2022 Acura NSX Type S debuts at Monterey Car Week with 600HP V6 engine

The 2022 Acura NSX Type S made its debut at Monterey Car Week on a rather blissful note. The most potent iteration of Acura's hybrid supercar commemorates the NSX's final year of production. Despite this, it intends to leave an indelible mark in the eyes and hearts of enthusiasts worldwide. It is, after all, a Type S.

"NSX is an incredible success story for Acura, leading to the reestablishment of Acura as a performance brand and setting the stage for the return of Type S," said Jon Ikeda, Vice President and Acura Brand Officer. "We're a company of enthusiasts, and we're already investigating what the next generation of sports cars should be in the coming electrified era." We were expecting those words from Jon Ikeda, as the electrified NSX Type S is one step closer to realizing the zero-emissions, all-electric dream.

We'll cross the bridge when we get there. For now, let's focus on the newest NSX Type S. We previously said we wouldn't take less than 650 horsepower for the NSX Type S, and Acura seemed to hear our pleas. However, the brand fell short of expectations – 50 horsepowers short, to be exact.

The NSX Type S has the same 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 gasoline engine with three electric motors. It now has 600 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque, better than the outgoing NSX's 500 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The gas engine has new fuel injectors (25-percent better flow), new intercoolers (15-percent more efficient), and new turbochargers derived from the NSX GT3 Evo (higher boost pressure from 15.2 to 16.1 psi).

There's more. Acura engineers optimized the Twin Motor Unit (TMU) on the front wheels by lowering the gear ratio to 10.382:1 from 8.050:1. The result is 20-percent more low-end torque to deliver blazing-fast acceleration. Combined with a 20-percent higher usable battery capacity and 10-percent higher battery output, the NSX Type S has a combined 600 horsepower and 492 pound-feet at its disposal, around 27 more horsepower than a non-Type S NSX.

All that power goes through a recalibrated nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, which now has a Rapid Downshift Mode that allows you to execute near-perfect heel-and-toe downshifts like the late, great Ayrton Senna. In actuality, the system can skip several gears at a time by holding down the downshift paddle for 0.6-seconds without needing to click (and headcount) across individual gears. Upon holding the paddle, the transmission selects the lowest possible gear for the vehicle's speed, resulting in seamless acceleration when blasting through the curves.

The gearbox even has new programming for the Sport and Sport+ driving modes to engage the clutch 50-percent faster when gunning through the gears. And in Track mode, the rev threshold is 1,500 rpm higher to let divers activate downshifts earlier when decelerating.

Style-wise, the 2022 Acura NSX Type S has a more aggressive vibe. It has a redesigned fascia with more prominent air intakes, a larger front grille, and many carbon fiber go-fast appendages to complete the race-ready look. It has a new lip spoiler, rear spoiler, side sills, and a rear diffuser, all made of lightweight carbon fiber. Acura engineers painstakingly optimized the Type S's Total Airflow Management system to make it slipperier than a dolphin underwater.

In addition, the Lightweight Package adds a high-gloss carbon-fiber engine cover, carbon-ceramic brakes, and carbon interior accents, enough to reduce curb weight by 57.8 pounds (26.2 kg). The NSX Type S is available in ten paint colors, including a new limited-edition Gotham Gray finish.

Standard in the NSX Type S are new forged alloy wheels (with a bigger negative offset to deliver a wicked stance), six-piston front and four-piston Brembo brakes, and custom P-Zero tires developed exclusively by Pirelli for the NSX Type S. Inside, it has an Alcantara headliner, contrasting stitching on comfy Alcantara or Semi-Aniline leather seats, and embossed Type S logos on the glove compartment and headrests.

The best news? The 2022 Acura NSX Type S is available to order now, but you better hurry. Acura is only producing 350 units for global distribution, and only 300 will make it to the United States. Pricing starts at around $169,500 for the NSX Type S, while the NSX Type S with the Lightweight Package starts at a cool $182,500.