The Acura NEXERA Vision concept is one of the sexiest concepts I’ve seen in a very long time, from anyone.
That’s saying something, because concept cars are supposed to be dramatic. They’re supposed to make you stop, stare and wonder what the designers were thinking. The NEXERA Vision does all three, but it also has something many concepts lack: proportions that actually make sense.
The NEXERA Vision makes its global debut August 14 at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, during California’s famed Monterey Car Week. I was lucky enough to get an early look at the car about a month ago when Acura invited me to its campus to see it in person.
Related: Toyota Tacoma Torture Tested on Kumho Road Venture HTs
Seeing photographs doesn’t really prepare you for this thing.
The proportions immediately struck me as a mix of Ferrari and McLaren, with just a hint of retro-futuristic canopy design. It has a remarkably wide, low stance, a long dash-to-axle ratio and a beautifully sculpted body that seems to have been designed without a single unnecessary line.
It is a thing to behold.
A New Direction for Acura
Acura says the NEXERA Vision represents a new design direction for the brand, inspired by its “challenger spirit,” which has been part of Acura’s identity since its creation 40 years ago.
The concept was designed at Acura Design California in Los Angeles under the direction of Yasutake Tsuchida, Acura’s Creative Director and Vice President of Auto Design. More importantly, this isn’t simply a design exercise.
The NEXERA Vision is intended to establish the design language for future Acura products, beginning with the fourth-generation RDX Hybrid arriving in the coming years.
That means you can expect to see pieces of this concept showing up on actual Acura vehicles.
And that’s where this gets really interesting.
Look closely and you’ll find small design elements that Acura is essentially hiding in plain sight. The proportions, surfacing, lighting and interior philosophy all provide clues about where the brand is headed.
Is This the Next NSX?
Probably not.
At least, I sincerely doubt Acura is going to put something this exotic into production exactly as we see it.
The NEXERA Vision has dramatic dual-hinge butterfly doors, active aerodynamics, 22-inch centerlock wheels, carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes and enough forged carbon fiber to make your average weight-saving enthusiast very happy.
The body is finished in Matte Titanium and features a wide, muscular stance, an aero-channel fascia and an active rear spoiler designed to improve aerodynamic efficiency, high-speed stability and braking performance.
The butterfly doors are spectacular, but they’re also a pretty good indication that this isn’t exactly tomorrow’s Acura TLX.
Still, the NEXERA Vision could represent something more important than a production sports car.
It could be the shape of the future.
The Lighting Is Brilliant
One of the most interesting elements is Acura’s new lighting signature.
The ultra-thin headlights and taillights are inspired by Acura’s “A” mark, but the really clever part is what happens when the lights are turned off.
Acura calls it “phantom lighting.” The lighting elements essentially disappear into the bodywork, leaving behind uninterrupted sculpted surfaces.
When illuminated, the lighting signature suddenly reveals itself.
It’s a fantastic effect, and if Acura can make the technology work within federal lighting requirements, I can’t wait to see how it translates to production vehicles.
Acura says this new lighting signature will begin appearing on future production models with the next-generation RDX Hybrid.
Inside the NEXERA Vision
The interior is just as dramatic as the exterior, although Acura has taken a very different approach from many modern performance cars.
Instead of covering the dashboard with enormous screens and buttons, the NEXERA Vision is designed around the driver.
The front seats are actually integrated into the floor in a fixed position. This allows Acura to dramatically lower the driver’s seating position, with the pedals and steering wheel moving to meet the driver.
It’s a very different approach, and it gives the cockpit a remarkably intimate feel.
The black-and-white interior combines forged carbon fiber, gloss-black surfaces and pink accents with sustainable materials, including recycled aluminum, Alcantara incorporating certified post-consumer recycled polyester and CircuLeather, a genuine leather material designed to support a more circular material lifecycle.
That’s an interesting combination because Acura isn’t simply trying to make the interior futuristic. It’s trying to redefine what premium materials can be.
What About Production?
That’s the million-dollar question.
I sincerely doubt we’re going to see the NEXERA Vision sitting on an Acura showroom floor exactly as it appears here. The packaging alone would be a tremendous engineering challenge.
This is a very small, very low sports car, and fitting a modern powertrain into that package would require some serious creativity.
But there’s a possibility.
Honda and Acura’s new hybrid technology is considerably more compact than some of the systems we’ve seen in the past. That opens up some interesting possibilities for a small performance vehicle.
Could Acura theoretically package an internal-combustion engine behind the driver to feed a hybrid system?
Possibly.
Could it produce something that performs anywhere near as dramatically as this concept looks?
That’s the part I’m really hoping Acura figures out.
Final Thoughts
The NEXERA Vision isn’t simply another pretty concept car that will disappear after Monterey Car Week.
At least, it shouldn’t be.
Acura is using this concept to establish a new visual identity, and that’s much more important than whether we ever get a production NEXERA. After seeing it in person, I’m convinced Acura is onto something.
The proportions are remarkable. The surfacing is clean and purposeful. The lighting technology is genuinely fascinating, and the interior demonstrates that Acura is thinking beyond simply adding more screens and technology.
Could it become the next NSX? I doubt it. But could it inspire something that eventually fills that role in Acura’s lineup?
Now we’re talking.
The NEXERA Vision looks like a Ferrari and a McLaren wandered into a Japanese design studio, discovered retro-futurism and decided to build something completely different.
If Acura can somehow capture even half of what makes this concept so compelling and translate it into a production vehicle, we could be looking at the beginning of a very interesting new chapter for the brand.
And honestly, after seeing it in person, I really hope they do.
Related: Ford’s $28,350 Electric Pickup Has The Specs, Now It Needs The Looks
