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Acura NSX electric revival? 'I would bet on it'

This year marks the end of the Acura NSX as we know it. Its swan song, the 600-horsepower 2022 Type S, saw only 300 made for the U.S. market, and all of them sold out in 24 hours. It's barely disappeared over the horizon, but Acura's V.P. and brand officer is already previewing the NSX's third act. Speaking with Nikkei Asia, Jon Ikeda was asked whether a third generation NSX was forthcoming. "I would bet on it," he said. Ikeda also predicted that if the wager lands in his favor, "it's going to be [all-]electric." This falls in line with statements Ikeda made a year ago. At the time, he explained that the NSX emerges when parent company Honda wants to make a statement: The first generation was Honda's vision for an F1-derived petrol-powered supercar; the second generation arrived as an affordable hybrid halo car in the age of gasoline-electrics. He didn't elaborate on the third generation's powertrain back then, but this time Ikeda was more adamant about electric power.  Part of Ikeda's certainty, the article states, comes from global CEO Toshihiro Mibe's commitment to electrify Honda's lineup. Soon after taking the top job in April 2021, Mibe announced plans to convert Honda's entire lineup to EVs and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2040. As for what kind of car an electric NSX would be, Ikeda has some ideas. "It won't be just about straight lines," he told Nikkei Asia. Blistering acceleration is already common in the electric supercar world, so Acura would need to bring something novel to the table. Ikeda wants the NSX to be a technological showcase for ultimate handling as well, something the outgoing NSX did with its driver-focused Super Handling AWD system.  We've long bemoaned how the new breed of electrified supercars have incredible specs on paper, but somehow don't feel as engaging to drive. That's a niche Acura could fill. In the often contentious give and take between American Honda and Honda Motor's engineering departments, the Japan mothership tends to win out. However, these days Honda barely sells anything beyond kei cars in Japan. It's up to leaders like Ikeda and those who understand the U.S. market to drag the company toward the performance-minded engineering philosophies Old Man Soichiro founded his business on. Related video:

Acura sold all 300 of the NSX Type S, reportedly in 24 hours

If you were hoping to nab one of the last Acura NSX supercars, Acura has confirmed to Autoblog that it has already sold out the entire allocation of 300 NSX Type S models that were slated for America. However, you might still have a remote chance. "We have seen tremendous interest in the 2022 NSX Type S following its debut at Monterey Car Week. At this time, confirmed orders have far surpassed the 300-unit allocation for the U.S. market, and new orders received are being added to a waitlist," an Acura spokesperson told us. That might be an understatement, as Motor1 is reporting a Black-Friday-esque rush that cleared the shelves in 24 hours and a waiting list of more than 100. While Acura has never planned to assign the NSX to the role of moneymaker — there are RDX and MDX crossovers for that — sales of the hybrid supercar have been shockingly low. Year-to-date sales figures for July 2021 (the last metric prior to Acura's August announcement that the NSX would be canceled) crawled along at just 67 examples sold, not too far off from last year's 70. The year-to-date number for August leaped up to 98, a significant jump from last year's 73. A personal anecdote may explain why the sellout occurred so quickly. My brother, owner of a 1993 NSX, went to a Los Angeles-area Acura dealer to inquire about the 2022 Type S. The salesperson told him that the dealer was only getting one and that it had already been spoken for — by the dealership's owner. With 273 Acura stores in the U.S. and only 300 cars, if other owners are similarly minded it may be almost impossible for the average buyer to get a Type S without paying a premium over the $171,495 price tag. Hopefully, though, buyers won't have to pay more than the $1 million bid that someone made for the first NSX Type S. The Type S has 600 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque, a 27 pony and 16 pound-feet bonus over the standard NSX, in addition to a 58-pound weight reduction and GT3 race car-derived tuning. While that alone could compel some buyers to spring for the Type S, we're willing to bet that it's the limited production and end-of-run factors that are contributing to demand. If you miss out, though, you can always wait for the third generation. Related video:

Acura NSX is industry's first supercar with a female design lead

Michelle Christensen. Unless you've been casting about the web for some behind-the-scenes takes on recent exotic car launches or were unusually curious during the early days of the sport crossover trend, her name probably means nothing to you. She grew up in Northern California, where her family drag-raced. Venerables like the 1932 Ford, Plymouth GTX, and Dodge Super Bee rolled through her family garage. And Christensen grew up designing prom dresses for friends and dreaming of working in a pit crew. In fact, she didn't even realize car design was a real profession until junior high, when her father pointed out Chip Foose at a car show. After that, she was hooked, so she went to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where she reimagined the Plymouth Barracuda as her senior project. Today, Christensen can add the title of lead exterior designer on the 2016 Acura NSX to her resume. The first woman to lead the shape of a supercar, Christensen actually opened up her "First!" account with Acura in 2005 when the company swooped her up the night of graduation and she became its first female exterior car designer. Her first sketch on the job was a concept for the ZDX, and the bigwigs chose her design for production. She joined the NSX team after the mid-engined concept was introduced at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, replacing the front-engined V10 concept (we encourage you to go back and look at what was versus what is). Christensen thereafter led a crew of eight through a rework of the sheetmetal, with the focus being to keep the "emotional, 3-D kind of feeling." Reminiscing about her family's utterly unadorned '32 Ford hot rod, she said the NSX team was committed to keeping the design simple and light. Wind tunnel work led to larger bumper, hood and side intakes for better airflow on the production model. That, along with a switch in engine position, gave them a chance to go aggressive and to not only "punch more holes in it and make it more exotic," but also "take it to the gym and beef it up." In line with its decidedly un-retro rebirth, the third brake light that runs across the decklid is about the only nod to its predecessor. At age 34, we're certain we haven't seen the last of Christensen or her designs. Related Video: