The original NSX Type R was first released all the way back in 1992, two years after the regular version hit the stores. It was called the NSX-R, and it was improved and modified for track performance and racing. It included a stiffened suspension and a lighter weight. The car looked stunning, and it was a real product of the ‘90s era supercars.
Constant rumors of a new hotter NSX have been appearing, but not all come from a source with such a reputation like the Forbes magazine has. They say that Acura has been working on an improved version of the electrified NSX supercar, as well as that they will debut the new machine in just a few months. The Type R version will be presented to the public this October, at the 46th Tokyo Motor Show.
Engine and specs
The same report mentions some of the technical specs, from which the rumored 650 horsepower is by far the most important. If this happens to be accurate, it will be no less than a 77 horsepower improvement from the regular NSX trim. No information regarding the torque has been made public, but it will probably be more than the current NSX’s 476 pound-feet, or 645 Newton-meters.
How these power gains are achieved is not yet known, and whether it has been done by upgrading the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine, or by upgrading the three electric motors electric motor. Also, both the ICE and the electric motors may have been tweaked to get out the most power.
Another such mystery is if the SH-AWD system will come to the Type R version. Do not forget that the NSX GT3 race car uses a rear-wheel-drive system without the hybrid arrangement, but the road car swaps the nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in order to have enough space for the six-speed sequential gearbox.
A stiffer suspension setup is also expected, so is the set of larger carbon-ceramic brakes that will match the overall extra flair of the Type R bike. The modified bodywork boosts the aerodynamics is also in the works, and so is the front splitter from the NSX-GT race car. One more thing it will borrow from its cousin is the big rear wing.
Release Date and Price
The price of the standard Acura NSX begins at $157,500, meaning it is the most expensive new car that is being built in the United States at the moment. The new $200,000 Mercedes-Maybach GLS will soon take over that spot, however. Forbes also says that the new NSX Type R will also be more than $200,000 when it arrives.
The 2019 Tokyo Motor Show will be opened to the media on October 23, which is when the first press day is. This is hopefully when the NSX Type R will debut. Mind that it will most likely be labeled as a Honda, which is no surprise as the NSX has the badge of the parent company of Acura.
An official Acura spokesperson had the following to say regarding the new car and the Forbes rumor: “The original article published on the Forbes contributor network was speculative and did not contain information on sourcing. While we have no announcements to make regarding future plans for NSX, we are pleased that numerous chassis improvements and an expanded color palette for model-year 2019 have yielded a 42% increase in U.S. sales.”
During 2018, Acura sold only 17 cars in the United States, which is their biggest market in the world. With the help of this new version, they are looking to really increase the sales from this year, which is already much better than the last.