The NSX is going out with a bang.
Honda is ending production of its high-performance hybrid supercar, and will end its run with the return of the Type S.
Model year 2022 will be the NSX’s last, and every NSX produced at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio will be a Type S.
The company has released a single teaser image and video of the model ahead of its August 12 debut at Monterey Car Week.
It has yet to confirm technical specifications other than it’ll use an “enhanced version” of the NSX’s twin-turbo V6 and Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system.
Just 350 examples will be produced, with 300 staying in the United States where the NSX is sold under Honda’s luxury brand name, Acura.
The regular NSX’s 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine is mated to three electric motors, a battery pack and a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Total system output is 427kW of power and 646Nm of torque, though it weighs a substantial 1780kg due to the extra bulk of the hybrid components.
The Type S could feature some lightweight modifications in addition to expected changes like unique wheels. Other changes could include a modified exhaust and suspension and larger brakes.
Acura (and by extension, Honda) says it isn’t done with sports cars.
“Acura is a performance brand, a company of enthusiasts, and we will continue moving forward, actively investigating what the next generation of sports cars should be in an electrified era,” said vice president and Acura brand officer Jon Ikeda.
It’ll be the first time a Type S version of the NSX has been sold outside of Japan, and coincides with Acura’s reintroduction of the sporty nameplate on its TLX mid-sized sedan and large MDX crossover.
Honda produced 209 examples of the first-generation NSX Type S between 1997 and 2001.
It featured a mix of lightweight and cosmetic enhancements, including BBS aluminium wheels, a lightweight rear spoiler, Recaro carbon-kevlar seats upholstered in leather and Alcantara, a lighter battery, and manual rack-and-pinion steering. It also used a thicker rear sway bar and stiffer front dampers.
The changes shaved 45kg off the weight, though you could add much of this back on by ticking the option boxes for things like power steering.
The US market received a similar model called the Alex Zanardi Edition, named after the race car driver, of which just 51 examples were produced.
Honda also produced 30 examples of the Type S-Zero for Japan, which deleted features like cruise control, airbags, and a stereo and removed much of the sound deadening to cut total weight by 50kg over the Type S.
The current generation of NSX entered production in 2016.
Honda Australia discontinued it in 2020, with just nine examples sold here during its run. Global NSX sales since its introduction are sitting at just over 2500.
MORE: Everything Honda NSX
