Acura bid farewell to the NSX in April with the unveiling of a $169,500 Type S epilogue limited to just 350 cars. However, mere days after the world premiere, Vice President and Brand Officer Jon Ikeda hinted the performance machine would return at some point in the future as an electric model. Fast forward to this week, the very same person reiterated the plan for a third-generation NSX in an interview with the weekly news magazine Nikkei Asia.
When asked about the prospects of a new flagship sports car, Jon Ikeda said: "I would bet on it," adding that "it's going to be electric." Acura's VP went on to say the performance machine without a combustion engine "won't be just about straight lines." He also acknowledged it's not up to him to decide the NSX's comeback, suggesting that is likely going to be the responsibility of Honda President and CEO Toshihiro Mibe.
2023 Acura NSX Type S: Driving Notes
Interestingly, Nikkei Asia cites people familiar with Acura's agenda saying an all-electric NSX could arrive as early as 2026 when the parent company will introduce its dedicated Honda e:Architecture. However, nothing is official at this point so take this piece of unconfirmed information with the proverbial pinch of salt. The fact Jon Ikeda is quite vocal about the model's return just months after the Type S made its debut suggests the company won't be giving up on the fabled nameplate.
For the time being, the two Japanese brands have bigger fish to fry as Honda is preparing the 2024 Prologue and Acura the ZDX, complete with a Type S. The two EVs will ride on the Ultium platform developed by General Motors. Acura's first electric vehicle on the Honda e:Architecture will go on sale in 2026.
Meanwhile, enthusiasts with a soft spot for gas engines can buy the new Civic Type R or wait for the Integra Type S that was seemingly spied for the first time last week. Of course, the future is electric (be it with batteries or a hydrogen fuel cell) as Honda has pledged to drop the ICE altogether by 2040.
