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2020 Acura NSX leads this month's list of discounts

With its 573-horsepower hybrid powertrain and 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds, there's no doubt that the Acura NSX is an impressive machine. As its production numbers and pricing adjustments attest, however, it's not a big seller. And this month, Acura's high-end coupe has a larger monetary discount than any other vehicle in America. Buyers of the 2020 Acura NSX are scoring an average cut of $19,659 off the car's $159,530 sticker price. That equals a 12.3% savings for an average transaction price of $139,871. That's still a hefty chunk of change, but it's a reasonable sum for a vehicle with the NSX's performance chops. The next two vehicles in order of largest discounts follow the same luxury performance coupe trend. The Audi R8 is a much pricier vehicle than the NSX, which means its $16,146 discount only represents 8% off its average $200,086 sticker, but we doubt buyers are complaining. Next up is the BMW M8, a vehicle that has been at or near the top of this list more than once. The M8's average discount of $15,403 represents a 10.4% savings off its $148,880 retail price. Interestingly, that puts the M8 and NSX within a few thousand dollars of each other. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Related Video:

2022 Acura MDX Type S specs boast 355-hp turbo V6, air suspension

Details have finally emerged about the new 2022 Acura MDX Type S. Positioned as the performance-oriented member of the MDX range, the midsize luxury SUV gains a turbocharged V6, Brembo brakes, an air suspension, and a longer list of standard features. Acura takes the heritage-laced "Type S" designation seriously; the badge also appears on the NSX and on the TLX. While we love the thought of an NSX-powered MDX, it's the TLX that was asked to provide its engine. Power comes from a new 3.0-liter V6 that's turbocharged to 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Acura points out these figures make the MDX Type S the most powerful crossover or SUV it has ever released. The six-cylinder spins all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission that has been redesigned to provide quicker shifts, and a Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system programmed to send up to 70% of the engine's torque to the rear wheels. And, as always for Acura's SH-AWD, 100% of that torque can be sent to the left or the right wheel (aka torque vectoring). Acura's first air suspension system appears on the MDX Type S. Adaptive and adjustable, the setup relies on data sent by an armada of sensors and on user input to make the ride sporty, comfortable, or anything in between. Using air springs also allowed Acura to give the Type S a lift mode, which increases the ground clearance by about 2 inches when users need to drive in deep snow or on rough terrain. Next, engineers turned their attention to the brakes. Brembo provided four-piston front calipers designed to work with rotors that are about half an inch bigger than the standard MDX's, and Acura points out that it tuned the electric-servo system to give the Type S a pedal stroke that's similar to the NSX's. The red calipers fitted to both axles are visible through 21-inch wheels wrapped by Continental ContiSeal self-sealing tires. Painting the calipers red was purely an aesthetic decision, but many of the other design changes that help the Type S stand out from the regular MDX serve a purpose. For example, the engine bay receives about 10% more air thanks to a redesigned grille. And, the vents on either side of the front bumper direct cooling air to a pair of sub-radiators mounted on either side of the engine bay. Some of these functional changes aren't immediately visible: Acura went as far as relocating the battery to the trunk to improve weight distribution.

2019 Honda S2000 roadster rumors swell

Our friends over at Car and Driver have been speculating about a possible S2000 roadster from an unnamed insider source. While there's not much to go on, it certainly squares with a steady drumbeat of sporty car innuendo surrounding the company. Let's briefly connect the dots and see if a Honda S2000 might be on the way by 2018, as the rumor says. The little roadster pictured above? Definitely not what a new S2000 would look like. That's the S660, which is sold in Japan and shares some components with the N-Box and N-One microcars. As we told you last year, after some hints that it would come to the US, Honda's brass decided it was too small. That was disappointing, but probably the right call. On the other hand, Honda finally brought out the 2017 Acura NSX, which may have its flaws but still represents a unique platform that the company spent a great deal of yen building ( in Ohio, by the way). It's that bit that the rumor hinges on: Honda's willingness to develop unique platforms for its sporty models. It'd need that for an S2000 revival, because there's certainly no Honda model that could donate its underpinnings at this moment. Honda execs have been clear that the company is under pressure from dealers over the lack of verve in the company's lineup. American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel told Automotive News last year that dealers "want anything in the sports car world. They're going, 'Gimme a sports car.' They want a retractable hardtop; they want a high-horsepower $20,000-sports car. Because that's the nature of what they do." Honda is allegedly going to utilize some sunk cost by employing the new Civic Type R's engine in this roadster. That 2.0-liter turbocharged four makes 306 hp in the Civic, and would make slightly less than that in the S2000, according to the rumor. At this stage, these rumors are mostly wishful thinking fanned by the flames of dealer pressure for sporty models. We hope Car and Driver's insider has it right, because the S2000 was a phenomenal car that deserves a follow-up – and Honda deserves more fun cars in its American showrooms. Related Video: Featured Gallery Honda S660: Honda Meeting 2015 View 15 Photos News Source: Car and Driver Rumormill Acura Honda Convertible Performance roadster honda s660 rumors