2019 Acura NSX Track Test Bowmanville, Ont. Visit Acuras website, click on the models tab at the top of the page, and the companys models will pop up below, categorized by type. Youll find a column of sedans, a couple of SUVs, and a supercar. Acura is the only Japanese manufacturer to list a supercar in its model lineup, and its the only Japanese company currently offering any vehicle at anything approaching $200K.Supercar CredentialsAnd the 2019 Acura NSX is a bona fide supercar; if its low-slung, streamlined silhouette doesnt tip you off that it is, its $189,900 starting price will. As will its spec sheet. Its mid-engine-mounted 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 combines with three electric motors to produce a total of 573 horsepower and 476 lb.-ft. of torque. One electric motor mounts to the rear of the engine, which drives the rear wheels through a nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The remaining two electric motors drive the front wheels, one motor each. This effectively makes the NSX an all-wheel drive hybrid, and which power unit drives what depends entirely on which of the four drive modes are selected (Quiet, Sport, Sport +, Track) and whats going on at the wheel. Track Tested, Costa ApprovedWere testing the NSX at a special event held at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Driver Development track. While the Development track lacks the high-speed sections of the longer Grand Prix circuit, it does offer a highly technical course that tests the cars handling, brakes, and corner-exit thrust. Were also treated to a few hot laps in an NSX GT3 Evo race car, driven by 17-year-old former kart driver Antonio Serravelle, who currently competes in the Indy Pro 2000 championship.Electrification makes the NSX porky by supercar standards, weighing between 1,725 and 1,800 kg depending on the trim. Despite the extra heft of the added batteries and electric motors, the NSX is a brutally fast car. Its manufacturer claims just 2.7 seconds to go from zero to 100 km/h and it feels as quick. What really helps it blast out of corners is the all-wheel drive assistance of the electric motors. The NSX sinks you deep into the seat exiting every turn, and keeps doing so each time a steering-wheel paddle is pulled to gear up. This is especially exemplified after a stint in the passenger seat of the GT3 race car. While the roll-cage and slick-tire equipped NSX weighs about 485 kg less than its street-oriented sibling, it lacks the forceful punch coming out of corners, taking time to build revs before it sinks you into the seat. Make no mistake: its a faster car with much more grip, diving deeper and harder into corners, and maintaining higher cornering speeds than the street car. But the latter certainly feels faster just based on the seat of the pants.Point and shootAnd it handles remarkably well. My test car is equipped with sticky Pirelli P Zero tires, as well as the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, both of which facilitate better racetrack outings. A multitude of electronics are doing things in the background in Sport + mode (Track mode works best with slicks, were told), including managing the electric motors, and the torque vectoring at the four wheels. This helps the car steer precisely, masking its weight well, and as long as youre looking where you want to be on the track, the NSX takes you there with little need for correction. It feels balanced, neither over- or under-steering unless it is coaxed to do so, either deliberately or by driver error.it is almost flawless.And those optional brakes! You can hammer on the pedal repeatedly, lap after lap, and it loses neither feel nor power. The composite brakes are, however, a $12,700 option, and if you never take your NSX to the track, theyre an option you can overlook.Driving the NSX near its limit on a racetrack revealed that it is almost flawless. Unfortunately, this test didnt include any street time, and though Im far for complaining, some time in a more normal driving environment would surely reveal some other aspects of this car that should be equally as
Origin: Is the Acura NSX too heavy to be a great track car?