The new 2016 Acura NSX having been somewhat outshined by the 2017 Ford GT at the 2015 edition of the North American International Auto Show, the model’s sleeves are still filled with a few more aces. The most important one will obviously be the expected Type R variant, which was somewhat officially confirmed by Ted Klaus, the chief engineer in charge of the second-generation Acura NSX . Set to arrive in late 2016 or early 2017 at the latest, the new Acura NSX Type R will probably give nightmares to the engineers in charge of the Nissan GT-R R36 , which is also currently in development and should actually arrive before the NSX Type R.
Even though most of the performance figures of the "regular" 2016 NSX are yet to be revealed as of January 2015, taking into account the "over 550 horsepower" it’s supposed to develop and the estimated three seconds it should take to hit 62 mph, the Type R should be one hell of a ride.
The 1991 to 2005 NSX spawned a Type R version about two years into the product-cycle, first as a Japan-only Honda and then as an Acura in the United States as well. With over 250 pounds of weight removed compared to the standard NSX, the Type R offered blistering track performance but a much more low-tech cabin due to its lack of air conditioning and less sound-deadening materials. The new NSX Type R will probably not be as barebones as the first generation though, with most of the performance additives coming from the improved hybrid technology sported by the model.
