Acura NSX Named Road and Track 2017 Performance Car of the Year

NSX is Performance Car of the Year

Oct 1, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif.

The Acura NSX has been named Road & Track's 2017 Performance Car of the Year, besting eight of the world's finest sports cars by exhibiting a potent mix of performance, style and emotion.

The Acura NSX won this year's competition largely thanks to its unique driving experience. According to the feature in Road & Track, "For the first time in a hybrid automobile of any price or capability, technology has been placed firmly in the service of emotional involvement rather than in place of it." The magazine goes on to say, "Everything about the car-from the way in which the brake-by-wire pedal lengthens its travel when the brakes are hot to the manner in which the mid-mounted V-6 permits itself a bit of the ol' barbaric yawp when it's winding out in fourth gear-is intended to enhance the driver's involvement."

"Every aspect of the new NSX-acceleration, braking and cornering-is a precise, new experience," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of Acura. "Having the NSX recognized by Road & Track's esteemed group of evaluators is not only a great honor for the car, but a testament to the skill, determination and challenging spirit of our team-we are immensely proud."

Now in its fifth year, Road & Track's Performance Car of the Year award is chosen based on testing that takes place over the course of four days, two of which are dedicated to the back roads of Kentucky and Tennessee and two of which are spent on track at the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

To be considered for the competition, cars need to be brand new or significantly revised for 2016. During the four-day testing process, the Road & Track editors and writers evaluate each car based on a combination of emotion, performance and value.

For the performance evaluation, editors take note of acceleration, braking, handling, shift points, sound level and weight, accounting for the weather conditions present during testing. They also evaluate the engine, transmission, drivetrain, steering, tires and brakes.

The 2017 NSX launched in the spring, challenging conventional supercar thinking with a three-motor, 573 horsepower, twin-turbocharged Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) powertraini. Produced exclusively at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio, the Acura NSX is the only supercar manufactured in Americaii.

The 2017 Acura NSX that won the competition featured Valencia Red Pearl Exterior paint with Semi-Aniline Red Leather and Alcantara® Power Seats, the Carbon Fiber Exterior and Interior Sport Package, Premium Audio, Signature Y-Spoke Wheels, Carbon Fiber Roof and Rear Decklid Spoiler, Carbon-Ceramic Rotors with Black Brake Calipers, Pirelli Pzero Trofeo R 245/35ZR 19XL front tires and Pirelli Pzero Trofeo R 305/30ZR 20XL rear tires. The MSRP of the tested 2017 Acura NSX was $201,160. The 2017 Acura NSX starts at $156,000.

The Acura NSX competed against eight other cars: Audi R8 V10 Plus, BMW M4 GTS, Corvette Grand Sport, Jaguar F-Type SVR, Lotus Evora 400, Mercedes-AMG C63 S, Nissan GT-R NISMO and Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Full coverage of Road & Track's Performance Car of the Year can be found in the December/January issue, on newsstands November 15, and online at RoadandTrack.com.