

Unlike the i8, however, the NSX isn’t a plug-in hybrid with an EPA-rated electric-only range. It gets an EPA-estimated 20/22/21 mpg city/highway/combined. Also very unlike the i8 is the NSX’s combined 573 hp, which beats the BMW by 216 hp.    

The NSX all-wheel drive’s distinguishing characteristic is how the two front motors drive the right and left wheels at different speeds to maximize cornering. Varying torque between left and right creates a yaw moment that rotates the car for sharper turn-in, and reduces the necessary steering input. Torque vectoring is showcased when approaching a corner a little too hot and the car’s front tires start sliding — a characteristic of the NSX built in for safety: Applying a little throttle corrects the light understeer, and the car rights itself, rotates and rockets off the corner exploiting the instant torque of the electric motors.

Rocketing perfectly describes the NSX’s uninterrupted acceleration when the gas engine and motors are pushing the NSX flat-out. Acceleration lag is non-existent thanks to the electric motors filling in the dull spots before the twin-turbochargers sing their song. Launch control takes advantage of the hybrid system in the best way, initially launching the car with the instantaneous torque of the electric motors before the 500-hp gas engine pushes you the rest of the way, clicking off lightning-quick gear changes. There’s little falloff in seat-of-the-pants acceleration as the speed increases.      

Out on the track, our NSX wore the optional Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires sized 245/35ZR19 in the front and 305/30ZR20 out back. Even with the aggressive Pirellis, once you throw the NSX into a corner, the front tires don’t communicate road feel with the kind of feedback it takes to feel comfortable right out of the box. Unfortunately, squealing front tires at the limit of a driving line give more indication of the car’s grip than any hint communicated through the steering wheel. Gaining familiarity with the NSX takes more than a few hot laps. Once faith is gained in the car’s abilities, you can pick up the throttle earlier than expected, relying on the all-wheel drive to keep the power planted and the nose on the driving line.    

Braking, on the other hand, is instantly good. Pairing the NSX’s hybrid regenerative braking with the optional carbon ceramic brakes seems like a horrible idea on paper. On their own, each can be grabby, nonlinear and a pain in the butt to drive smoothly. The NSX with track tires and $9,900 carbons delivers unexpected precision at high speeds but with the everyday smoothness of a regular old braking system. Anything but regular, the NSX’s electro-servo-assist braking system electronically controls the hydraulic braking action at each wheel, as well as the feedback of the brake pedal. Thanks to this electronic intervention, the pedal feel is as linear and responsive as any well-done traditional braking system. 

An Acura-developed nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is another shining piece of technology that avoids the typical downfalls associated with its type (or in this case, both types: dual clutch and nine gears). Jerky starts and constant gear hunting are completely foreign to the NSX. There’s no reason to switch to paddle shifters on an open track when Track mode is chosen. The transmission programming downshifts and rev matches to the right gear during braking, holds a gear through the corners and keeps the engine revs right where they need to be. 

For street driving, Acura installed the NSX’s standard Continental Conti-Sport Contact 5P summer tires designed specifically for the NSX by Acura and Continental. Driving modes make all the difference in transforming the car for street duty, because Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track modes have huge swings in operation. You’d think Track mode would be the most noteworthy on a car like this, but Quiet mode is perhaps even more impressive.

Adjustable driving modes often adjust steering assist, suspension, transmission and accelerator response. The NSX’s hybrid system’s unparalleled adjustability can dial down sensitivity to near kitty-cat levels of inoffensiveness: Quiet mode shuts up the active exhaust, numbs accelerator and brake sensitivity, softens the adaptive suspension’s firmness and prioritizes electric-only operation during light acceleration, effectively turning the NSX into a Honda Accord coupe. 

The NSX comes alive when the center dial is turned to the right, transforming the car into a racier experience. The aural experience is perhaps the best indicator of the NSX’s modes. Just like the rest of the car’s systems, electronic wizardry plays a part in how the NSX sounds. Most of what’s heard is real mechanical noise. The engine’s intake soundtrack is piped into the cabin through tubes positioned at ear level, so you hear the whooshing of the engine intake and whistling of the turbochargers. On the exhaust side, flaps divert exhaust gasses past silencers when the car is set to the more aggressive track modes. There’s some electronic augmentation through the stereo, too, but the end result is an exotic experience so enjoyable my co-driver and I didn’t even bother turning on the stereo.

At 3,800 pounds with nearly 600 horsepower from the help of two turbochargers, the NSX might not be the lightweight, naturally aspirated machine purists remember, but staying true to the New Sports eXperience mantra pushed Acura into the technologically extreme car that’s the 2017 NSX. Technology prevails in the NSX, allowing it to be a sweetheart to drive, with a comfortable cabin and whisper-quiet interior when in toned-down modes, but a rip-roaring 573-hp supercar belting out ear-melting racecar noises at the flick of a dial.