Acura NSX

[moon buggy]

the scary thing is with NSX / VX, even tho I spent mmm nearly 4x $ on the NSX.....both cars pull as much admiration, enquiry and attention..also VX is 97 and NSX 93...both shapes bely their age which confounds most admirers...the VX never draws -ve comment like some have re the NSXs capability, supercar status, etc etc...but that said most on lookers [with an opinion] re the NSX once they get close up admire it for what it is [ hand built, all alloy, go thru the long list.. blah blah]..and then get to sit in belt up and then get to have a quick strap around the block and throw in a few twisty bits they can't help but to start to smile..the 'critical' acclaim is dissolved with delivery...and yes there are plenty of quicker, etc etc cars now on the market, but back in its day the NSX certainly caused the F and P guys to smarten up their game.

In the end VX / NSX are unique examples Japanese style/engineering/ etc..and thats what I love about the both of them.

[transio]

Wow this is great. First of all the NSX only has 290hp congrats to Acura for making an attempt and an exoctic car.....I have a weekend/summer car that has comparable hp for way less. The fact is you can get more for your money. Thanks...

More HP isn't always more. That's an American misconception about automotive performance. My sports car has only 190 hp (Lotus Elise), and even at that, it's more car than I can handle...

[blacksambo]

the scary thing is with NSX / VX, even tho I spent mmm nearly 4x $ on the NSX.....both cars pull as much admiration, enquiry and attention..also VX is 97 and NSX 93...both shapes bely their age which confounds most admirers...the VX never draws -ve comment like some have re the NSXs capability, supercar status, etc etc...but that said most on lookers [with an opinion] re the NSX once they get close up admire it for what it is [ hand built, all alloy, go thru the long list.. blah blah]..and then get to sit in belt up and then get to have a quick strap around the block and throw in a few twisty bits they can't help but to start to smile..the 'critical' acclaim is dissolved with delivery...and yes there are plenty of quicker, etc etc cars now on the market, but back in its day the NSX certainly caused the F and P guys to smarten up their game.

In the end VX / NSX are unique examples Japanese style/engineering/ etc..and thats what I love about the both of them.

We ought to have the first VX/NSX meet in Australia at Dave's place, he's the quintissential spokseperson for this Japanese tour de force engineering and design team.

[Triathlete]

All those NSX owners are officially invited to my next meet...Nov.11!

[blacksambo]

If you want the real scoop on the NSX, just read this. You will see what I've been driving at!

http://research.cars.com/go/crp/rese...=&aff=national

[transio]

If you want the real scoop on the NSX, just read this. You will see what I've been driving at!

http://research.cars.com/go/crp/rese...=&aff=national

That article is 16 years old.

This page is a lot more telling: http://www.topgear.com/content/tgonb...times/thestig/

The NSX TYPE R (the "super" NSX) is #55 on the list of Top Gear Lap Times!! FIFTY FIVE!!! That's 25 spots below a base Corvette...

You wanna talk about great performance cars in its price range, look at the Corvette Z06, Lambo Gallardo, Ferrari 360 CS, Lotus Exige S, Noble M12, Noble M15, TVR Sagaris, TVR Tuscan, BMW Z4, Porsche Cayman, and OMG Ariel Atom ($60k as configured, and #5 on the list, only falling behind four million-dollar supercars!)

[MZ-N10]

That article is 16 years old.

This page is a lot more telling: http://www.topgear.com/content/tgonb...times/thestig/

The NSX TYPE R (the "super" NSX) is #55 on the list of Top Gear Lap Times!! FIFTY FIVE!!! That's 25 spots below a base Corvette...

You wanna talk about great performance cars in its price range, look at the Corvette Z06, Lambo Gallardo, Ferrari 360 CS, Lotus Exige S, Noble M12, Noble M15, TVR Sagaris, TVR Tuscan, BMW Z4, Porsche Cayman, and OMG Ariel Atom ($60k as configured, and #5 on the list, only falling behind four million-dollar supercars!)

i believe the NSXR was on a wet track.

[Maugan_VX]

I'd hate to be caught out in the rain in an atom thought transio

[geshaw30]

According to that article I'd be better off with a VW Golf.......
________
Uhwh

[tbigity]

ok, I was going to try my darndest to make a reply to this...to help the none-uber-car-enthusiasts (like myself) to come together. NSX = good car, but not best. Nothing bad, nothing good.

However, after looking at that list of cars at top gear, and only recognizing a handful of them, I will quietly slink off to the sidelines on this one.

[tbigity]

Nothing bad, nothing good.

i take that back >> "nothing horrible, nothing exceptional"

[transio]

I'd hate to be caught out in the rain in an atom thought transio

You kiddin?? I'd just wear a bathing suit that day!!!

[MZ-N10]

Sorry, but I always laugh to myself when I hear things like this. The NSX has some of the better handling characteristics of recent cars. Even if you got an Accord, stripped it to 2500 pounds, turbocharged it to 350 hp, dropped it 2", and added an uber-stiff suspension and aero kit:

1. It would not be as fast as an NSX, because it will always have a higher drag coefficient and greater frontal area.
   
   
2. It would not handle nearly as well as an NSX, because it has a high center of mass, narrower stance, and poor weight distribution (fore to aft). Oh, and the NSX's suspension is tuned by some of the finest engineers in the world, with a multi-million dollar budget - not by some guy in his garage with a $500 budget.
   
   
3. It would maybe accelerate better in a quarter mile, but unless your a FnF ricer, you know that's a meaningless figure
   
   
4. It would have no interior to speak of, would rattle, squeak, and scrape, and you couldn't take out a date in it unless she wants to sit on the floorpan, because you had to remove the passenger seat to cut weight.
   
   
5. Now that you're driving a highly tuned car, you'd have to check the oil every time you drive it to make sure you don't have excess oil comsumption. Check and recheck your tune to make sure you're not running rich... or worse... lean! Check your turbo to make sure all your hoses are in good condition and no leaks... etc. etc.

So no, a $30k Accord with $20k of mods will NEVER be an $80k NSX. An Accord with $50k of mods STILL won't be an NSX. What's the expression about a turd in a dress?

yea an accord will be an accord no matter wat, and a honda is still a honda no matter how much u paid for it. the nsx might be designed, engineered by some of the best engineers in the world but they were probably the same enginners that designed the accord.

its a common misconception that cheaper "people movers" cant be fast. a well tuned accord could easily beat a stock nsx, and still have money left over to buy a civic for communting.

but the point still stands, a over priced 80k honda with nice lines is still over priced honda.

[transio]

"nothing horrible, nothing exceptional"

That's because it's a Honda. It can be observed in every car Honda makes that they don't take risks. They don't go crazy with design. They use the things that they know work, and they make cars that perform well while being comfortable and usable and mild-mannered and reasonably attractive, though not striking. In doing so, they appeal to a wide range of consumers and don't quickly outdate their cars, because the styling changes very little, and isn't "trendy". Trends change quickly, and trendy cars date quickly. Look at the Countache, for example. It was the hotness in its day, but today, it screams "80s".

The NSX stayed virtually the same over 15 years - I think the only major change was the deletion of the popup headlights. The Honda S2000 is going on 8 years with no real changes. BTW, I think the S2000 is more of a "breakthrough" car than the NSX. I think it's more attractive and an innovator in engineering (9k rpm + vtec = unique even 8 years later) & performance-per-dollar.

[transio]

the nsx might be designed, engineered by some of the best engineers in the world but they were probably the same enginners that designed the accord.

No. The NSX was performance tuned by Honda Racing engineers. Even if they WERE the same guys, though, the Accord was designed for comfort, the NSX for performance.

its a common misconception that cheaper "people movers" cant be fast. a well tuned accord could easily beat a stock nsx

But beat it AT WHAT?? You can make a cargo van do a quarter mile in 9 seconds... but it will never outperform an NSX on a road course... because it CAN'T TURN. The Accord has a similar problem, to a lesser degree. The NSX is designed for all aspects of performance. Having an Accord with 600 hp is like a muscle man with all his weight in his upper body. Sure, he can benchpress 600 pounds, but he can barely stand up under his own weight!

Too many people today believe that 1/4 mile times are the singular factor in determining a car's performance ability. For those who don't already know this, lemme let you in on a secret: "The Fast and the Furious" is all hype and garbage. 1/4 mile racing and drifting are not determining factors of a sports car. The "sport" in "sports car" is racing - on a road course. That means a course with turns in it. Your Accord may do a 10 second quarter mile, but it turns like a cargo van. I don't care if it goes 200 mph... it will never be a sports car.