Acura NSX supercar goes into production

The Acura NSX hybrid supercar by Honda © Honda

The Acura NSX hybrid supercar, made under Honda's luxury vehicle brand, has finally gone into production.

Presented for the first time as a concept car at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, it has taken four years of prototypes, development and testing of all kinds for the Japanese car maker to finally gave the new NSX the go-ahead.

The first model to roll off the production line at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, USA, was snapped up for the modest sum of $1.2 million by none other than Rick Hendrick, the famous and wealthy owner of the Hendrick Motorsport NASCAR racing team.

The Acura NSX VIN 001 offers truly impressive performances. It comes loaded with three electronic motors, a V6 biturbo VTEC engine and a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, promising over 578 horsepower. It even uses torque vectoring technology to vary the power to each of the four wheels. It manages 0-60mph (0-100 km/h) in just 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 190mph (305 km/h). In other words, this Japanese supercar lands with the same performances as the most prestigious hybrid sports cars, such as the Ferrari LaFerrari and the McLaren P1.

Related: Acura NSX first drive review and photo gallery

The model bought by Rick Hendrick has a "Valencia Red Pearl" finish with bodywork made from a variety of materials, including carbon fiber upgrades to the roof, engine cover and rear decklid spoiler to keep the car's weight to a minimum. This luxurious and sporty number was also finished with a leather and Alcantara interior trim.

The standard 2017 Acura NSX model will sell from $189,000 in Canada.