- Acura execs say Nexera could be more than a bellwether for the brand’s design future.
- Design boss Yasutake Tsuchida told Motor Trend he wants Acura to build a sports car.
- Honda’s American CEO would prefer the Nexera with combustion, not electric, power.
When Acura revealed the Nexera Vision at Monterey Car Week, we were told not to start saving. The dramatic two-seater was primarily a design manifesto for future models, including the next RDX SUV. But it turns out some important people inside Acura would quite like to build it.
The Nexera is a sporty coupe that features a long, but low hood, butterfly doors, 22-inch center-lock wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes and an active rear spoiler. Its V-shaped hidden lighting previews a signature destined for production models, beginning with the next-generation RDX Hybrid. Acura didn’t reveal what powers the concept, although its packaging – specifically that plunging hood – suggest electric not combustion engines.
Related: The S2000 Revival Honda Won’t Build, Rendered From Acura’s Newest Concept
Though Acura made no production promises, when Motor Trend asked Acura creative director Yasutake Tsuchida whether his vision eventually included producing a sports car like the Nexera, his answer couldn’t have been more encouraging. Or much shorter: “Yes.”
American Honda president and CEO Eiji Fujimara proved a little more chatty.
“I would like to do this car,” Fujimara told Motor Trend. “I would like to do it with an engine, personally, but we will do what the customer wants, if that’s engine or hybrid or EV.”
NSX Flop Casts A Long Shadow
That’s still miles from production confirmation, obviously. Acura knows better than most that a gorgeous sports car doesn’t guarantee showroom success. The market for these kinds of cars is contracting and the second-generation NSX was technically fascinating but struggled to find enough buyers during its run.
Any Nexera would also arrive as part of a full Acura reboot. Fujimara says the next three to four years are “critical” as the company rebuilds the brand, cuts its hefty incentives and prepares for major changes around 2030.
“PHEVs Don’t Work”
Hybrids will play a bigger role, but not plug-ins, according to Gary Robinson, vice president of auto strategy, who told Motor Trend “PHEVs just don’t work in the market.”
EVs remain in the longer-term plan despite Honda’s recent retreat from them, which involved late-stage cancellations of two electric Hondas and the planned Acura RSX crossover. And it sounds like maybe we shouldn’t bury the Nexera in the concept-car graveyard just yet.
Acura
