We don't mean to be hard on the Acura NSX concept unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. After all, it looks great--and even manages to look a bit like the original--packs a hybrid V-6 powertrain, and will be engineered and built in the U.S. sometime over the next three years. But is it really a supercar?

We wouldn't even ask the question if it weren't for Acura's marketing materials tossing the term at us every third word. Hybrid sports car? Sure. Hybrid grand tourer? OK, why not. Hybrid performance vehicle? Yep, that too. But supercar?

With an estimated 400 horsepower from a 3.5-liter V-6 engine paired with a hybrid system, and a focus on light weight (says Acura), it could well be a very high-performance car, hybrid or not. But to classify anything in the 400-horsepower range that weighs more than 2,000 pounds or so as a supercar seems a stretch. The physics just won't let it reach the mid-three-second 0-60 mph range or blistering 60-120 mph acceleration that justify the appellation.

All of that aside, we're excited about the new NSX concept, and we're looking forward to seeing it on the streets--and to hopping behind the wheel--whether it's a supercar or not.