170 NSXs were sold in 2018, a significant decrease from the 581 sold in 2017.

After roaring out of the gate in its first two years, the Acura NSX is starting to sputter down the road.

The high-performance and high-priced supercar, made in Marysville, has seen sales plummet since it was relaunched in 2016.

Acura sold 581 NSXs in 2017, the first full year the new vehicle was sold. Last year, a mere 170 were sold.

Acura announced in late 2015 that it was reviving the NXS, a two-seater originally produced from 1990 to 2005. Workers started building the car in the spring of 2016 in the Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, a 170,000-square foot facility with about 100 associates.

The car arrived in showrooms in May 2016, a V-6 "supercar" with a starting price of $156,000 designed to compete with other luxury brands.

NSXs are assembled by hand; the plant can produce no more than 10 cars per day.

“The sales were never really intended to be all that high,” said Jeremy Acevedo, Edmund’s manager of industry analysis.

But, helped by strong reviews including being named Performance Car of the Year by Road & Track magazine, the NSX shot off the line. Acura sold 269 of the cars in 2016 and 581 in 2017 before sales dropped last year to 170 cars, lower than any other single year of the car's first production run from 1990 to 2005.

Acura officials say they aren't concerned about the sharp drop in sales.

"Like any model in our lineup, we always want to sell more," Acura spokesman Matt Sloustcher said in an email. "But NSX is a 'halo' car that is very successfully fulfilling its role and supporting our core business."

In industry lingo, a "halo" car describes an expensive showpiece that proves what an automaker is capable of and helps attract consumers to a manufacturers' other vehicles.

“The NSX is candy," said James Rubenstein, a Miami University geography professor who also writes about the auto industry. "It’s something sweet to attract people.”

In October, Acura started production of the 2019 NSX, producing 573 horsepower with a starting price of $157,500. The 2019 NSX features new color schemes and some exterior design tweaks but is otherwise unchanged.

Supercars are known more for flashy looks than high sales, but NSX sales remain well below those of some of its peers. Last year, Audi sold 927 R8s and Mercedes sold 1,525 AMG GTs.

“I don’t think the actual sales numbers are something that Acura is concerned about right now,” Acevedo said.

Acura sales overall are rising. Last year, Acura sold 158,934 vehicles, up 2.8 percent from the previous year. Five of Acura's six vehicles are made in Ohio at the Performance Manufacturing Center, the Marysville Auto Plant or the East Liberty Auto Plant. Sales of the RDX, Acura's best-selling vehicle, increased 23.9 percent to 63,580.

"Acura’s core models drive our business," Sloustcher said. "The NSX drives our brand."

mhenry@dispatch.com

@megankhenry