The article was originally produced on September 13, 2017, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Honda NSX

Extreme super sports cars from Japan are not something that grows on trees, but now Honda has expanded the range with its iconic model NSX in a new vintage

With Ferrari as a role model, and specifically the 328 model, the N-SX (New Sportscar eXperimental) model was born in the mid-80s. Moreover, thanks to a number of wins in F1, there was no difficulty in making a better car than the red prototype from Italy. They had three-time F1 world champion Ayrton Senna from McLaren-Honda to help. In 1989, the production-ready car was presented at the Chicago Auto Show. But despite this, the first generation NSX did not become a big seller unlike Ferrari's models which always sold out so people had to queue up to get one. But over time the demand for the NSX has risen and today it is classed as an icon and to get hold of one you now have to pay large sums of money. 

The appearance of the new NSX is aggressive and there is no doubt that this is a super sports car. The recipe for the first generation was relatively simple, mid-engine and a great chassis. The new NSX is a bit more advanced to say the least. The twin-turbo V6 engine still sits in the middle and the chassis is still fantastic. So far everything is the same but after that it differs a lot. No less than three electric motors are now used in the new NSX. Two on the front wheels and one between the gearbox and the internal combustion engine. This means that the car has four-wheel drive and an incredible acceleration thanks to the sleepless electric motors that react immediately when you apply your right foot to the gas pedal. When you press the start button and the car starts, however, it is quiet and it is perfectly possible to sneak away completely on electric power. The two electric motors on the front wheels deliver a total of 72 horsepower. The rear electric motor produces 47 horses and the twin-turbocharged V6 engine has 500 horses. Altogether, the total output is 573 horsepower and 646 Newton meters in torque. These numbers mean that when you press the gas pedal at the bottom, you shoot from standstill to 100 kilometers per hour in just 2.9 seconds and the top speed is 305 kilometers per hour. In reality, these are numbers that impress. It sucks strongly in the stomach at full acceleration and thanks to the fine chassis the car behaves very well even at high speeds. But the chassis comes into its own best when it starts to roll properly. To really feel this, we tested the car on Mantorp's speedway outside Linköping. There are four different driving programs in the NSX, Normal, Silent and Sport+ as well as Track. The latter turns the car into a racing tool that is ready to squeeze the must out of every curve. The brakes are also properly adjusted to reduce the speed even when going at max. Something that is clearly felt when you pass the 100-meter sign on the long straight and the Mjölby curve comes faster than you thought. 

Competitors to the NSX today are cars like the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 Turbo S to name a few. They are not an easy match to tackle, but Honda succeeds really well with the NSX. However, it has a high price and one might have expected a slightly higher quality feeling in the cabin. However, this is something you quickly forget about when all the focus is on the fantastic driving feeling. The NSX is just what Honda needs to show that it still has the skills to build super sports cars.