There’s a new Acura NSX out. I don’t know if you heard about this, but Honda was working on it for a while. The new one’s all-wheel drive with an advanced hybrid system and a dual-clutch gearbox, and at first glance, that makes it very different from the 1990s supercar that bears its name.
The UK’s Carwow pit the new 2017 NSX head-to-head with one of the originals to answer a question we’ve had since day one: is the new NSX as good as the first one?
The original NSX was a revelation in its time, an example of Honda punching way above its weight with a car made to run with Europe’s best exotics. Compared to the new car, the old NSX is much lighter, had a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6, and emphasized pure driving dynamics over an explosion of technology. It’s also nowhere near as fast as the new one is.
But like we said in our first review, the biggest thing these two cars have in common besides their name is that they’re cars “you can live with everyday,” as Carwow’s Mat Watson says. Both are comfortable and have good visibility, and are equally at home in around-town cruising as they are on track.
In the end, he likes the new NSX better, because it so thoroughly blows away the old one in such a modern way. High praise after testing a legend.