Type R All the Things: Acura NSX Set to Get Even Hotter

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

Japanese automotive Web site Best Car is truly a driver of the rumor mill when it comes to future sheetmetal that may or may not be produced by the Japanese automakers.

In the site’s crosshairs today: The Acura NSX.

The claims: That there will be a Type R version, and a spider convertible.

The rumored Type R will make around 641 horsepower from upgrades to the twin-turbo V6 and use a lot of carbon fiber to shave off some weight. The report doesn’t mention a hybrid system, like what the current car has, but it’s a good bet the car continues to use that technology.

On the other hand, removing the electric motors that are part of the hybrid system would reduce weight.

That horsepower jump is about 70 from the current car. Torque may increase, but how much is unclear. Any increase will likely be smaller than the horsepower jump.

Other possible changes that would apply to an NSX Type R would include aerodynamic, brake, and chassis upgrades.

If the report is true, the Acura NSX Type R would debut in October 2021. A spider version could follow in December of that year, and what type of removable top it would use remains to be seen. A targa top could be likely.

As is usually the case with these kinds of reports, it’s all rumor at this point, so heaping helpings of salt may be in order. Still, a Type R NSX would likely be even more of a screamer than the current car, and a spider would be right at home on South Beach.

[Image: Acura]

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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 6 comments
  • Cicero Cicero on Sep 15, 2020

    I'll hold my comments until the release of the rumored Acura NSX Type R Eleventy!!!1!11

  • Fred Fred on Sep 15, 2020

    "removing the electric motors that are part of the hybrid system would reduce weight." which is exactly what they do to race the NSX in GT3.

  • Indi500fan Indi500fan on Sep 15, 2020

    From 157,000 USD...makes that from 59,000 Corvette look pretty awesome value-wise. And in 10 yrs they would resale for about the same price.

  • Drew8MR Drew8MR on Sep 15, 2020

    Still never seen one of these on the street. I'll see the Lexus occasionally at least. I see Koeniggseggs and Singers (well, it's just the one Singer, though I see it most days) more often fer Pete's sake.

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