The Honda NSX Type S is a 608 hp swansong to the reborn cult icon

Honda has announced that it will be sunsetting the second-generation NSX at the end of 2022, just six years after the model was first unveiled. To see out the model, Honda has just unveiled the NSX Type S at the Monterey Car Week as its one last hurrah – and we’ve gotta say, what a way to send off the reborn cult icon.

The main upgrade for this run-out model is in the performance department. Specifically, the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 hybrid powertrain now churns out a total of 608 hp and 667 Nm of torque, 27 hp and 22 Nm more than the regular NSX.

The power bump is largely thanks to new turbochargers that are borrowed from the NSX GT3 Evo race car, with a 6% increase in boost pressure. There are also new fuel injectors and improved intercoolers, and on the electric side, the batteries now have a 20% bump in capacity, and 10% increase in output.

Honda has also tweaked the NSX Type S’ nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox, with a new gear ratio of 8.050:1 (down from 10.382:1). The gearbox can now apparently up-shift by up to 50% quicker, and also has a new Rapid Downshift Mode that allows it to skip gears when moving to a smaller cog.

Watch the old and new Honda NSX battle it out in a touge battle!

Other upgrades come in the form of retuned dampers, updated ECU software, new five-split-spoke forged alloy (in matte Shark Grey or gloss Berlina Black) for a 10- and 20-mm wider track front and back, and new bespoke Pirelli P Zero tyres that offers up to 6% more lateral grip.

And on top of that, there are also new aerodynamic devices in the form of new front splitters, side sills, rear spoiler, and a new rear diffuser that’s modelled after the GT3 Evo race car. All in, Honda claims that the new Type S laps the Suzuka Circuit a whopping two seconds faster than the outgoing NSX – not bad at all for a final upgrade.

On the aesthetics end, the Honda NSX has been given a pretty significant makeover for the Type S, particularly on the front fascia. There’s a new hexagonal grille that’s paired to a sharper nose, while at the back, the rear bumpers have also been significantly reworked with more angular vents at the side, surrounding the aforementioned new carbon fibre diffuser.

The head- and tail-lights are both darkened, alongside the blacked-out wing mirrors, door handles, exhaust tips, and badges. The roof is now made with carbon fibre as standard, and customers can also opt for a Lightweight Package with carbon fibre engine cover, interior trims, and carbon-ceramic brake discs that supposedly drop the kerb weight by 26.2 kg.

Some good news instead: Honda is bringing back the Integra next year! Read more about it here.

Just 350 units of the new Honda NSX Type S will be built, and it’s the only variant that Honda is making for the rest of the model’s life, until end-2022. 300 out of the total is earmarked for the United States (wearing the Acura badge), and 70 of them in the new Gotham Gray exterior colour. So long, NSX.

GALLERY