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Acura is ending production of the fabled NSX. But not without a final flourish. Since its debut in 2015, it has been Acura’s flagship. But demand has been weak for the flagship Acura-especially over the last couple of years.

Only 350 NSX Type-S cars will be built

2022 Acura NSX Type-S tease
2022 Acura NSX Type-S tease | Acura

So it was expected that the end was coming soon. But the NSX will go out with a Type-S model that is sure to please. Only 350 will be built, with 300 remaining here in the US where the NSX is made. 

Full details won’t be out until Pebble Beach arrives in about two weeks. But we do know some things and can speculate on others to give a better idea of what the Type-S will be. The current twin-turbo V6 packs 500 hp with three permanent magnet synchronous motors. In total, the NSX packs 573 hp with 476 lb-ft of torque. 

The Type-S will surely be a combo of weight reduction and more power. Carbon fiber bits will help the weight. Aerodynamics will surely be tweaked. The power will probably be increased with both more boost and more powerful electric motors. The current motors put out about 36 hp each. And it will be all-wheel-drive.

The NSX Type-S should be insane

2022 Acura NSX Type-S tease doing smoky burnout
2022 Acura NSX Type-S tease | Acura

While the current NSX is quick as heck, with what is expected to come on the Type-S, this will surely be an insane mid-engine beast. Current specs are listed at 0-60 in 3.1-seconds, and finishing the quarter-mile in 11.2-seconds. The top speed is just shy of 200 mph. 

The best year for second-generation NSX sales in the US was 2017 when 581 were built. Since then the numbers have tapered off significantly. In 2018 the production dropped to only 170 NSX produced. For 2019, a slight uptick to 238 cars were sold. In 2020 Acura sold only 128 NSC cars. Total production worldwide is about 2,500. 

The previous generation NSX was built longer and sold far more. But it was still a very limited-production vehicle. From its debut in 1990, Acura sold 9,000 cars through 2007. 

The second-gen NSX was always in the background

2022 Acura NSX Type-S rear shot
2022 Acura NSX Type-S tease | Acura

The second-gen NSX never got any legs, even when it debuted at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. That was the year Ford’s GT was also introduced, and while the NSX was expected to be the star of the show it was overshadowed by the GT. Acura was hoping to get a bump from its exposure at that show. It didn’t happen. 

But maybe this NSX Type-S will make up for its many years in the background. The NSX is an amazing vehicle and going out like this will only make it more exciting and desirable in the future.

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Thom Taylor

Thom Taylor is a celebrated automotive journalist. He was awarded the Top 100 Most Influential People in Hot Rodding from Hot Rod Magazine, and was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame and the National Rod and Custom Hall of Fame. He’s a member of SEMA and the NHRA.

Thom has authored a number of books, including Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and several guides for drawing vehicles like a pro, which pull from his distinguished ventures as an automotive illustrator.

Thom joined the MotorBiscuit team in 2019, and focuses his coverage on new vehicle releases, design, and the latest features and tech in the industry. His tenure of 25 years writing about the industry gives him a unique context for the auto news he covers, whether it’s part of the Rusty Monday series or the latest news from Chevy. Thom has built two complete cars from the ground up and driven vintage roadsters at the Indy 500.