The Type S will be the last gasoline-hybrid supercar from Honda.
How quick is the new, limited edition Acura NSX Type S? Try the quickest. Boasting a new lap record of 1:35.663 at Long Beach, beating the current stock NSX by nearly 3 seconds, the Type S is now the fastest production car around the California circuit.
And that says a lot for this, the swan song edition of the second generation NSX. Not seen as the most desirable supercar on the block over its five year life cycle, Acura wanted to go out on a high with what will probably be the last gasoline powered supercar in the firm’s lineup. With the new lap record, Acura has certainly picked up some much-needed street cred.
The Type S’s record lap time was nearly 3 seconds faster than its predecessor.
And to achieve that feat, the theme appears to have been ‘carbon-fiber’ and performance tweaks. The NSX employs one of the most complex powertrains in supercar-dom. Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 with twin turbos and three electric motors, the new uprated Type S version of this 4-wheel-drive coupe pumps out 520hp and 443lb-ft. With only 27 extra horses over the standard model, newer and faster flowing injectors and uprated intercoolers help to give it total output of 600hp and 492 lb-ft of torque.
Some 57 pounds of weight was shaved off thanks to carbon ceramic brakes, a carbon-fiber engine cover and carbon cabin trim. Acura also says that the Intelligent Power Unit that powers the motors is used more efficiently and that battery power is up by 20 percent. Meanwhile, chassis changes for the Type S included wider tracks, as well as restyled aero parts, new gearbox software for quicker down shifts and bespoke grippier Pirelli P-Zero tires.
When asked about his record lap, pilot Ricky Taylor said, “the Type S is remarkably easy to control at the limit. It’s perfectly suited for a track like this where there is so little margin for error.”
But if you want one of these ‘record holding’ limited edition Acuras, you’d better be quick. The company will make just 350 Type S models, 300 of which are allocated for North America. Starting at $169,500, the Lightweight Package version, including the carbon-fiber highlights, lifts the price tag to $182,500.