2017 NSX Named Road & Track’s Performance Car of the Year
The Acura NSX has been named Road & Track‘s 2017 Performance Car of the Year, besting eight of the world’s finest sports cars by exceeding expectations on more areas than one.
I’ve personally had the chance to hop into the new NSX and go at it on a road course, and it’s fair to say that it blew me away many times more than I expected. That’s something which I’m sure the A-list journalists at the iconic Road & Track magazine figured out rather quickly, and then some.
“Every aspect of the new NSX—acceleration, braking and cornering—is a precise, new experience,” said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of Acura. “Having the NSX recognized by Road & Track‘s esteemed group of evaluators is not only a great honor for the car, but a testament to the skill, determination and challenging spirit of our team—we are immensely proud.”
While one could argue that not many “supercars” were unveiled in 2016 in comparison to other years, it’s worth mentioning that the NSX’s biggest rivals were both hot off the assembly line this year, and took part in the magazine’s testing regime. Of course, I’m referring to the Nissan GTR, which underwent a performance, interior and exterior design revision. And the new and very hot Audi R8 V10. Yet, the NSX managed to beat them all in their performance evaluation.
According to the feature in Road & Track, “For the first time in a hybrid automobile of any price or capability, technology has been placed firmly in the service of emotional involvement rather than in place of it.” It goes on to say, “Everything about the car—from the way in which the brake-by-wire pedal lengthens its travel when the brakes are hot to the manner in which the mid-mounted V-6 permits itself a bit of the ol’ barbaric yawp when it’s winding out in fourth gear—is intended to enhance the driver’s involvement.”
Great job, Honda!