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Virtual revival: a retro NSX concept appears
A recent CGI render imagining a 2027 Acura/Honda NSX has ignited conversation among sports car fans. Created by designer Evrim Ozgun and posted as a short YouTube clip, the concept leans heavily on nostalgia, borrowing styling cues from the original NSX era and even reintroducing pop-up headlights, a feature long absent from modern production cars.
Design that flirts with the past
The render is compact compared with the second-generation NSX, featuring a vented front hood and integrated daytime running lights that sit low in a new bumper treatment. Rear quarter-panel intakes hint at a mid-engine layout, and the nose carries a subtle NSX badge while a backlit emblem at the rear doubles as a central brake light. Tail design is intricate: a thin light strip across the lower bumper and triangular lamps worked into a prominent rear wing. Rounded twin tailpipes emerging from a four-fin diffuser signal that this imagined car uses an internal combustion engine rather than being a pure EV.
Why pop-up headlights are unlikely in reality
As evocative as pop-ups are, modern pedestrian safety regulations and active hood designs make them almost impossible to return to production cars. The render is creative fantasy rather than a production preview, but it does spark questions about how heritage design can be translated into today’s regulatory and aerodynamic constraints.
Performance hints and the EV question
Although the visual cues suggest an ICE sports car, the render clashes with Honda and Acura’s public plans to explore electric sports car technology. The automaker has tested several EV prototypes and hybrid systems, but has been cautious about launching an electric NSX successor, citing timing and market readiness. That uncertainty suggests a future NSX, whether hybrid or electric, remains delayed and without a confirmed debut date.
Context: The last NSX and where the model stands
The NSX nameplate exited the market in 2022 with a limited-run Type S. Production for the Type S was strictly capped — 300 units for the United States and roughly 50 for other markets. The Type S combined a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 with three electric motors in a hybrid setup, producing around 600 horsepower and roughly 667 Nm (492 lb-ft) of torque. Priced well into the six figures, the Type S still sold out quickly, demonstrating strong demand among collectors and performance buyers despite its high MSRP.
Highlights:
- Designer: Evrim Ozgun (CGI render)
- Styling: Retro cues, pop-up headlights, pronounced rear wing
- Powertrain cues: Twin tailpipes indicate ICE orientation in the render
- Market reality: Acura/Honda exploring EVs but no confirmed NSX successor date
Whether or not the next NSX will ever embrace such overt retro styling remains doubtful, but this concept underlines a recurring tension in the industry: balancing brand heritage with strict safety rules, aerodynamic efficiency, and the shift toward electrification. For now, the render is a compelling piece of digital design that reminds enthusiasts why the NSX name still matters.
Source: autoevolution
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