When we saw Robert Downy Jr. turn up to the Avengers movie premier in the spring of 2012 piloting an Acura NSX convertible, we were convinced it was a one-off stunt to promote Iron Man’s new supercar. Turns out, though, Acura was giving us a glimpse at a drop-top variant of its forthcoming hybrid supercar.
That’s right. Acura plans to rip the roof of the NSX, creating a roadster, spider, convertible, or drop-top version, depending on how you care to refer to it.
Although the broader concept has been agreed upon by Acura brass, what form the NSX Roadster – that’s the one I’m going with – will actually take is still up in the air. Principal NSX Designer Jun Goto told Autocar that the Japanese automaker isn’t sure if it’ll fit a hard- or soft-top to the all-new incarnation of its iconic supercar.
While I am sure Acura’s clever enough to create a distinctive hardtop convertible, I’d really rather see a soft-top, as there’s just something timeless about a soft spider roof.
Not only would the cloth roof bring a classic look to the all-new Japanese supercar, it will also bring some much-needed lightness to the hybrid-powered, all-wheel drive rocket ship.
Although the all-new NSX will be powered by a twin-turbo V6, which is aided by three electric motors, I can only assume the mass of aluminum pistons and sensors is a hefty beast indeed. Add to that curb weight some extra scaffolding to keep the topless NSX rigid in the corners, and a complicated retractable hardtop could make the thing heavy on a cosmic scale.
Regardless, looking at the images of the conceptualized NSX Roadster and I almost wishing Acura designers had planned it as an open-air convertible from the get-go. If you can’t get sunburn your bald spot in your $300,000 hybrid supercar, what’s the point?
(Main photo credit: Cardiction) (Secondary photo credit: EGMCartech)
