Acura gave us a thinly veiled preview of future NSX variants during the annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb that took place last month. The Honda-owned manufacturer entered the race with an ultra-light version of the coupe, and with an all-electric variant (pictured) powered by four individual motors. Ted Klaus, the head of the NSX project, told British magazine Autocar that the lighter model highlights the direction that Acura will take the NSX in.
Previous rumors claim the Japanese automaker is looking into building a back-to-the-basics, track-oriented version of the NSX powered exclusively by a 3.5-liter V6 engine. All of the bulky hybrid tech — including the three electric motors and the battery pack — will be tossed out in order to shed as much weight as possible, and Acura will put the NSX on a diet by building numerous components out of carbon fiber and stripping down the cabin. The model could wear the storied Type R nameplate.
A more pure version of the NSX that retains the hybrid drivetrain could slot beneath the standard model as an entry-level offering. Klaus added that there’s an appetite for such a model within Honda. The coupe could ditch the V6 altogether, too, but an electric model is at least several years away from hitting showrooms.
Finally, the NSX could go topless. It’s too early to tell whether it would use a fully retractable cloth soft top, or a removable targa top like the original NSX that was built during the 1990s. Either way, a convertible NSX would undoubtedly prove immensely popular in key high-volume markets such as the United States.
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In short, no variant is off the table right now. And while it’s unclear when the different variants of the NSX will start to arrive, we’re willing to bet that we’ll hear more about what the future has in store for Acura’s famed sports car during the 2016-2017 auto show season, which is scheduled to kick off this fall in Paris.
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