This NSX Type S Vs. Kawasaki Ninja Drag Race Ends Much Closer Than Expected

Horsepower isn’t everything.

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Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Nov 26, 2023 at 12:00pm ET

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Cars today might have more horsepower than ever, but big numbers aren't the answer to all of life's problems. Weight is also a factor, one that made its importance apparent in a recent battle between an Acura NSX Type S and a Kawasaki Ninja H2 R.

The two faced off in Edmunds' U-drag race, revealing their strengths and weaknesses. The 2017 Kawasaki is considerably lighter than the Acura, tipping the scales at a mere 476 pounds. The car weighs nearly 4,000 lbs, but also makes 600 horsepower and 392 pound-feet of torque with its twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine and three electric motors.

Gallery: 2022 Acura NSX Type S

The Ninja is no slouch, though, with 305 hp and 122 lb-ft of twist available from its 1.0-liter inline-four engine. But the Acura has the advantage of having four wheels and an all-wheel-drive system that's handy for this unique format.

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The Kawasaki beat the Acura in nearly every metric but max cornering G-forces. The NSX pulled 1.13 g to the Ninja's 0.72. The turn at the end of the drag race was the point in the battle where the supercar caught and passed the bike, but it still couldn't outrun the Ninja.

The bike still beat the car in two out of the three races, completing the U-drag race in 32.4 seconds at 174.4 miles per hour. The Type S did it in 33.1 seconds at 136.1 mph. The Ninja hit 60 mph in 3.0 seconds and finished the quarter-mile race in 10.0 seconds at 117.6 mph, proving horsepower doesn't matter much when it only has to move a few hundred pounds.

Source: Edmunds / YouTube