Wildest Edmunds U-Drags Yet? Acura NSX Type S vs. Kawasaki Ninja H2 R

It’s probably not what you were expecting

Edmunds U-Drags: Acura NSX Type S vs. Kawasaki Ninja H2 R bike

written by Kurt Niebuhr^{Senior Vehicle Test Editor
Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of Edmunds' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.}
11/21/2023
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The supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2 R makes 305 horsepower at 14,000 rpm.
The Acura NSX Type S cranks out a combined 600 horsepower from its V6 turbo and electric motors.
The bike weighs a scant 476 pounds compared to the Honda's 3,913 pounds.

On paper, this is a pretty lopsided race. Competitor No. 1 is powered by a 998-cc supercharged four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel (one-wheel) drive, while Competitor No. 2 sports a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine with three electric motors and all-wheel drive. Did we mention Competitor No. 2 has nearly twice the horsepower and Competitor No. 1? This looks like a foregone conclusion. But U-Drags isn't run on paper.

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As you've probably surmised by now, Competitor No. 2 is the Acura NSX Type S. Boasting a combined output of 600 horsepower, the NSX can deploy all of its power from a standing start through launch control, slow its considerable progress by way of carbon-ceramic brakes, and then accelerate out of a corner with its sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. Easy peasy.

But Competitor No. 1 is the not-remotely street-legal Kawasaki Ninja H2 R. Thanks to a gear-driven supercharger and race gas, this hyberbike cranks out 305 horsepower and uses launch control and racing slicks to decimate anything else in a straight line. Did we mention it weighs a staggering 3,437 pounds less than the NSX.

Edmunds says

What might seem like a one-and-done race isn't quite so straightforward in real life. Will the Kawasaki's massive power-to-weight advantage be too much for the NSX to overcome, or will the traction, braking and cornering ability of the NSX create a gap even the mighty Ninja H2 R can't close? Place your bets (responsibly) and watch our latest, and wildest, episode of U-Drags.

Kurt Niebuhr

by Kurt Niebuhr

Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of Edmunds' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.

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