Wake up, Monterey Car Week is here, which means it’s concept car season! Acura is kicking things off with the sleek NEXTERA Vision concept coupe, making its debut at The Quail on August 14th. We’re getting an early peek at the coupe online before its in-person debut. Let’s take a closer look.
The first thing you may notice is that the Nextera Vision’s silhouette doesn’t seem to reference any previous Acura coupe, including the NSX. It’s a whole new thing, which is probably where the name “Nextera” comes from. Rather than previewing a future model, this concept is meant to give an early look at Acura’s new design language.
Exterior Design: Butterfly Doors and Forged Carbon
That brings us to the exterior design, which to our eyes has a mix of several influences. The rear portion gives strong Jaguar F-Type vibes, while the front design with integrated aerodynamic channels reminds us of an extreme version of the Ferrari SF90 front end. The dual-hinge butterfly doors add a level of drama that you’d expect from a concept making a debut at The Quail. The massive 22-inch wheels with carbon fiber inserts contribute to the drama as well. It’s all finished in a sleek titanium matte paint, because everything in the future will be matte and titanium. Joking aside, the car looks really good. Though it is a bit unfortunate that it doesn’t seem to be meant for production. The good news is, as a design language study, we might see several elements of this car down the line.
So in a way, this coupe is teasing several future models. Including the 4th generation RDX, which Acura says will utilize the same “phantom lighting” found on the Nextera Vision coupe. The “ultra-thin” headlights are inspired by the brand’s “A” emblem. Beyond the inspiration, Acura hasn’t shared any technical info regarding how they pulled off this unique lighting design. We may learn more as we get closer to the new RDX’s reveal.
Interior Design: More Carbon, Less of Everything Else
The cabin is an exercise in minimalist interior design if we ever did see one. The empty space inside the cockpit is emphasized by the black and white color scheme, which we can imagine lends itself to a feeling of comfort from the sense of extra room. The seats are relatively aggressive with forged carbon inserts that match those found on the exterior and in the wheels. It’s all very “driver-focused.” Yeah, we know you’re rolling your eyes because that term gets thrown around a lot, but judging by what we see here, it’s an apt description.
So, now that we’ve seen the first expression of Acura’s new design language, the question is where will we see it next? We know the future RDX will share the headlight design, but what about the Nextera Vision’s exterior, interior, and wheel design? What parts of this may find their way onto the next NSX or Integra? We’re just as eager to learn the answers as you are. We’ll try to see what we can dig up, but Acura will likely keep everything very close to the vest for now. In the meantime, if you want to learn about how you can buy your own vintage Acura racecar, check out our story on the new Heritage Racing Program.
Acura NEXTERA Vision Gallery
