Honda NSX Costs 50% More In Japan - Almost Twice As Much As Nissan's GT-R!

The Acura NSX is a Japanese supercar... right? Only it's made in America and sold under the label of a predominantly American brand. But now it's coming “home” to roost as parent company Honda has started selling its new hybrid sports car back in Japan.

The second generation of the model originally launched 26 years ago, the new NSX is a drastically different car than its predecessor. Each packs a V6 engine in the middle of its chassis, but where the original was naturally aspirated and drove the rear wheels through a five-speed manual (or four-speed automatic), the new model is twin-turbocharged and electrically assisted, driving all four wheels through a nine-speed dual clutch transmission.

Select dealerships in Japan – identified as NSX Performance Dealers – are now taking accepting applications (not "orders") for the new NSX. But deliveries won't actually begin until late February... almost half a year from now.

The NSX carries a JDM sticker price of 23,700,000 yen, inclusive of an 8% gas-guzzler tax to which it's subject, despite its hybrid powertrain. That works out to about $235,000 at present exchange rates, which is roughly 50 percent more than the $156k base price in America. It's also roughly twice what Nissan gets for a GT-R in Japan (where it's made), while the relative US price is only 50 percent less than the NSX. 

If nothing else, the price serves to highlight that, despite its manufacturer's home base, the NSX is still considered an import in Japan. And importing vehicles to the insular island nation is a costly affair.

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