Acura’s Latest Design Study Could Preview an All-Electric NSX Supercar

• Following the unveiling of the 2024 ZDX electric SUV, Acura surprised us with a design study concept that focuses on performance.
• The Performance Electric Vision is just an idea for now, but could easily turn into a next-generation NSX down the road.
• This would be the second "electrified NSX," but the first to omit a gas-powered engine altogether.

If you’re a fan of the Acura NSX we have good news. Following the reveal of the ZDX electric SUV at an event during Monterey Car Week, Acura showed off what could be the very first phases of a future all-electric supercar. For now it’s called the Performance Electric Vision Design Study a.ka. the "psst, don't call it an NSX just yet." Make no mistake, this is Acura feeling out the response to what their future electric performance plans look like.

Just a tease

There was not a physical concept car present at the event, and instead we have some very cryptic sketches to go off. The front of the Performance Electric Vision is low and wide, with an LED light bar spanning across the fascia. It’s intersected by two vertical LED bars that could function as headlights. The Acura logo also appears to light up and change colors in conjunction with the other lit-up pieces. Remember, it's just a concept for now, and if this concept becomes anything, its final design is still anyone's guess.

If you try to look beyond the rather inconvenient shadow, the side silhouette is super aggressive. The tops of the wheel arches draw your attention immediately with their high peaks and aggressive curvature. Some of the body lines around the doors hint that this car could feature some unconventional doors, a fun departure from past NSXs. We wouldn’t focus too hard on the side-mounted cameras — as of right now cameras for mirrors are still illegal in the U.S. market.

The rear end of the design study is the most striking, at least to us. It features an Acura wordmark in place of the logo, a move we’ve yet to see the brand make on a production car thus far. Right above that, another LED light bar glows bright green, perhaps another nod to its all-electric performance capabilities. A brief teaser video shown during the unveiling shows that the green lights can change to red in an instant, likely an indicator that the car is in Sport or Track mode.

That's all we have at the moment, but if Acura wants to bring back the NSX as it moves toward an electric future, this concept strikes us as an excellent starting point.

Edmunds says

Obviously this is all high-level speculation, but the thought of a future NSX has us plenty excited. Acura has provided clues in the past that the NSX’s story isn’t over, and an all-electric replacement is right in line with the brand’s future plans.