Video: 2017 Acura NSX Review

Now, the NSX live up to the hype and anticipation and creating a new sports experience, like the name suggest. The hardware underneath the NSX is just as wild as the exterior looks with three electric motors, a lithium ion battery pack and a twin-turbocharged V6 make a combined 573 horsepower. Now, the twin-turbo V6 pairs with a nine speed dual clutch automatic transmission and those are just the basics. When you first sit in the NSX it's absolutely clear this is a comfortable car. The visibility is great as a very thin A-pillars and a relatively low beltline. So, you can actually drive with your arm hanging out the window and not look like a complete fool. And a lot of that is also because there are no goofy gull-wing doors or any kind of special access here or tubs you have to climb over to get in like a BMW i8. It's a pretty normal experience stepping in and once you get in, the interior, it's nice. I wouldn't say that it's ultra high-end luxury. It's very Acura-like and there's technical styling and there's some very nice Alcantara suede highlights throughout the entire interior. And this one has the optional Alcantara headliner, but upfront here what we have is the drive mode selector and this little piece here is really key in unlocking the various driving characteristics of the NSX. In quiet mode the NSX drives more like a sporty coupe than a super car with the suspension steering and accelerator all toned down to create a very livable experience. When you first start in quiet mode and get going from a stop sign or a stop light, the car is actually using the two electric motors and the front wheels to drive the car and then as you pick up speed, the engine and rear motor will kick in to provide acceleration. Quiet mode may be great when you wanna drive home with a pounding headache, but it's the sport+ and track modes where the car's lurking madness awakens and unleashes potential of the NSX. The engine wakes up and lets you know, because the active sound devices let more of the engine noise inside the car. Adjustable sound passageways right off the engine's air intake snake up to behind your head and let you hear the screaming engine, turbo whistles and wonderful mechanical noises this advanced powertrain. (car engine roaring drowns out speaker) there's some electronic augmentation here, but the end result is what speaks for itself. On the exhaust side, there's an active exhaust that bypass a silencer in the more aggressive modes creating one heck of a noise that's enjoyable even when you're not full throttle. Sport+ and track modes are where you wanna be to extract maximum capability of the NSX. Acceleration is seamless, which is a surprising characteristic considering the two electric motors at the front of the car are independent of the rear electric motor in turbocharged engine in the rear. The technological end of this car looks complicated enough to power space shuttle, but on the road all of the systems work together very well. Power comes on strong and is accessible at nearly any speed, thanks to the electric systems instant torque (car engine roaring drowns out speaker) at lower speeds, while the engine pull strong at higher speeds to provide power anywhere. The end result is the thrill of being pushed back in your seat, especially so with the NSX is launch control using the all wheel drive and 570 horsepower to its fullest. The NSX has all wheel drive is truly showcased on the track. That's where it's torque vectoring capability shines. The independent motors up front can transfer power separately between the front wheels, which really helps the car (car engine roaring drowns out speaker) for a corner. Understeer is built into the car for safety reasons to prevent novices from spinning the NSX. And it's a noticeable characteristic on the track even with the optional track tires. You kind of have to drive around to the understeer by slowing up at corner entry, but the extremely smart all wheel drive and instant power torque means you can apply throttle sooner than expected and let the car do the work of finding traction while rocketing off a corner. The highlight of the track experience is the optional carbon ceramic brakes. Now, the brake system as a whole is just astonishing with how linear the pedal feels, because not only are these carbon ceramic brakes, but it's also a regenerative braking system attached to this wheel here inboard you have an electric motor. And so you channel the brake pedal through all of this stuff and it still feels natural. Now, there are a number of electronic assist to help that, but the end result both on the street and the track is an unbelievable braking experience. Acura work with continental to develop the standard tire on the NSX, which is the ContiSportContact, but there are two optional track tires. The Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R and the Michelin Sport Cup 2. Now, Acura is saying both of these track tires are acceptable to run on the NSX and are giving you two options just in case one model isn't available. The NSX starts at around $157,000 with destination and it's not hard to rack that up to around $200,000 with some of the pricey optional equipment, including the $10,000 carbon ceramic brakes like this one, as well as the $6,000 optional red Valencia paint. Acura may not be positioning itself to sell many of the NSX, but it's absolutely a showcase of what's possible with this kind of technology. You know, sometimes you just don't wanna be in a rough-riding, loud, ultra-sensitive car all the time. And the NSX has the adjustable driving modes to dial that down and drive it every day. (engine revving) (car trunk closes)