Why did Acura stop making the NSX?
The NSX was discontinued after the 2022 model year due to a combination of modest sales, high development and production costs, and a strategic pivot toward electrified vehicles and SUVs within Acura’s lineup.
In detail, the decision reflected the realities of a niche, high-cost performance model within a broader corporate plan to accelerate electrification and reallocate resources to more mainstream, profitable vehicles and new EV platforms. The NSX’s two-generation history illustrates how market demand, technology costs, and corporate strategy intersected to end the model’s run.
Factors that led to the end of NSX production
The following factors collectively pushed Acura to retire the NSX and focus on other priorities in its portfolio.
- Limited market appeal for a high-cost, low-volume halo model in a changing luxury performance segment.
- Significant development and production costs associated with a complex hybrid drivetrain and a specialized manufacturing process.
- A strategic shift within Honda/Acura to accelerate electrification and expand SUVs/CUVs, which offer stronger volume and profitability.
- Resource allocation decisions to fund next-generation platforms and EV programs rather than sustaining a niche model with uncertain long-term return.
- Supply chain pressures and the general headwinds facing premium performance cars, including semiconductor shortages and component constraints.
- The NSX Type S, released as the final limited edition in 2022, underscored that the model was entering a concluding phase rather than a revival plan.
Taken together, these factors led Acura to discontinue the NSX while continuing to pursue a broader strategy of electrified performance and a refreshed product lineup.
NSX timeline: a look at the two generations
Understanding the NSX requires a quick look at its history, from the original car to the modern hybrid version and its ultimate conclusion.
- 1990: The original NSX debuts, establishing Acura as a maker of mid-engine, aluminum-intensive performance with a lightweight design and a V6 engine.
- 2005: Production of the first-generation NSX ends after a 15-year run, leaving a long gap before a new NSX would reappear.
- 2012–2015: Concept and development phases for a next-generation NSX signal the return of Acura’s performance halo, with emphasis on hybrid technology.
- 2016: The second-generation NSX goes on sale, featuring a hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbo V6 with three electric motors and advanced electronics.
- 2022: The NSX Type S is released as the final, limited-edition variant, marking the end of new NSX variants and foreshadowing the close of production.
- 2022–2023: Acura confirms the NSX will not continue beyond the 2022 model year, and the brand pivots toward electrified and SUV-focused models.
The timeline shows how the NSX evolved from a groundbreaking but costly halo car into a concluding chapter for Acura’s performance-focused strategy, aligned with a broader move to electrification.
What this means for Acura's future
With the NSX no longer in production, Acura is directing energy toward electrified acceleration and a refreshed lineup that emphasizes SUVs and crossovers, as well as new performance variants that align with a global shift to cleaner powertrains.
Industry watchers note that Acura’s future will likely feature more electric and hybrid models, ongoing performance-oriented variants (such as Type S badges on select models), and a continued push into the luxury SUV segment. The NSX’s departure signals a broader strategic emphasis on scalability, profitability, and the company’s ability to compete in an era of electrification and increasing competition from established luxury brands.
Summary
Acura stopped making the NSX after the 2022 model year due to a combination of modest sales, high development and production costs, and a strategic realignment toward electrified vehicles and higher-volume models. The two-generation history of the NSX—originally launched in 1990 and revived in 2016 as a hybrid supercar—highlights the challenges of sustaining a niche halo car in a rapidly changing market. As Acura moves forward, its focus remains on electrification, SUVs, and selective high-performance variants, signaling a clear shift away from standalone halo cars toward a broader, electrified future.
