Acura Boss on NSX: "There Will Be Another One

The Acura NSX will live on through its third generation, executives said in an interview with The Drive published Monday.

"The first generation was gas; the second generation was a hybrid; the second generation was a hybrid, and there will be a third generation," said John Ikeda, Acura vice president and brand officer.

Ikeda said Acura will unveil the new NSX "when we have something to say," which, along with the phrasing of his response, suggests that the third-generation NSX will be all-electric. Ikeda, however, did not confirm this.

Acura built an all-electric NSX prototype for the 2016 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, but the premium brand and parent company Honda have been slow to launch production EVs. Acura plans to launch an EV using a General Motors platform and battery alongside a GM-based Honda model in the 2024 model year. Honda plans to be all-electric by 2040.

No word on when the third-generation NSX will be available, but 2022 will be the last model year for the current second-generation version. Acura will send it out in a limited edition Type S version that boasts 600 horsepower, fine-tuned styling, and upgraded aerodynamics.

Acura plans to produce 350 units of the 2022 NSX Type S, 300 of which will be for the United States. Pricing will start at $171,495 (including a $1,995 destination charge), up from the base price of $158,695 for the 2021 NSX.

While production of the road car will end, the NSX GT3 race car will continue through 2024. Acura announced the latest version earlier this month, homologated for two more seasons in various racing series in North America, Europe, and Japan. Note that the race car ditches the road car's electric motor and all-wheel drive system for a gasoline-only rear-wheel drive.

The current generation NSX was introduced in 2016 as a 2017 model, but the first generation was sold in the U.S. from 1991 through the 2005 model year. The second generation, which was intended to showcase Acura's hybrid technology, never took off like the original NSX did, and U.S. sales remained low throughout.