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The 2017 Acura NSX will cost $156,000

Back in October, when our Editor-in-Chief Mike Austin drove the 2017 Acura NSX for the first time in the Bay Area and at Sonoma Raceway, we guessed that the hybrid supercar would start at around the $170,000 price point. We weren't that far off – it starts at $156,000, and tops out around $205,000. But now that we have a solid sense of what Acura thinks this car is worth, and we know what they benchmarked the NSX against, we can compare apples to apples. Let's be clear: we like this car. Austin described it as "makes you giggle" fast, everyday-comfortable, and chock full of impressive party tricks like seamless shifting – with only a few foibles, like numb steering, to spoil the illusion of perfection. Back to the benchmarked cars. Acura says the NSX will compete with the Audi R8, and was developed to compete with the now-superseded 458 Italia. Let's start with the 2017 R8 V10 Plus – pricing hasn't been released, and a direct Euro-to-USD conversion isn't the whole story, but it starts at the equivalent of $179,000 in Europe. For that, the R8 V10 Plus provides 610 horsepower, a seven-speed DCT, and a 3.2-second sprint to 60 mph. The 458's successor, the 488 GTB, should be more expensive than the $243,000 the old model started at, and provides 661 hp, a seven-speed dual-clutch, and a 0-60 time of around three seconds (official numbers haven't been released for acceleration). For less money than either of these cars, the NSX delivers ... less. Total system output is 573 hp. It has a slight edge in gear count, at nine speeds, and should beat the R8 to 60 mph. But there's no V10, let alone Ferrari's feral turbocharged V8. It'll be up to buyers to determine if the compromises involved are worth a few thousand dollars in savings, if no options are selected. It should also be noted that Acura describes this as its first "built-to-order" vehicle, but the limited external color options and interior schemes don't appear to be much different than the extent to which you can customize an Accord. The configurator goes live on February 25th, if you want to see for yourself. Lastly, in what now seems to be a necessary part of a new high-end car launch, Acura will auction off VIN 001, the first production NSX, at Barrett-Jackson in January. All proceeds from that auction will benefit two charities: the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground. Related Video: Acura Shares Details of Next-Generation Acura NSX Sales Plan - 2017 Acura NSX U.S.

2020 Acura NSX leads this month's list of discounts

With its 573-horsepower hybrid powertrain and 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds, there's no doubt that the Acura NSX is an impressive machine. As its production numbers and pricing adjustments attest, however, it's not a big seller. And this month, Acura's high-end coupe has a larger monetary discount than any other vehicle in America. Buyers of the 2020 Acura NSX are scoring an average cut of $19,659 off the car's $159,530 sticker price. That equals a 12.3% savings for an average transaction price of $139,871. That's still a hefty chunk of change, but it's a reasonable sum for a vehicle with the NSX's performance chops. The next two vehicles in order of largest discounts follow the same luxury performance coupe trend. The Audi R8 is a much pricier vehicle than the NSX, which means its $16,146 discount only represents 8% off its average $200,086 sticker, but we doubt buyers are complaining. Next up is the BMW M8, a vehicle that has been at or near the top of this list more than once. The M8's average discount of $15,403 represents a 10.4% savings off its $148,880 retail price. Interestingly, that puts the M8 and NSX within a few thousand dollars of each other. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Related Video:

Audi R8 Exclusive Edition gets laser beam headlights

We've long lamented the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's draconian Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which contrary to their name, have actually prevented automakers from selling some substantial and important safety equipment, like advanced headlights, in the US market. Until now, apparently. To be fair, we've known Audi was prepping its advanced laser headlights for the US market, but that doesn't make their arrival any less exciting. Audi will begin offering DOT-approved high-beams that use advanced laser diodes on a limited run of V10-powered R8s. Exclusive to the, um, Exclusive Edition R8, the advanced lamps complement the standard LED low beams and dynamic front turn signals, offering "very bright and pure white light" for 25 lucky consumers. Here's some more techno babble about how the lights work – according to Audi's official release, there's a laser module in each headlight containing four high intensity laser diodes that fire out blue lasers. Then, a phosphor converter adjusts the 450-nanometer laser into visible light that fires up above 40 miles per hour. "When conditions permit," Audi's release reads, the laser high beams "greatly enhance visibility for the driver by projecting a low and wide beam of light on the road ahead." Naturally, we have questions, but Audi wasn't keen on releasing much info ahead of the R8 Exclusive Edition's Los Angeles Auto Show debut. The company confirmed that the new lights are DOT approved, which makes sense considering the LA introduction. We're also wondering how Audi's new Laser Lights differ from BMW's similarly named Laserlight system, offered on the i8. Both setups use lasers to replace conventional high beams, but BMW says it "adjusted to the maximum allowable light output for the US market." Audi was cagey about explaining if it modified the system to satisfy the feds. Ingolstadt also offered the typical "we don't comment on future product" when asked about future applications for its laser headlight technology. Beyond the advanced high-beam headlights, the R8 Exclusive Edition comes standard with Quantum Grey paint, 20-inch "Y Design" wheels, a carbon-fiber side blade with an orange stripe, and a whole bunch of interior trim upgrades, like full leather upholstery and Alcantara trim. Price start at $229,200, not counting $1,250 in destination charges. We'll have more on the R8 and its laser lamps when it debuts in a couple weeks. Related Video: