Low Mileage 2017 Acura NSX Racing to California Collector’s Auction

2017 Acura NSX will be an interesting auction experiment as new NSX market continues to see tepid response.

While flipping through the RM Sotheby’s listings for the upcoming auction event at the Peterson Automotive Museum, we came across two different Acura NSX supercars being sold by the same person. One is serial number 222 from the 1991 model year and this one is serial number 223 from the 2017 model year. After the owner bought, drove and loved his first generation NSX, he purchased this second generation car with a sequential serial number to bookend his collection. Next month, both will be sold to the highest bidder in California.

Second Time Around

The original Acura NSX is one Japan’s greatest supercars and it is arguably the greatest of the Japanese supercars of that era. The mid-engine, rear-drive configuration allowed the NSX to compete in class and in performance with the European competitors while the plush interior allowed the low-slung supercar to fit appropriately in the luxury brand.

When the company introduced the second generation NSX for 2017, it was another mid-engine supercar with a plush cabin, but there were big changes under the bodywork. Rather than a naturally-aspirated V6 sending power to the rear wheels by means of a manual transmission, the new car features a twin turbocharged V6, a trio of electric motors, an advanced all-wheel-drive system and a dual clutch transmission.

The mid-mounted V6 drives the rear wheels with the help of one electric motor while the other two electric units power the front wheels, all working together to deliver 573 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque. This system allows the new NSX to dash from a stop to 60 miles per hour in roughly three seconds while covering the quarter mile in the low-11-second range.

While the second generation Acura NSX is markedly more high tech, it is clearly a drastic step from the original while once again being one of the leading performance cars from Japan. However, it is possibly because of this that the new NSX market has struggled to find traction, and dealers are reportedly slashing prices from the original MSRP. Thus, we are curious how this car will fair on the auction block.

2017 Number 223

The details on this car is brief, but we know that this 2017 Acura NSX serial number 223 is “lavishly optioned.” In addition to the premium Casino White Pearl paint, this supercar is fitted with optional features including the carbon fiber interior package, the carbon fiber exterior sport package, the carbon fiber rear spoiler, semi-Aniline leather sport seats, a carbon fiber engine cover, ceramic brakes with black calipers, signature Y-spoke black wheels, and the technology package. If you build a 2019 NSX with all of those options on the company website right now, you come to a price of just under $190,000.

The RM Soethby’s website expects that this car will sell for somewhere in the area of $125,000 to $150,000. If the car sells for the lower end of that range, the new owner will have saved over $60,000 over buying a brand new car in exchange for 2,700 miles of previous use. That seems like a pretty good deal to us, provided that you are shopping for a loaded Casino White Pearl NSX. Even if the bidding climbs into the higher end of the expected range, the buyer will still save thousands over buying brand new.

Again, this car will roll across the block of the Peterson Automotive Museum auction on Saturday, December 8, 2018. We will be watching closely, as should you. A $100,000 (or less) NSX suddenly seems very enticing, indeed.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com