2016 Acura NSX
📸: Photo courtesy Caricos.com
This choice will probably be almost as controversial as the last, because the first generation of Acura/Honda's flagship supercar was a tour de force in every sense of the phrase (with perhaps an exception in the powerplant category). But we're picking the new generation NSX as the most beautiful car ever produced by Acura/Honda because... well look at it!
When Acura first hit the scene as the premium luxury division of Honda, their styling was anything but revolutionary; instead, it leaned toward a more conservative look, hoping to attract affluent buyers with great technology at a somewhat reasonable price. When the marque released the remarkable first gen NSX in 1990, they were making a statement that supercars could be both crammed with cutting edge tech while also being easy to drive. That first NSX was appropriately styled for its time: swoopy enough to make young car fans day dream, sexy enough to get well-padded enthusiasts to pay the price.
📸: Photo courtesy Autovina.com
The new NSX faces a different challenge: not only does it have to compete with advanced designs from the traditional supercar companies, it also has to be the style leader within Acura/Honda... no small task, as the Japanese company has fully embraced the geometric, robotic look for all of its line, from economy car to SUV.
📸: Photo courtesy Caricos.com
But enough chit chat, what do we like about the new NSX that makes us believe it's the most beautiful car ever produced by Acura/Honda? This is by far the most aggressive, most daring design to ever come out of the company. Look at the flying buttress C pillars! Note the deep side scoops! The wide rear fenders! The F1-inspired front intakes, which are mirrored by the rear vents, as if the air flows straight through. This car's design is meant to be studied closely and at length. It rewards a lingering gaze.
And interestingly, this NSX was designed by Acura's first female exterior designer, American Michelle Christensen. Christensen interned at Volvo and worked for General Motors before joining Acura as a lead designer.
