2002 Acura Nsx on 2040-cars

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Acura considering Vezel-based compact crossover

There's a distinct benefit to automakers having their own premium brand. After all, why develop one vehicle to be sold under one nameplate if you can turn it into two? Especially if a little reconfiguration and some premium accoutrements allow said automaker to charge significantly more for the luxury version. It's a winning formula - for crossovers especially - that Toyota has used to turn the Highlander into the Lexus RX (even if the first-gen RX arrived before the original Highlander), that Ford has used to transform the Edgee into the Lincoln MKX and that General Motors has applied to the Chevrolet Suburban to turn it into the Cadillac Escalade (to name just a few of the many examples out there). And it's one to which Honda and its Acura division are certainly not unaccustomed.
Acura has adapted its Euro-spec Honda Accord into the TSX, the Civic into the ILX, the CR-V into the RDX and the Pilot into the MDX. And now that the Honda Vezel is coming to market, Acura reportedly has its eye on that as well. The idea was first introduced when Acura unveiled the SUV-X concept (shown above) at the Shanghai Motor Show this past April, just a few months after Honda revealed its Urban SUV concept that previewed the production Vezel. At the time, says Automotive News, Acura said it intended to put the concept into production in China for the Chinese market, and it's reportedly moving ahead with those plans. But now that it is, executives are wondering where else they might find buyers for the premium compact crossover.
With the Vezel soon to begin production alongside the Fit at Honda's new plant in Mexico, it wouldn't be a stretch to see the Acura version follow suit. The market does, after all, seem to be heating up with entries like the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, and we couldn't blame Honda - pardon us, Acura - for wanting a slice of that pie.

There will be a third-generation NSX, says Acura V.P.

The second-generation Acura NSX might be going out in a blaze of glory, but it won't be the last we see of the supercar. This promise comes directly from Acura Vice President and Brand Officer Jon Ikeda. Furthermore, Ikeda implied that the next version might be electric. Ikeda divulged thoughts about a third-gen NSX while being interviewed by The Drive and Motor Trend. To the former, he explained Acura's mission with the the mid-engined supercar. "We make an NSX when there's something we want to say. The first-gen was gas. Second-gen was a hybrid. There's gonna be another one." Unless Ikeda is talking about hydrogen or some kind of heretofore undisclosed technology like  Mr. Fusion, this pretty much means electric. That means the NSX is likely to take another hiatus after the Type S closes out the 2022 model year. Between the first and second generations, the halo sports car had an 11-year absence on the market. Ikeda laid out the reasons for the nameplate's 2016 return when he spoke to Motor Trend. "Honda is one of the biggest gasoline engine makers in the world and needed to see what will happen in a world turning away from engines," he explained. It was always meant to be a halo car. "We didn't go into it to make a lot of money," he stated. The second generation had a much shorter lifespan than the game-changing first gen. That one spanned one and a half decades, from 1990 to 2005. The current generation, once it exits stage left in 2022, will have only had a six-year run. One could argue that the first gen overstayed its welcome, though. After thoroughly turning the supercar world on its ear, by forcing Ferrari et al to reconsider their engineering, the NSX's competitors quickly caught up to Honda's lead. While the NSX did undergo a couple of major changes during its first lifespan, by the time it left the market it was more of a dwindle. Acura is determined not to let that happen with the current NSX. In this case, they're sending it off with the most powerful iteration yet, a 600-horsepower Type S with reworked turbos, cooling system and aerodynamics and limiting production to 350 worldwide. Ikeda told Motor Trend, "We didn't want to let the NSX die on the vine either. To go quietly into the night is not what it deserves."

Acura NSX electric revival? 'I would bet on it'

This year marks the end of the Acura NSX as we know it. Its swan song, the 600-horsepower 2022 Type S, saw only 300 made for the U.S. market, and all of them sold out in 24 hours. It's barely disappeared over the horizon, but Acura's V.P. and brand officer is already previewing the NSX's third act. Speaking with Nikkei Asia, Jon Ikeda was asked whether a third generation NSX was forthcoming. "I would bet on it," he said. Ikeda also predicted that if the wager lands in his favor, "it's going to be [all-]electric." This falls in line with statements Ikeda made a year ago. At the time, he explained that the NSX emerges when parent company Honda wants to make a statement: The first generation was Honda's vision for an F1-derived petrol-powered supercar; the second generation arrived as an affordable hybrid halo car in the age of gasoline-electrics. He didn't elaborate on the third generation's powertrain back then, but this time Ikeda was more adamant about electric power.  Part of Ikeda's certainty, the article states, comes from global CEO Toshihiro Mibe's commitment to electrify Honda's lineup. Soon after taking the top job in April 2021, Mibe announced plans to convert Honda's entire lineup to EVs and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2040. As for what kind of car an electric NSX would be, Ikeda has some ideas. "It won't be just about straight lines," he told Nikkei Asia. Blistering acceleration is already common in the electric supercar world, so Acura would need to bring something novel to the table. Ikeda wants the NSX to be a technological showcase for ultimate handling as well, something the outgoing NSX did with its driver-focused Super Handling AWD system.  We've long bemoaned how the new breed of electrified supercars have incredible specs on paper, but somehow don't feel as engaging to drive. That's a niche Acura could fill. In the often contentious give and take between American Honda and Honda Motor's engineering departments, the Japan mothership tends to win out. However, these days Honda barely sells anything beyond kei cars in Japan. It's up to leaders like Ikeda and those who understand the U.S. market to drag the company toward the performance-minded engineering philosophies Old Man Soichiro founded his business on. Related video: