Acura NSX-T (1995) "a Ferrari, but engineered by people who went to college." by Philip Greenspun

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Most big companies have engineers, to be sure, but that doesn't mean they are valued. Think about it: if a big company is losing money, the president will never say "I wish we had engineers like those guys at Toyota who figured out how to make cars that don't break." No, it is always "we need better advertising, better marketing, fancier financing, higher salaries for executives", i.e., "we need more MBAs just like me."

Honda simply has better engineers than most other car companies, which is how they went from zero to moderately huge in just two decades. The Accord and Civic are the benchmarks in their respective categories. A few years after they entered Formula One racing, Honda dominated the sport. The NSX is basically the street car built by the Formula One folks.

The NSX removes almost all barriers to heroic driving. Late for an appointment and need to go 80 mph around mountain curves? You won't hear the tires squeal. Getting a call on your cell phone? Nudge the transmission into full auto and the car will shift for you, smooth as a Lexus. Don't want to downshift while descending the Sierra mountains? Good luck getting the ventilated foot-diameter rotors to heat up enough to make the brakes fade. Worried that your $85,000 car and cell phone aren't enough to attract a partner and anxious to get a tan? Take the top off your NSX-T and store it in the ingenious spot above the engine that doesn't rob you of any luggage space.

I wish I could be like one of those studs from Car & Driver magazine and tell you that "the NSX accelerates nicely up to 155 mph when the limiter kicks in harshly" or "the NSX steers neutrally until 0.95 g but then starts to oversteer slightly." But I can't. I'm too old. I'm 32 and believe that I'm going to die one day and I hope it won't be soon. I drove the NSX from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back, about 1000 miles total. Adjusted for the twisty roads along the coast and in the Sierra, I drove faster than I've ever gone in my life. I never came close to any limit imposed by the NSX. I would be scared to test the limits of this car on a public road.

The first thing you notice when you get into the NSX is the comfort. This is not a Porsche or a Ferrari. Nothing is weird, there is no penalty for all the extra capability. After ten minutes, the controls feel as natural as on a car you drive every day. Visibility is superb in all directions and the low cowl prevents claustrophobia. Considering that the engine is about a foot from your ear, the car is reasonably quiet; wind noise is unobtrusive (at least up to 100 mph). Set the temperature you'd like and the automatic climate control system delivers it (I've always hated these systems, but the NSX's works).

The second thing you notice is the balance. If you haven't driven a mid-engined car, then you owe it to yourself. Whether it is an old Lotus Europa, a Toyota MR2, or the NSX, they all share a delightfully neutral feel. A big part of it is the low polar moment of inertia. Porsches and Corvettes manage to achieve a balanced weight, more or less, by putting heavy stuff on both ends of the car. However, with all that weight so far from the center of mass, the car ends up with a high polar moment of inertia and will resist twisting. Mid-engined cars keep the weight in the middle and are much easier to guide through twisty sections of road.

The third thing you notice is that they got everything right. The factory alarm turned itself off when you unlocked the car with the key (and didn't go off in the middle of the night every night, like my old Clifford). The headlights are clearer and sharper than any you've ever been behind. Your passenger is marveling at the craftsmanship of the leather stitching.

Transmission

Over 10 days, I grew to love this transmission. No matter how powerful the car, automatics never felt really powerful to me. If you want to move, you have to mash the accelerator to the floor and wait a split second for the kick-down switch to engage and the transmission to downshift. I always miss the instant throttle response of a manual. With the NSX, you can quickly tip the car down into second or third gear. With the revs kept high, the throttle response is every bit as good as any manual.

My one complaint with the system is that downshifts are rather harsh and involve some engine braking and weight transfer. This will never be mistaken for a skillfully executed double-clutched downshift. It doesn't seem to keep Formula One drivers from winning, though, so I guess this isn't a serious complaint. Nonetheless, it sticks out like a mustache on the Mona Lisa in a car so otherwise smooth.

Engine While other car companies whined that the new California emissions standards were impossible, Honda figured out how to meet them with minor valve timing and induction system tweaks. The same kind of engineering brilliance was applied to the NSX's all-aluminum 3.0-liter V-6. It produces 270 hp and 210 lbs-ft of torque, which is ample considering that the car only weighs 3100 lbs.

Warts

The BOSE sound system was a disappointment. For the first couple of days, I thought it was great. Voices and music were intelligible above the roar of the engine and the wind, even with the top off on the freeway. Then I noticed that the sound was all midrange and "one-note bass". The high frequencies were missing (I never did find any tweeters in the car) and all kinds of low-frequency sounds were homogenized into a general-purpose quasi-low note. The "one-note" bass is characteristic of ducted woofer systems, which have the advantages of low cost, small size, and light weight, but are not really audiophile material.

"If you don't get laid every day that you're in Los Angeles with that car, I'll never have any respect for you," a physicist friend of mine said. I can't say that I made a serious effort to win his respect, but I did notice in 10 days that men were far more interested in the car than women. This would be the ideal car for a single woman.

Luggage space is advertised as "5.0 cubic feet." Acura helpfully translates that into "two golf bags" for their target market. I managed to get my enormous camera backpack, a Macintosh PowerBook, books, and clothes for a week into the trunk.

Conclusion

"What's an NSX?" all of my New York friends asked. "It's like a Ferrari, but engineered by people who went to college."

Portraits

On the Santa Barbara Pier

Other Internet Resources

• Yahoo!
• Acura's Web site (flashy and uninformative like most automakers' sites)

My Mazda Protege is superior to the Acura NSX because it has better cupholders and visors and the seats are more comfortable. Also the Acura has space for only two people and no stuff. And it costs about 5 times as much as my car.

-- Nomi Harris, December 9, 1996

The only problem with the NSX is the lack of a GOOD cupholder. The kind that will hold my $.99 cherry "BIG GULP" slushy. After a recent run with another NSX where I saw an indicated 160 mph, I can soundly say that the only thing I was thinking about, besides where to put my drink, was how remarkable this car is. There is no drama in the way the car handles in the upper reaches of triple digit speeds. As long as you keep a firm grip on the leather wrapped wheel, the car will not do you wrong. The engine sings a sweet song of variable valve timing, and you feel as though at any moment you will experience time travel. ( By the way. Going that fast means you probably should put down your slushy!! )

-- " NSX lover " --, April 5, 1997

I have owned many exotic cars. The NSX takes the Prize. I am now on my second NSX. I love this car more than words can express. I feel inspired every time I drive it. It has class, poise, and style. I didn't know human's could design such pure heaven! James Acura NSX Exotic Home Page http://members.aol.com/jimmylucky/main.html

-- James Robins, May 5, 1997

I agree that the NXS is a finely engineered, and increbibly beautiful machine. However, as a lover of true sports cars and the sport of motor racing, I find that I don't covet the NSX. What the car is lacking, which is no fault of the designers, is history...romance...a true track borne heritage. My love affair with sports cars extends to the European models: BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, SAAB. These cars define the term sports car, they've been around for decades. When you buy one, you're also buying the heritage that goes with it. I currently own a BMW and I absolutely love it. Sure...weird things happen to it, but thats all part of the experience. I guess its hard to explain. I appreciate the NSX, but it doesn't rock my world. Of course, I realize that my view is rather cultish, but thats okay. I'm only one of many who feel that way.

-- Justin Loeber, June 27, 1997

After driving an NSX, 911 Turbo, and BMW M3, I found the car of my dreams: the Toyota Supra Turbo.

Read why in my Supra Review.

-- Frank Sheeeran, August 7, 1997

Oh, and by the way, I loved the comment about the NSX being engineered by "people who went to college." However, that's not quite accurate.

Japanese education is a meritocracy, with entrance exam scores allowing you to get into a good Jr. High, High School, and University. Once you get into your college or university, though, you have nothing to study for four years. Instead, it is the Japanese citizen's one chance to kick back for a while and goof around. The passing of entrance exams into a given rank of college is the indication of the graduate's mental ability, dedication, perseverance, etc.

No field-specific knowlege is really picked up, so you will find job applicants coming into engineering, for instance, with degrees in everything from biology to English to History.

This may be a good thing. New engineers come in as complete neophytes, and soak up their company's particular style, method, and priorities.

However, perhaps the bigger strength is that employees in Japanese companies are not engineers for life, as we do in the US. Workers will be moved from Engineering, to Sales, to Personnel. This may sound wasteful of talent, but the result is that most of the senior management of a Japanese firm will have the big picture.

As Philip's article starts out commenting, people at the top will tend to think that the solution to problems is more people like themselves. This is true in Japan as well - but it doesn't mean "more MBAs." It means more generalists.

And that is the main strength of Japanese firms, and their products, such as the NSX or Supra.

-- Frank Sheeeran, August 7, 1997

OK, and one last snipe 8-)

The NSX's "ingenious spot (for the removeable roof) above the engine that doesn't rob your of any luggage space" is... unuasable for carrying anything else.

In contrast, the Toyota folk cleverly have you store the Supra's Targa Top in the rear of the car; with the roof on that translates to one more large suitcase. Or total 4 golf bags.

If you want to talk brilliance, though, the new Corvette convertible yields 14 cubic feet trunk space (6 golf bags?!), or 11 with the entire roof down...

-- Frank Sheeeran, September 9, 1997

In response to Justin's comment about the NSX having no history;

Honda's utter domination of nearly every motocycle and automotive racing series they've entered gives the NSX its track-born heritage. Also Saab has never made a 'sports car' unless you include the Sonnet(I don't).

If you're saying the NSX lacks personality compared to the European stuff, then I'd probably agree.

-- Paul Wilson, October 23, 1997

I love my Acura NSX, it does everything very well, cruising to the local corner store to 160+ down higways (read:track!)It has fulfilled every dream I have had since 1991, of owning one. I have had newer and older Supra turbos, Saleen SR, Mustang Cobra, and have driven a few 911's, ferraris, and a Lotus esprit turbo for a week, nothing compares, and I am now looking forward to the 1999-2000 NSX!!! Vtec V8(?), f1 style paddle shiffter...400+ bhp(?)! How can I say it in so few words....

I love my Acura NSX!

C.Anders

-- Christopher Anders, December 9, 1997

Paul: No, I wouldn't call the Sonnett a sports car either. I was refering to SAAB's past involvement in Rally, which is the ultimate form of auto racing. In that vein, I should have included Audi as well.

I can sit and watch a video covering around eighty years of racing by Auto Union (Audi), Porsche, Ferrari, BMW and others. In terms of heritage, the Japanese are new-comers, albeit successful ones.

Character is the reason why you never find Americans who "kind of like" European cars, you either love them or hate them. I admit that they're not for everyone. If I wasn't a car fan, and knew how to evaluate and work on cars, then I would buy Japanese, or maybe even American. You have to be prepared to learn about every nut and bolt in your car (not as much for late models '88ish and on).

-- Justin Loeber, December 15, 1997

Although the NSX is a marvelous work in handling (long wheelbase, mid-engine, etc) - the big complaint with the car is its shortage of horsepower. This car just simply has not been attractive to most sport enthusiast with the money to buy it. Its surprising that Acura is still producing it since they hardly ever sell one. Also, as other cars in this catagory have stayed around the same price, the NSX has climbed $25k since its debut. Its design has held up good though.

Honda is most definately not leading F1. Try Renault and Ferrari.

-- The Platypuss, December 26, 1997

I've had the pleasurable opportunity to drive both an NSX and (my own) Porsche 911 (an '87) back to back on some good twisty roads. They are different cars and any one person will probably prefer one to the other. (Hint: I'm keeping my 911).

Differences I noted include:

The acceleration of the NSX is superb; strong torque over a wide range (3.5k to nearly 8k RPM). Less shifting. Even with equal horsepower, I am sure the NSX will out-accelerate a 911 because of this.

The brakes of the 911 are susbtantially better in feel, controllability, and (to my subjective sense) in raw stopping power.

The NSX, while "mid engine", actually has *exactly* the same front/rear weight balance as a 911 (40/60). Check it out! When really pressed hard around tight corners, I had more problems with NSX's oversteer than with my 911's, although given equal experience with both, that might change. And this even with those Yokohama tires on the NSX where the rears wear out in 5k miles. Philip mentions that Porsche and Corvette add weight in the front to compensate -- not sure where that came from, there isn't anything identifiable there!! (You may be referring to the mid-60's 911's that had 2 batteries in the front, or cast iron front bumper inserts for stability, but that was a LONG time ago.)

The road feedback, in all its detail, is slightly better in the 911, to my feeling.

The NSX transmission and clutch (I drove a manual) is silky smooth -- the 911's is a much longer throw and more notchy.

Anyway, to each his own. They're both great cars. And Philip had a very nice report.

-- Mike Klein, February 19, 1998

Since Philip's review and these comments are somewhat in the "Japanese vs. European car" vein, I thought I should add some comments on my new vehicle.

My '91 Nissan Sentra SE-R was pushing 140k miles and was making various unpleasant noises. It also didn't feel up to snuff in various areas, so I decided it was time to look for a new car. My idea of a perfect car is something that performs well (eg. handling, acceleration), is practical and is built to last. I also wanted something quiet since my old car would give me a headache after an hour's worth of driving.

I looked at all the auto mags, web sites, Consumer Reports etc. and narrowed my choices down to two cars. The first one was a Subaru Legacy GT and the second was an Audi A4 1.8(I should also mention that I wanted all-wheel drive).

The Subaru was reasonably nice and the price wasn't bad. Somehow though, it didn't inspire me. I was also reluctant to give my money to Subaru since Nissan owns a large percentage of them. You see, my Sentra had various transmission problems(problems that were relatively common with Sentra SE-Rs). 5th gear went 3 times. The first two were under warranty but the 3rd was 20K outside the warranty and Nissan refused to help in any way. I considered this extremely bad customer service.

Anyway, I decided on the Audi and am glad I did. If this car is any indication, Germans deserve their reputation for good engineering. Not only does the car corner better than my Nissan(no slouch), it also rides much better. It's quiet, comfortable and all of the features have a real purpose. Even the door hinges are engineered well. The hinges on my Nissan went at 50k, but the Audi's hinges are forged steel with brass bushings and grease fittings. I think these will last quite a bit longer.

As for AWD, one drive in the rain proved that it's a great thing. My usual commute home involves getting onto RT. 128(a major interstate in Mass.) from a dead stop to 55 mph since the on-ramp gets crowded and everyone stops. With my Nissan, it was always a wrestling match to accelerate quickly and keep the car going straight, especially in the rain. With the Audi, there is absolutely no drama and when it's raining the only way to tell is that the windshield is wet.

-- Paul Wilson, April 6, 1998

Just to let you know, the Acura NSX-T (especially with the six-cogger)is my very favorite car out of all the cars out there, and I have read just about everything that there is to know about it. In some magazines reviews I've read that the Acura NSX is a really fun car to drive. But while I can understand that, there are still others that think that the car needs to have some soul/character. I'm confused. Is there really a difference between a car that's fun to drive and a car with soul/character, or does it mean the same thing except that some people have different perceptions of it?

-- Ron Suriyopas, June 5, 1998

Continuing from where I left off, I've heard lots of complaints about how the NSX has such a small trunk. Porsche 911's and Dodge Viper roadsters have even smaller trunks, yet I still can't understand why no one ever complains about that. Further more, I've heard other complaints on how the NSX needs more power. First of all, one must understand that the NSX's V6 engine is like no ordinary V6. In fact, it actually enables the car to perform as if it were more like a turbo charged V6 or V8. For instance, in Motor Trend's April 1997 issue, the NSX was compared with six other cars, all of which had larger engines. In going from 0-60 mph, the NSX hit a whopping 4.8 sec., which was just as fast as the much more powerful Chevrolet Corvette and Ferrari F355. Now is that powerful enough for you or what? So, provided with the info that I have already given, I hope that those who underestimate the NSX will think twice before talking trash about it. Comprende?

-- Ron Suriyopas, June 10, 1998

Forgive me for saying this, but I DO NOT like Hondas (except the NSX, of course). I have been a Nissan driver for a while and own a '96 200sx (modified). There is no greater feeling than knowin that my car is faster, better handling, and has a better craftsmanship than any civic that I see. But I must also say that may it be that I dislike Hondas, my next car IS going to a NSX. I fell in love with the car when I had the oportunity to drive one from Austin (TX) to Dallas. It is the best supercar I have seen, driven, or read about (and more than one person in my family own a Viper, Diablo, Porsche 928 s4,and Jaguar E-type). I is by far the most drivable day in an day out.

-- Ben Sassani, June 25, 1998

Ben, I had a '91 SE-R(the predessor to your car) before my A4. Quite frankly, it was a cheap POS and the Honda's I've seen are much better made. The transmission went 3 times(5th gear all 3 and yes I know how to drive a manual quite well).

The 2L engine is great though.

-- Paul Wilson, July 13, 1998

You know, I've just read a couple of articles on the new Honda SSX from a variety of different web sites. From what was said, the base model may be powered by by a 2.0 liter I-4, and a 2.5 liter I-5 would be optional. I've seen some pics of it, and to be honest, it really doesn't look that bad at all. So, for those who aren't really moved by the NSX, they could check out the new SSX which would coming up next year.

-- Ron Suriyopas, July 21, 1998

You know, I've just read a couple of articles on the new Honda SSX from a variety of different web sites. From what was said, the base model may be powered by by a 2.0 liter I-4, and a 2.5 liter I-5 would be optional. I've seen some pics of it, and to be honest, it really doesn't look that bad at all. So, for those who aren't really moved by the NSX, they could check out the new SSX which would coming up next year.

-- Ron Suriyopas, July 21, 1998

As a fan of the NSX and Hondas in general (I own a Civic), I'd just like to add that what could have been a balanced, enthusiastic short-term review of the NSX took a wrong turn down the road of "manufacturer bigotry" by implying that the engineers at Ferrari are less capable than those at Honda when it comes to making high performance cars. For example, the V8 in the F355 has the highest displacement-to-power ratio of any normally aspirated engine available in the US: around 105 hp per liter---hardly what I'd call sub-standard engineering.

There are many reasons to love the NSX, and many areas in which it is truly best-in-class, but there are plenty of completely rational, engineering- based reasons to to pay 2x the price for a F355 or 550 Marenello. These are not the tempermental, driver-be-damned Ferraris of years past. Take a day out and go for a test drive :-)

-- John Siracusa, August 25, 1998

F1 race cars have a motor-controlled shift for a manual transmission. The street car transmission often confused with this is a manual shift for an automatic transmission; this is what is offered under brand-names like Tiptronic, Autostick, Sportshift, etc. Ferrari offers a real F1-style transmission as an option for the 355 F1 but so far no other manufacturers have done so.

-- Bowen Simmons, September 1, 1998

Ron Suriyopas said, "For example, the V8 in the F355 has the highest displacement-to-power ratio of any normally aspirated engine available in the US: around 105 hp per liter---hardly what I'd call sub-standard engineering."

This is just plain wrong....the Integra type R has 108.3 hp per liter for ~24k. AN the new civic SI has 100 hp per liter for 16k. WAY LESS than a ferrari

-- wayne lousteau, September 9, 1998

Actually, the "contributed by" line (misleadingly) applies to the text *above* it. Anyway, I'll amend my statement to "...had the highest horsepower to displacement ratio at the time of its introduction, several years before the Integra Type-R." At any rate, the point was that Ferraris hardly "ignore engineering" as has been suggested on this site.

Also note that the Ferrari web site lists the F355 as having "109 bhp/litre."

-- John Siracusa, November 11, 1998

First let me start by saying that the NSX is a good car, I've driven it and thought it was good. But everyone here thinks its like Super Car... or its the greatest engineered car in the whole world. Well let me tell you I strongly disagree. Most of the strong points mentioned in this page refer to the cars comfort, and also points out its lack of a 'cup holder'. If your complaining that your sports car doesn't have a cup holder your just not getting the whole concept of sports cars. A sport car is something you drive for the thrill of driving, its handling, performance, and even its history and characteristics... if you want comfort and a smooth ride get a Lincoln. Also, its mentioned that Honda is ruling F-1... that is not true, not at all, they have only won a few times... look at Benz, Ferrari, Renault.. they have been winning consistently and not a few times by chance as had Honda, whens the last time they have won?... Also, if NSX is such a 'great' sports car, then why doesn't it enter in any GT-1 or even GT-2 racing? porsche does, ferrari does, lotus does, every sports car company does but NSX, even the viper, instead NSX competes in minor car races that mostly exist only in Japan... That tells you that NSX is not a serious contender in races, which means its not really a serious sports car... yeah its comfortable, you can drive it everyday, but does that mean is super great. Engineering cars for sport and comfort are two different things and I will say that Honda is good at the ergonimics part of engineering... Also, why are there so many aftermarket performance products for the NSX... there aren't that many for ferrari, lotus, or lamborgini, and NSX sell just as few as those companies... porsche has alot ,but that is because its been around for so long and has so many cars offered. The reason is because NSX lacks in the area of performance and lots of after market parts are needed to attempt to satisfy those needs... yeah its comfortable, but then so is my bed, but that doesn't mean its the greatest engineering accomplishment of our time... Finally, the hands that build an NSX, the engineers that designed the NSX also designed and made the Civic and Integra... Porsche, ferrari, lamborgini designers and craftmen do now build cheap versions of their cars, they don't make the Golf or Jetta... in my opinion the NSX (up till now) is just a really good version of the Integra... they might as well call it the Acura Integra NSX... Like I said before I like the NSX, if i had to buy a good sports car i drove every day, rain or snow, i would consider it... but it is not even close to the car you guys think it is... if you disagree, i'm sorry to say, but i think you just still don't get it... you don't judge a sports car for its comfort, its like judging a girl your gonna just fuck for her brains...

-- Joseph Park, December 1, 1998

I just read the part of the article describing the NSX's transmission and personally I think it's pathetic that the NSX is even offered in an automatic version. I think that any car like this should always come with a manual transmission, it is so much better to drive and makes the car feel and perform so much better. I think that anyone who drives a car like the NSX shouldn't be some slack driver who is too occupied to drive a manual. I think the only automatic transmission that should ever been seen on a car such as the NSX is semi automatic transmission with panel shifters, like in the F355 GT! Those are just my thoughts!

-- Jonas Leblanc, January 16, 1999

I found all the articles to be both interesting and confrontational. However, all add to a bit of intrigue to everyones comments. I personally own a 1993 white NSX and purchasing it has been the best decission i've made when it comes to spotr cars. The Xer takes me where I want to go quickly and stylishly. The car itself has a certain luxary that no other sport car offers. Its sylish curves seem to never end. The interior also offers the comfort many other speedsters do not offer. Even though it is a two seater, there is nothing short about the awsome car it is. I feel this is probably the best manufactured foreign car of its time - nothing compares to it.

-- carlos arteaga, February 3, 1999

RE: Automatics and Manuals

I know that cars such as Porsches, 'vettes, NSXs, Ferraris, etc... should be bought and driven with Manuals and that the Autostick, Tiptronic, Sequential sport shifts etc... are NOT real F1 style tranny's (as possesed by the F355F1). But these cars are EXPENSIVE to develop, and manufacturers need to move as many of them as possible to recoup development costs, so here's some stats to keep in mind: 85% of all Corvette's sold are autos, Ferrari expects sales of its 456 to double now that there's an auto available. Remember guys, when it comes to making cars, the almighty buck rules, and you should be thankful that manufacturers still feel justified in making cars like the NSX at all.

-- Jon Loyens, February 8, 1999

In response to Joseph Park's comment above, if you would take the time to look at the NSX's racing history you would know that the NSX HAS competed in GT2 racing and is quite active in SCCA racing right there in America, as well as many raicng series here in Canada, so I guess it doesn't race strictly in it's homeland, eh? Secondly, you claim that the NSX lacks performance in comparison with other cars. Well, if you take a look at the actual numbers, you will see that the NSX performs just as well or better than the brand new Porsche 911. As for Ferrari and Lamborghini, they SHOULD perform better than the NSX, they cost a HELL of a lot more! As well, you seem to have completely forgotten about a car's handling ability as a factor. Car and Driver recently ranked it the 3rd best handling car in America, ahead of 2 Porsches, a Viper, a Corvette, and a Supra Turbo. Ferrari came up 2nd (as it should, once again noting the massive price difference) and a BMW M3 won, which in itslef is a magnificent car. Lastly, by saying that the NSX is not the car we think it is just because Honda also makes Civics and Accords is unbelievable. What astounds me more is the suggestion that the NSX is just a "really good version of the Integra". They are completely different cars. I own an Integra and I have driven many stock NSX's and there's a world of difference. If you think I still don't get it, why don't you come to one of my races. I race an NSX in the SCCBC against many Porsche 911's and BMW's and I am proud to say I can beat them fairly often. Do I get sports cars?

-- Michael Wong, February 9, 1999

The reason that F1 drivers do not find the transmission annoying is that they do not have the same transmission. An F1 car uses a computer controlled multi-clutched automatic tranny that can shift in a 50th of a second. The NSX uses a slightly better version of the same torque converter you'll find on a Dodge Neon. To see an actual F1 style transmission, see the Ferrari 355-F1. It also comes with something else the NSX doesn't have: a soul.

-- Faisal Jawdat, February 14, 1999

There are lots of comments here pointing out that the NSX doesn't have a soul. I'd like to introduce a slightly different perspective.

When driving some cars, they feel as if they have a life of their own. You have to get to know them, and they have to get to know you. Once you're communicating on a low level, they will perform miracles for you. Driving one can be a real experience. Just as some loudspeakers can breathe life into unimaginative performances, making something plain into something quite extraordinary, these cars can turn your morning drive into an adventure.

The NSX is not one of those cars.

Rather, when driving the NSX, you will get out of the relationship exactly what you put into it. You may not feel the soul of the car, but you will feel the soul of the road. I would say that the NSX is transparent in much the same way that a really good audio system is transparent. Uninspired stretches of highway will be delivered without spark or sizzle, allowing you to make your commute in peace without worrying about the drive. Stretches of beautiful mountain passes, however, will be experienced like never before. The car may not have a soul -- but is this really such a bad thing?

-- Richard Stanford, February 25, 1999

Nice pictures of the NSX. Which roads did you take up the coast? Did you take Highway 1 from Goleta up to Lompoc, and then up to Santa Maria?

As far as those 'stuck up' buffoons that take on the NSX on account of "lack of cachet", "no history". heck they're the same ones buying Bose Acoustimass and listening to CDs in their cheap ass home stereos.

I agree with the Bose car system. We have the same in our Acuras and I keep wishing I could stuff my Linn/CJ/ARC stuff into it. Do you think your SoundLabs would fit through the T-Top?

As far as the NSX being an expensive Integra: hey, I had a 94 GSR which would really haul, it was fun and dependable and when I sold it -after 90K miles- I got back 65% of my purchase price.

I love the NSX, my wife has driven it and loves it too -specially the 5 speed, but circumstances being what they are -California Homes are substantially more expensive than Boston Condos- we will have to be content with the new S2000.

Also, if you really like Hondas check out the Temple Of VTEC at http://www.vtec.net.

-- tony esporma, February 25, 1999

In response to Joseph Park's comments about Honda only winning a few times in F1: Does he consider winning 15 out of 16 times in the 88-89 season as only lucky and only a few times? When Honda comes back to F1 with a full fleged attempt I would suggest to Mr. Park that he watch carefully as Honda knocks down all of the competition.

-- Ken Lee, February 26, 1999

Just as a follow up to the comparison between the NSX and its competitors, such as the Ferarri F355, Porsche 911, and Lamborghini Diablo, the numbers I saw put the NSX as fast as or faster to 60 mph than all the cars I just mentioned. If you want to verify, pick up a copy of Car And Driver, and check the Road Test Digest (or something like that, can't remember actual name of listing).

-- Michael Wong, February 26, 1999

The NSX is a beautiful car. Sexy, sleek, and elegant. It has exhilirating performance and high speed stability...but at its core it lacks passion. A driver of an NSX may feel "comfortable" or "capable" in an NSX but not moved. Jaguars, Astons, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Alfas, Cobras,...these cars require passion, dedication, and most of all love. The driver of these cars is not meant to hop in and instantly be turned into the next Franchetti or Shumacher, but must LEARN their car. Much like a beautiful woman. The owner of these cars appreciates the luscious curves, and the often unpredictable temprement that their "women" have to offer. In time they learn how to make her howl with pleasure, and what she needs and when to give it to her. In the ever evolving juxtaposition of car ownership the love/hate relationship only increases the volatility of the passion. The owner adapts to the car...and more importantly the CAR adapts to the owner. This is why I believe a Japanese car will never inspire men the way Jaguars, Porsches, and Ferraris have. The NSX is a beautiful, fast, exciting CAR, but that is all it is, a car. To the true enthusiast, the car is not just a car, but a spiritual extension of ones self. Thank you.

-- Wayne E. Creech, Jr., March 16, 1999

Just a quick comment on Wayne's addition, you state that the NSX is just a CAR and nothing more, not like Ferraris, Jaguars, etc. But don't you also keep using that word in the rest of your description of how an owner adapts to his CAR and the CAR adapts to it's owner? Based on how the NSX is a CAR, doesn't it do those things? As for the "beautiful woman" analogy, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If there is a woman who is beautiful and very easy-going and nice, it wouldn't be fair to say she is not beautiful because it is very easy to be with her. While I agree that the name of Ferrari or Porsche carries more of a sports heritage than the NSX, this and the passion the name inspires is ONLY an intangible conception of some people. This group of people may be large in number, but do not represent everyone, and the rest of the people are willing to accept the NSX (despite any conceived lack of passion) as an exotic sports car on par with the Ferrari F355 and Porsche 911. The NSX certainly is on par with or betters it's competitors in performance, comfort, and style, but alas, that will never be enough for those who choose to exclude it from being a true exotic sports car because of the heritage in its name, or conceived lack thereof. For me, the bottom line is performance, which the NSX is more than capable of. The heritage of Ferrari is rich indeed. Owning a Ferrari will give you great performance, but the name is only good for bragging rights (to some people) and an inflated ego. Passion is summoned purely by yourself, the love for your car, and what level of performane you can achieve in your car, whatever car it may be. If you own a Ferrari and see an NSX owner is it fair to think, "My car is better because it's Ferrari", even when there is no clear decisive winner in performance? I think not, but I am sure there are plenty who disagree with me.

-- Michael Wong, March 17, 1999

Okay if you are in your right mind you would know that the McLauren F1 is the best sports car on the market since 1992. A car that goes 0-60 in 2.8 seconds and looks as good as this has to be a dream, but it's not. I agree the NSX is the best car you can buy for under a $100,000. But if you've go the $ to spend, spend on this on.(at least this one has cupholders0. Don't be suprised if you have never heard of the McLauren, theres only 6 in the entire U.S., one thats mine.

-- Michael Younan, April 2, 1999

I wonder if the guy above means McLaren F1 instead of McLauren? If he does, it seems to be a silly error considering he claims to own one. Last I checked, McLarens do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. But who wants to shell out a million bucks to buy one? Oh, and the NSX has cupholders. Removable too!

-- Michael Wong, April 5, 1999

THAT ONE DUDE DON'T OWN NO MC F-1 AND BESIDES THE NSX IS THE BEST CAR AND I WOULD HAVE ONE IF I HAD THE DOUGH TO GET IT...U CAN GET THE NSX TO LOOK EVEN HOTTER THEN THE F1 ALL U GOTTA DO IS ADD A GROUND EFFECTS KIT AND MODIFY THE ENGINE AND U CAN GET THAT BABY TO GO ZERO TO 60 IN 2.9 SECONDS. LUV KEETH...CITY OF COMPTON

-- keeth luv, April 15, 1999

Maybe the person above should get an education and he would have the "DOUGH" to buy an NSX. An interesting point for you: Cars are machines, people are not. People have different opinions about many things. Cars are driven by people with opinions. Therefore, some people like different cars. No one on this page is wrong, except for the ones who think they are right. If you don't like the NSX, don't buy it, don't drive it, and close your eyes when one passes you on the interstate. Unless of course your car is faster, which I'm sure it is. In fact it is probably faster because it has history and soul right? Or is it because it has a cupholder, more power, less weight, luggage space, or does it have a cool name for Blue Paint? The NSX does. So that makes it a better car. Maybe this endless rambling shows how ridiculous you sound. Yes, I am wasting my time as well, but I'm at work, with nothing better to do. Bla Bla Bla. Just be glad I didn't start to argue that the sky is purple instead of blue just because I may be colorblind. It may look purple to me, that doesn't make me right. I think the NSX is a supercar, whether you like it or not. You cannot prove an opinion wrong. Why argue with it?

-- Jesse Kuhn, April 18, 1999

The one ingredient the NSX has that is missing from all the other supercars is reliability. No matter which Honda one buys, I own one myself, you always get a car that is not in the shop half of the time. Also when Honda, gets in a serious racing mode, they can be unstoppable. It has had serious runs at F1 and lately in CART.

-- Hector Sanchez, April 18, 1999

Let's talk about heritage... Heritage is a pain for all those who have none, and it is a reward for those who do. Heritage is overrated, though. Remember the 348tb? It was a Ferrari, it had heritage, but it blew. Ferrari got it right with the F355, but it took time. Honda proved with the NSX that it is the greatest automobile builder in the world. the NSX could kick a ferrari's butt, and last a whole lot longer....how many ferrari's do you think will go 150,000+ miles without major repair? Look at the NSX as the poor kid that became an overnight success. No, he wasn't born into his money, he made it all himself, proving that he belongs with the best, and that he just might be the best. A V-8? cool. can't wait.

-- nsx boy, April 29, 1999

I have read everything on this page and find that almost everyone has some valid point. The NSX is a superbly designed car. However, for it's price, it is lacking in aspects to power. (It should come stock > 300 hp, at least 100 hp per litre). For under 60 grand, U can get a brand new Corevette, which outperforms the NSX (slightly lower tech, but higher C.I.) an NSX is over 75 grand. People who say it doesn't have a soul do not know what they are talking about, obviously. For a car to have a soul, you have to put yours into it. I.E. modifications. I find it insulting that a car compony has to APPROVE of me before they will sell me a car! (Ferrari) I SHOULD be the one to approve of the COMPANY and THEY should pay ME to drive there car. Personal taste is everything in a sports car, the car reflects a part of you. Anyone who thinks that a BMW has a soul because it is BMW needs to rip the bloody thing apart and put it back together. THEN it will have a soul. I am personally a Corvette fan... by your defenitions that should have a soul... Chevy's been at it and raceing for a long time too!

-- Peter-Matthew Patrie, April 29, 1999

Look, I'm only 17, but I am in love with the NSX. My family and I are Honda people, we love them. As of now I drive an 88 Prelude it's spectacular. As a Honda lover, of course I love the Acura's just as much. My dream is to get a NSX. I even have a fund that I set up to save money to get one. Yes I might sound pathetic, but Honda makes incredible cars, and I just want you all to know {the people that own NSX's} you are extremely lucky people, and you probably know that. PLUS, if anyone knows how I can go about getting a 99' by the time I am 30, please tell me. This site is awesome, and I just want you to know that I will always support you Honda owners.

-- Thane Bella, May 6, 1999

honda makes incredible cars. however, so does ferrari and porsche. what seperates honda from the rest of them is that doesn't matter what kind of car honda makes, wether its a civic or nsx, it is reliable.i know ferrari owners, they don't drive it everyday. now why would anybody pay that much money for a car so they can put it in a garage and look at it?

-- MASTER KILLA, May 11, 1999

As a sports car enthusiast who has lusted for an NSX for years, and who just got one, I can say flat out that the issue of this superb car lacking character is just a red herring. If character is needing to keep a full time mechanic on retainer, who wants it? If character is needing to spend a long time learning to adjust to the car's quirks, who needs it? I have owned a Toyota MR2, and I currently also own a Supra and a Porsche 928. Before buying the NSX, I test drove everyting from a Porsche 930, a 993, a Boxter, a 928GTS, a Mercedes SL 600, a BMW Z3, A Ferrari 328, the Corvette C5, and the Viper. The NSX is probably not the fastest among these cars. But there is no question that the NSX is the most refined car anywhere near its level of performance. Probably only the 928GTS and the 993 are close. And the NSX is as awesome in looks as anything Ferrari builds. Plus, I could by a used '95 NSX with 21K miles on it and think of it as a new car. None of Enzo's babies were ever as robust with 20K miles on it than they were when they rolled out of Maranello. And unlike any of Enzo's cars that only go for 5 digits, I can use the NSX as a daily driver (although, the Supra will probably get most of that duty). Finally, I will say this, My 928 Shark is 17 years old with 137K miles on it. It still kicks ass as a performance car, but the power mirrors, sunroof, and power seats are busted, the AC fails every year, and the power steering is shot (but it handles BETTER as a manual steering car). I am betting that when my NSX reaches 17 years or 137K miles, it will still drive as well as the Porsche. But, I am also betting that the AC, and electricals will not crap out every year. Sometimes, what people call "Character" is really just a nice way to describe flaws. And the NSX doesn't have any of them. It is a perfect sports car. And a bigger engine would only make it a faster perfect sports car.

-- Douglas Green, May 17, 1999

I don't think I will ever own an NXS but I have have owned 4 Accords, a 1998 Honda Van and now a new 1999 Acura TL 3.2. Honda truly makes great cars and I can just imagine driving a NXS. When I bought my TL at full list I asked the sales person if I could drive one, the answer was no.

Maybe someday,

I look at it this way, things fail every day, people, tools, computers, electronic equipment, relationships but Honda cars never seem to quit.

Ian

-- IAN MACFARLANE, May 17, 1999

For those of us who can't even comprehend affording an NSX (or a Ferrari, or a Porsche), the newer Honda Preludes might give the best bang for the buck. I bought a '97 Prelude with 10,400 miles at $20,000 and my former experience as a valet (no, of course we never drove cars around the freeway on the way to the parking garage ;-) confirms my feelings that it handles better than any car in it's class (i.e. < $30K). Sure, it's only got a 4-cylinder, but like the V6 in the NSX it's tuned so that it performs as well as many 6-cylinder engines. No, I'll never keep up with the NSX, but at 150mph the ride is as smooth as it is at 70mph, and handles with excellent responsiveness.

-- Jason Voegele, May 21, 1999

NSX Baby! Give me 10 million dollars and I would still buy an NSX over any other sports car anyday! But for anyone out there (including myself) who doesn't have the resources to buy an NSX, and loves Honda/Acura...then go get the Integra Type-R! Thats as close as you will get to the NSX without being in an NSX for 1/3 the price. Superb handling, 190HP, VTEC, the mini speedster is fun to drive, and all for $25K. And it is even harder to find then the NSX! NSX Baby!

-- Truong Thai, May 21, 1999

Mario Andretti just rated NSX as the number two car in a road and test article. and don't forget the late Aryton Senna , the greatest F1 driver of all time and the man who introduced the world to the NSX.

-- MASTER KILLA, May 21, 1999

An interesting debate about the NSX and one that has raged since its launch in 1990, when I worked for Honda in the UK in the Press and PR department. It is a car that broke new ground for a supercar and to really understand what a masterpiece of engineering it is you have to look past the facts and figures(which are ballpark average Supercar) and look at the intelligence which went into creating it. Aluminum construction, titanium conrods, 8,000rpm and climate control that works. Look at the brand new Ferrari 360 Modena and it is a copy of all these things - Ferrari had a big wake-up call in 1990 and it has taken 9 years to respond, which is good because it is a great marque that was falling behind. I work for another car company now but I am lucky enough that I do still have my dream car in the garage - an original 1991 NSX. Now with 38,000 miles on the clock it drives as good as the day it was made - only worn leather seats give the age away. Living near London, it never fails to provide an unforgettable drive on the english country lanes and is so much more exclusive than the Ferraris and Porsches that are common in London. On a trip to the Monaco Grand Prix, down through the autobahns of Germany, cruising at 150 mph was a doddle and believe me, you do get respect from the Porsche, BMW drivers who do know what an NSX is. If you accept it for the automotive technical tour de force that it is then the NSX is still a masterpiece and one final point, I know Gordon Murray who designed the McLaren F1 and he drove an NSX from the day it was launched as his everyday car and used it as the benchmark for the F1 roadcar - I don't think you can get any higher praise than that.

-- Graeme Holt, May 24, 1999

This isnt much of an NSX comment...

you see i noticed the words LOTUS EUROPA mentioned in the article :) :)

i am the proud owner of one of these somewhat-ugly-but-theres-something-pretty-about-it cars... its a total JOY to drive... talk about riding on rails...

bump a 1300 pound car (dry) up to 200 horses (originally 128 ha ha ), and you'll experience some pretty exciting rides from this mid-engine lotus wonder

just felt the need to say that -Steve

-- SteVe Prendergast, June 7, 1999

I've read some of the comments posted on this site. Some are very reasonable accessments of the NSX while others are plain trash. Honda built the NSX to showcase its engineering know-how and its capacity to create something more than the Accord, at the same time, compete against the best in the world. In my opinion, Honda did a great job.

To comment on heritage of cars. NSX has no history because it it a first generation car. Can't argue there but Honda itself has more than enough racing heritage. Honda's racing heritage - Honda has won and dominated in every motor sports it has participated with full factory support. Evidence: Honda powered McLaren dominated Formula 1 in the late 80s' and early 90s' before shifting its focus on CART (Indy Car) which Honda has dominated for the last few years. Honda's motorcycle has the same. I laughed when someone questioned NSX's participation in GT racing. One reason Honda doesn't participate, Honda doesn't pretend like it has a one million dollar road car and convert it into a GT1 race car, unlike Porsche, Benz, Toyota and Nissan. These four manufacturers make purpose built race cars to compete in the GT1 class and then make 2 one million dollar road cars (specify by the rules) from the race cars to get around the rules. The fact that NSX doesn't compete in GT racing is no evidence it is not a good race car. Besides, GT racing doesn't race street cars, the cars are highly modified. They look similar to road cars but they are different animals underneath.

-- Tony Mei, June 14, 1999

I've had a '95 NSX-T for several months now. I bought it with 30K miles, and drive it every day. Having had many of the cars with "heritage", including two Jags and a 911 Cabriolet, I can tell you that this is one great car. It outperforms just about anything around, the engine makes the nicest sounds in your ear, everything works without any fuss, and Acura sold me an extended warranty one day before the original warranty ran out, at a reasonable price. I have friends with the expensive italian jobs that love them, but wouldn't dare drive them to work every day. If a car that does whatever you ask of it, every day, without any problems doesn't have soul, I don't know what does.

-- Al Davis, June 20, 1999

I would like to say one thing to all the people, except the former Honda PR guy, and that one thing would be "get a life". Everyone loves a car for their own reasons. I have owned both BMWs and Hondas. One make with "heritage" and one without. Both were great cars. In my opinion, the Italians make works of art. The Germans make works of engineering. The Japanese make copies of both. There are more important things to think about than whether one car is better than the other. Those chatting about "heritage" probably mean that Japanese cars are not "European". This seems to be a form of subtle racism. Maybe the people harping on "heritage" are not racists. But if a car is great, its great. No matter who makes it. The only cars I dislike are the redneck cars (i.e. Corvettes, Vipers, Camaro, TransAm, Mustang, etc.).

-- Kent Adams, June 20, 1999

Hmmm? Are the comments above about racism and "redneck" cars intended to imply that prejudice based on race is unacceptable, while that based on education or social class is OK?

-- Robert Bryett, June 22, 1999

Ever since I read about the Acura NSX in an issue of Motor Trend in 1989, I knew I would own one some day. My neighbor down the street had one, and it was even more beautiful in real life. I know many people don't think it has enough power, or history behind it, but neither did Ferrari's when they first came out. But look at them today. A history has to start sometime. Ferrari took many years to bring their cars to where they are today, whereas Acura hit the nail right on the head the first time. I personally think the Ferrari 355 is the most incredible LOOKING car ever put into production, and it has an incredible engine as well (i like high reving small displacement engines). But try driving one as a daily driver. Vipers are scary fast in the straight line, as are the Twin Turbo 911's. But the dodge has cheaper interior plastic quality than a Neon. My point is, some cars handle very well, and some are fast, and I think the NSX provides the best combination of both, plus its very user friendly, and gets 20 mpg in the city. Plus its just as reliable as a honda civic. Part of the experience of owning a car, is not having to worry about maintanence on a daily basis. Besides, if it gets a V8 next year, it wont just be keeping with ferrari's and Porsche's, it will be blowing their doors off! And you can bet it will still be as user friendly as a backrub. Then we'll see who's still complaining.

-- dallas hoggan, June 28, 1999

The Acura NSX is a very nice car.State of art and in a class of it's own.By that I mean it does'nt even make the Big Boys 300hp club.How can something cost so much and fall so short.Yes it is a sports car, but at half the cost you can get the same state of art in something with more power and personility of their own.The 300zx twinturbo, Supra Twinturbo, 3000GT VR-4, RX-7 twinturbo.These cars started it all and still take center stage when people see them on the road in mint condistion. Anybody done their home work on these car's would know that the 300zx tt and the Supra tt where put out on the market well under what the cars can preform.You can take these cars up to 700hp, yes 700hp before you have to go into the motor and start up grading internel parts.Without even coming close to what your paying for a NSX.Don't get me wrong.It's a dam nice car but it's no import muscle car that when you come up behind someone on the freeway their going to move outta your way

-- jerry bartz, July 12, 1999

The whole point is that the NSX ISN'T an import muscle car, because it's supposed to be an exotic sports car. While the Supra, 300ZX, and 3000GT (all turbos) have more power than the NSX, the NSX still gets to 60mph faster than any of them. It also bests them in the quarter-mile and in top speed. Not to mention that it's one of the finest handling cars you can get (at least according to Car & Driver and Road & Track comparisons). The NSX doesn't compete with Supras, 300ZX's and 3000GT's, it competes with Ferrari 355's and Porsche 911's. What I don't understand is how some people can be so quick to judge a car just by it's horsepower, and forget about everything else that is important in a fine automobile.

-- Michael Wong, July 12, 1999

As a quiet NSX fan, I would just like to mention that the Nissan Skyline R-34 GTR is now available in North America. At $85.5k (US) it isn't cheap but it does compare favorably with the NSX. BTW, the Skyline does NOT make 300hp stock (something which may be quickly altered) but is still considered superior to the Supra, the RX-7, et al (particularly the 3000GT VR-4).

-- Devin Brande, July 14, 1999

Sorry, I owned a '95 Supra before I got my NSX. It may be just about as fast in a straight line, but otherwise, it is not in the same class as the NSX. The NSX out-handles it easily, and is a far superior driving experience.

-- Douglas Green, July 14, 1999

I was wondering if anyone knew if there was going to be a new NSX(V-12 2 RL engines put together? 400+HP?) or if there is a new supra coming out in the future. If you do know or have info, or have photos on the internet, please share!

-- Mark Cheng, July 21, 1999

hi everyone,we'll first thing,i'm only 14 and all you ppl might think i don't know much bout cars but after reading a few articles above by others,,some are very very rediculous,.The Acura NSX must be the greatest sports car,,all aluminum body,VTEC engine,,i mean what the heck is wrong with ppl that think it's a integra or made by engineers that also made the CIVIC?? Honda is a company that can make cars for everyone ,and they just don't make cars,,they make sure their cars are the best,.,the civic,,.,a reliable fun car all the way up to the nsx ,,an amaing sports car,.,i mean,.,get it in our head for those Viper lovers that think the cipor can dust a NSX,.,viper can't,.,before the viper get's to speed all that cheap plastc probly mented inside already,.,i'm pure honda lover,.,my parents own an acura legend 1995 and a 97 honda cr-v,.,and those things just don't break,,not like chryslers and GM and ford,.,you see honda cars are build to last for a long time so the reliability naturaly is in the NSX also,.,as for the others,.,well vipers,.,lol,.,just like all chryslers are made to last unil the warrenty is over.. and just take the engine for example between the viper and the NSX,,the NSX only has a v6!!!! the vipers got a 10,.,but does it go that much faster??,.nooo.,Vipers are too heavy!!!,.to make this whole thing short,.,NSX rules and all the other sports cars suck (i respect eropeans sports cars but reall not Amerian one cause they are just rediculous,,living in th past of muscle cars),,.,and for all those ppl wondering if a V8 will be put into an NSX??honda doesn't even need to develope a V8 for the car,.,any of you checked out the honda civic si (sir in canada)and the s2000 ?? honda can get 140 hp pe liter everyone,.,if they keep the current engine the NSX got now 3.0,.,think bout it,.,without a v8 hey can get 420 hp!!!,.,and with VTEC,.,nothing can stop em and nothing can stop honda cause they're the best automotive company!!!

-- Philip Hsia, July 23, 1999

I don't feel a need to reiterate all of the comments previously said. We all know that the NSX handles like a dream, accelerates damn quickly... Wait a minute... I just said I wasn't going to repeat all of that stuff. Anyway, I am 17, and I have a Chrysler's TC by Maserati. Don't get me wrong. The TC is an excellent car, it handles extremely well, it is fast enough for a first car and is the second most comftorable car I have ever been in (The Maserati Khamsin takes the trophy for one. If you have never sat in a Maser, you are really missing something) However, I would not consider my car an exotic sports car. Just a comfy sports car. The NSX is an exotic sports car. It has all of the elements of an exotic sports car. Plus, it has all of the desirable luxury qualities of a Lincoln (sans extra seats). I don't care if you all say that a Lambo handles and is better than an NSX (I have been on a test drive with the NSX) but lets face it. The majority of its owners while driving it are not going to scrutinize over the fact that it goes to 60 one tenths of a second slower than a Ferrari. The fact is, they'll be cruising to work in ultimate luxury, similar to the one in my TC, but when they pull up at a stop light next to a Ferrari, whose owner is sweating trying to handle the thing and is very uncomftorable, the NSX will be ready to race it. So the exotic NSX has the best of both worlds. Near TC comfort and Ferrari performace. And THAT is what counts. Not that is doesn't have a soul. Whoopdeedoo. I will one day own an exotic sports car. I would like a Ferrari. That I can drive daily and not worry about. So I'll probably buy an NSX. If there really is a Ferrari that comes close, it might be the Mondial or the 400 series, at least in terms of daily drivability, and they don't even match the NSX. P.S. We have a Saab Sonnett III, and while it is slow, it handles like a dream. It is a sports car. Just not an exotic sports car.

-- Sasha Peel, July 31, 1999

Have you been feeling like a man? Have you been played by a woman? Well, me and my lady love the NSX! We have found that the hidden convertable top compartment is the perfect place to "get it on" and it doesn't even take up luggage space.....

....I would like to give a shout out to my boys back at West Virginia University and to the Col Body Rocker! Peep the scripts. Thank you for your time. PEACE, I'm out!

-- mahatma ghandi, August 1, 1999

Whichever make/model you choose, you have your reasons as to why it is best, no matter what the statistics say. After reading all of these comments, the voices that stand out in my mind are the Ferrari owners. Feel free to bash the NSX from all angles gentlemen. But did you happen to ask yourself a simple question? What does an oil change cost for an NSX? If you do it yourself, as so many auto enthusiasts like to do, it's less than $12. What did you pay for the last service on your F355 or 456 GT? Ouch, did I touch a nerve? I have seen a certain scenario played out over and over. Man buys exotic car, man drives exotic car, man finds out maintainence on his car can cost more than the monthly payment. Man sells exotic car before the next major service is due because it cost too much. If you are in the bracket of wealth that does not bat an eye at the price of keeping a Ferrari on the road, then enjoy the heritage and the ride. If you have an older 308 in the garage and can't afford to keep it rolling, then the reliable NSX should be given a second glance. Heritage parked in your garage is worthless when your neighbor drives by in his "running just fine" NSX.

-- Chris Castelitz, August 16, 1999

First of all, HONDA is the greatest Automotive company period (I realize that this is an opinion). Secondly, the NSX is the greatest sports car period, be it exotic or muscle (I also realize that this is an opinion, too). The reason that it doesn't recieve its well-deservered dues is because of it "failure" to stand out in any one area. Look for tests and comparisons between top-notch sports cars and look for the second place slot. Chances are, you'll see an NSX with its little article saying that it would have won overall if it had "a few more horses" or "fatter tires." One time it will be beaten by a Porche 911 Carrera 4 and another time by a Ferrari F355. Or maybe even a Viper will -- ok, ok, lets not kid ourselves. The point is that the NSX-CS (Consistently Second) is a perfect balance between acceleration, handling, breaking and all other attributes common to sports cars (and not just exotics). The only atttribute that causes an imbalance of the overall consistency of the nsx(cs) is its comfort which undeniably tips the scales in the Honda's favor. There are a few reasons why I really love honda, and one is definitely their independence. Let it be known that when the Mclaren F1 was to be built originally, the engine was to be developed by Honda, but Honda refused. Why? Who knows? But just think, the "best street car on the planet" had to settle for a second-best engine all because HONDA wouldn't help them build a better one. Honda is so secretive and just plain old weird, ya gotta love 'em.

-- The Great One, August 17, 1999

While Honda makes some very fine automobiles, they are also over-priced and over-rated. Not unlike your NSX. As nice as it is, it has none of the charisma/appeal of the true exotics. Get serious! Yuppie.....you may be, but as an expert on exotic cars....you are CLUELESS!

-- Bart --, August 25, 1999

I doubt you even know much about cars in general if you call Hondas over-rated. Hondas are consistently on top (or near) of comparison tests done by reputable automobile magazines, not to mention that customre satisfaction is very high. I've owned several Hondas and all have been excellent.

-- Michael Wong, August 27, 1999

A C5 Corvette, 1999 - 42K Price Tag, will SMOKE an NSX in handling, 0-60, 1/4 mile, top end, cornering, braking and (for many) looks. Tell me, as I am only a lowly IBM engineer with a PHD in applied mathematics, what is it that goes into your decision making process which validates purchasing an 85K, slant-eyed piece-of-shit?

-- robert lions, August 27, 1999

To the above ranting:

It sounds like you have a lot of anger in you. Lighten up before you blow a fuse fruity

-- greg vitale, August 28, 1999

There are a few misguided people out there - have some guidance:

Firstly the question of soul - We are talking about a car here that the engineers took to a certain Mr Ayrton Senna to test the prototype and asked him for some feedback, he came back saying it wasn't good enough they redesigned 90% of the car until he was happy. If the soul of Ayrton Senna isn't good enough for you mere mortals then you should be testing formula one cars with a view to taking the world championship next year - let me know how you go. Sure shumaker might drive ferraris but im sure they don't go redesigning cars just because he doesn't like the way it drives and anyway he pales to Senna.

There was a comment b4 about someone complaining about the fact that there are too many aftermarket parts for the NSX and few for the other 'established' marques - these company names are just for you (look em up sometime) : Koenig - AMG - RUF - Brabbus and anyway probably the reason why there aren't that many options available for the more exclusive cars is that they are just that - exclusive - meaning very little profit involved for the research - you can make a ferrari better - just ask Walter Koenig and his 600-1000bhp Testarossa (selectable from the cockpit).

Another point that people are missing is that the NSX was designed as a daily driver - that was their goal - which is why they may seem a little soft in the suspension department and too comfortable and user friendly - is this really such a bad thing? If it is then why not consider a Type-R model? Or modify with some of those terrible aftermarket parts? Or do you prefer the idea of having something as impersonal as a standard car?

Next bitch for me is about the power freaks out there - 280 ps or about 275hp (but on your low octane gas probably closer to 270hp (btw all vtec hondas respond wickedly to copious amounts of octance booster and or aviation fuel (with the cat cut out of course :) as they all have knock sensors - don't believe me? do a timed run to 60 or 100 (whatever you have the balls for :) then put some octane additive in the tank, drive for about 30 miles, then time yourself again and if you don't notice an improvement then bugger me backwards with a black market vegetable) but any way 280ps used to be the 'gentlemans' agreement that the car manufacturers adhere to (cept for some weird reason the supra in american market trim) that motor has to be one of the most unstressed, sweet engines i know of in production today. Now i have seen an aftermarket turbo kit with 384hp at stage one spec - Honda claim they have a streetable 1.6 liter civic vtec mill with 250hp available with NO turbos and on standard high octane japanese fuel. So theoretically we could assume that the 3 liter mill out of the NSX could run to 500 hp with a few very minor modifications. Also consider this: the Nissan Skyline GTR mill 2.6 liter, inline 6, dohc, 4 valves per cylinder, twin turbo has been known to get 800 - 1000 hp (race trim admittedly) but with all things being equal im sure you could see similar numbers just by bolting on a well thought out twin turbo kit. Think about these numbers all you unbelievers and while you are there - 1986 honda 1.5 liter v6 formula one engines with turbos used to be able to hold together at 1400 hp. If i spent as much on an NSX as you could for a 355 i could murder it, even starting off in 2nd gear (if someone has the money and would like to see this happen email me :)

I love these cars and will eventually own one and on really nice days you will find me out on the highways looking for ferrari drivers that are just asking to be embarrased in front of their girlfriends/wife/mothers whatever.

And just for the record i own a car with 'soul' it has cost me $15000 to modify and due to the fact that it has been off the road for a few years due to being a pain in the ass to pour money into i am selling it for about 10% of its worth. Sure i know how everything works in it and how to waste my time fixing it but fuck it - I just want to drive - and my next car will be a Honda - my next bike will be a Honda and one fine day i will have saved enough money by not wasting it on piece of shit tempramental Italian trash to own my dream - How many of you people gunning for ferraris actually will be able to own your dream car? 2%? 1%? >1%?

Lastly Honda are the only japanese car manufacturer that aren't owned by a larger corporation - why? - Because it doesn't fit in with their mission to make the best cars in the world - they want to make cars - not profit for some other suits who know shit about cars.

That is all thanks for listening :)

send flames to = netjunki@xtra.co.nz

-- Aaron Jones, August 29, 1999

Hello evrybody! Well it sure seems like thers a lot of opinions floating around. I don't own an NSX but I would love to have one for a daily driver. Now just because I say daily driver that doesn't diminish this fine automobile, this car was created for that purpose. But I think the attitude of NSX vs. Ferrari, porsche, Lambo etc. is not a fair game. I have owned every model metioned above except the NSX. And guess what A ferrari will always, always , always be a ferrari. A lambo will always get the most attention ever on the road. So you modify your already depreciating Japanese auto and blow by me in your Little race car, Wow! yOU MUST HAVE JUST WON THE RACE DUDE!I still am crusing in my Diablo. And as far as owning an exotic cars that is hardly affordable that is what seperates the average guy in an NSX from A Ferrari owner. Iknow millionaire s who Care less about having an impressive car and drive a camaro. The guys I know who have Beautiful ferraris and porches CHERISH the car and that my friend is something many of you "Iv'e got something to prove with my vette to you Ferrari gus category"will never understand.Actually all this talk is ridiculous. Why don't you guys go and invent your own car ,Slam it to the ground, put a fast motor in it,name it after yourselves,then you'll have a super true original. Then go race everybody! Or just go buy an NSX shut up and enjoy it. I drive a Lambo and appreciate the NSX and will eventually buy one I'm not putting the car down. Funny how you gus Knock Ferraris, Porsches, and Lambos; and I guess will never own one either or at least have the balls to try and buy one,so you try to compensate by putting down a car, that secretly you wish you had. Thank You B Sullivan

-- Brev Sullivan, September 2, 1999

A reply to B. Sullivan comments "have the balls to try and buy one"???? I didn't know balls were legal tender in car yards. If so which ones?? And to the boy racer aspect of sports cars, they are meant to be thrashed - to within thousandths of an inch of their lives, anybody who pays for a sports car should be capable of driving them to 90% of their capability (the cars) rather than just posing in their cars (look at me girls, i drive a lambourgini, i may not know the difference between oversteer and understeer but i do have a lambourgini, isn't it pretty). I have cherished all of my cars, spent money on the finest oils and racing fuel but expected something in return and that was the ability to put a huge grin on my face after doing something extremely illegal or stupid or both in them. And you also are stating that somehow a ferrari owner is greater than an NSX owner - that smacks of bullshit. They may have a more expensive car but few of them that i have met have been worthy of owning such a car. Think of what these cars stand for and then ask yourself "Do i really deserve to won one?" you may have the money but i seriously doubt you have the skills. As for getting the most attention on the road, the one time that i did see a lambourgini diablo from a certain angle it looked like a 92 model toyota mr2 with a bodykit. Try searching the net for a mugen nsx with the full bodykit treatment - put the diminutive little beast next to a diablo, remove the badges and see which one people look at the most. That is all.

-- Aaron Jones, September 10, 1999

Well mr. A. Jones, you and all others like you think alike. You have an NSX mentality. You totally misunderstood what I was trying to convey in my message. First of all, I'm not rich. I saved forever to get my Diablo. So in essence, I "have Balls" for attempting to undertake such a Large investment. Second, I don"t care whether you think I know how to push the limits of my vehicle or not. I don't care if I pick up any women in my car, either (something a typical NSX owner would only think of). I LOVE my lambo for it's intrinsic value--NOT the benefits I can reap from it. Your NSX is made to drive on the road; it's a car that is made to take you from point A to B , just like, say, a Pontiac Bonneville. Just because it is shaped like a race car, or other NSX owners act like it is hot shit, does not change the fact that it is indeed a regular car. And that goes for my Diablo. It is a car made to get from A to B. period. But you don't seem to be able to grasp this concept; therefore, I am not obligated to race around the streets just to prove that my car is faster, or my driving skills are superior to yours. Is your name Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt? Oh, I get it!!! You must be Jeff Gordon!! I'm sorry, yes you are right, I will sit here in my Diablo and drive like Gramps on a Sunday drive! Anyone who reads this and owns a Ferrari will understand the message I am trying to convey, but Mr. Jones and other NSX'ers like him never will. I don't think that my car is any better than yours, because I don't have anything to prove.

-- Brev Sullivan, September 13, 1999

Ok just a few quick comments to the above ramblings.

Firstly i am engaged to be married so i dont care about the ability to pick up women with a car, truth is i have never relied on a car to pick up a woman (a motorbike did the trick once but that was a long time ago and it was more due to the fact that some women get horny when they have the fright of their lives) but i digress somewhat.

Im afraid your comments about not wanting to reap benefits from a car that was built to race and prefering to cruise like grampa on a sunday would make the very creators sick to their souls - you say i have no idea but if you really knew anything about the reason for there being such cars as sports cars available to you and me you would realise that cruising in such a car is not an option - why not take your car to a track day and really get to know it?

By the way who in the hell are Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt? I think maybe you are confusing glorified dirt track racers for real racing drivers and last time i had the misfortune to watch nascar i noticed that they only know how to turn left hand corners - most perplexing. And if you'd really like to know - i do actually know how to drive rather quickly, I've completed a couple of high performance driving courses and have had 40 laps in a single seater race car and according to the instructor did quite well for myself. And that track involved both left and right hand corners.

And another thing - you cant label someone as being a particular type of person just because of the car they choose to drive. It seems you have a narrow minded opinion of anyone who "doesn't have the balls" to buy a "real" car and would prefer in fact the finest japanese car that hand can make.

Just for the records to be set straight - Mr Lambourgini started off making tractors for a living and only took up car making cause he couldn't get a government grant to make aircraft - true story.

Thats is all

Aaron Jones

-- Aaron Jones, September 14, 1999

Well, It seems you are getting of the subject Indiana Jones, this is supposed to be a page about NSX cars is it not? Oh, thank you for clearing a few things up. You really are a race car driver. I'm sorry sir. Ididn't know that all you have to do to be an authority on racing is take an instructor with you, drive 40 laps, and you are an overnight pro. Gee, no wonder your so qualified in the field of speed.The instructor must have gotten out of the car and said, "Great job son, you'll make a fine race car driver some day!" "Oh please sir ( Spoken in meek voice ) You couldn't possibly mean that." Instructor- "Oh yes, Tommorow I'll let you drive a Million dollar GT1 car!" Sir I'm sorry. I think that you are truly delussional. You see,you fell into the same trap everone else does. You have to prove yourself.I'm sure you are very qualified to give me advice on driving . I'm sure that everone else on this page knows you are the authority on racing.BUT YOU HAVE TO BE HIGH ON DRUGS TO THINK THAT I ONLY DRIVE SLOW,OR HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A TRACK, OR THAT I DIDN'T KNOW LAMBORGHINI BUILT TRACTORS. But notice, I don't open my big mouth and talk about subjects that frankly I don't need to talk about. That is why I speed when I want to,drive on the track when I want to, or just cruise when I want to. That's why I laugh when people like yourself get all flustered and bothered when I have a 200 mile an hour car and I just hang out while they race buy me. What's the point? Are we in a race? Listen up! these cars are wonderful to go fast in, they perform. They give you are great feeling when you drive, accelerate, etc. I know this otherwise, I would not have purchased it. But guess what, after all this talk, after all the modifications, after all your so called racing experience the above mentioned cars are not cars for the track. You can take the on the track, which obviously has been done, but if you going to give advice all of the sudden because of your 40 laps with some skip barber instructor, grow up. Why don't you buy or build a real race car: F1 racer, Gt class, Nascar, etc, get your own pit crew, sponsers, then actually win some races. I'll be willing to bet I won't be seeing you at the track soon. Notice readers. Everone that writes in, who likes ferraris, porche, etc., does not open their big mouth. I thoght I was simply trying to convey that I you truly have a love for these cars, enjoy them fast or slow. Oh, I almost forgot. A plastic sugeon recently let me do mock surgery at a medical seminar. He said I was really good! And Imagine! After only(40 hours) of training. I must really be an authority in medicine now! I can't wait to open up my own office!

-- Brev Sullivan, September 14, 1999

Consider this my last reply on this messageboard to mr brev (im always right - even if i'm wrong) sullivan, as amusing as it may be for the other readers of this page here probably isn't the place for a shit slinging contest. Here i was only three posts ago waxing lyrical about the wonder of japanese technology known as the NSX (or new supercar xperiment (CRX was civic race xperiment)) when someone comes along and has a go at my boy racerness when i was merely informing the needmorepowerfreaks here that the car is capable of a lot more than it comes standard with. And then starts off on the virtues of his european exotic with a (short) heritage and didn't even consider that some one would prefer an NSX to a european supercar. As to a car being an investment - if someone in a truck hit it and smashed it - would it still be an investment or would you get market value?

You then go on to slag off enthusiastic NSX owners - If there were as many Diablos around as NSX's im sure there would be an equal number of hoons getting them nice and sideways all over our countries - overtaking long lines of traffic in the same time it takes an average car to overtake a slow moving road sign and generally making the cops work that little bit harder for their revenue.

Next up was you deciding that i must be some kind of wannabe race driver - which was wrong - i took the initiative to learn how to drive better to make myself a safer driver. Going hard at the limit is nice but i wouldn't want to do it for a living (hard enough for race drivers in this country to pay bills let alone make a living from it). And anyway i did not at anytime state i was a professional race driver - you are very quick to the defensive. Also - single seaters do not have room for more than the driver as mistakenly pointed out by yourself here "The instructor must have gotten out of the car and said, "Great job son, you'll make a fine race car driver some day"" and anyway he did point out to most of the others the mistakes they were making rather than crawling up their arses - but i didn't do it for my hour of fame, i did it to see what it was like.

Oh and the name calling "Indiana jones" - did it take you long to come up with that? Think of something original for once - but i guess you wont - your choice of car says a lot for your originality. I will be as happy with my idea of automotive heaven (NSX, revised suspension, De-restricted engine, Veilside bodykit and that funky paint that changes color when you view it from different angles) as Jesus would have been if someone had thought of bringing a hammer with a claw end and some bandages.

btw the point i was trying to get across regarding the tractors thing and mr lambo was that he never did it for 'intrinsic' reasons, he did it for the money and the fame - Mr Honda did it coz he wanted to go racing.

If you would like to continue this highly entertaining conversation feel free to email me rather than posting it here - i am the netjunki@xtra.co.nz

Go hard or go home

Aaron

-- Aaron Jones, September 16, 1999

trans am baby

Ok people, the NSX is a slow piece of crap for the price it's sold for. The NSX-T costs in the neighborhood of 80 grand(i think), and for that price, you can buy a new Viper GTS Coupe, which will burn it bad. And if you want to talk about suping these things up, remember this, the Dodge engine is low-tech, meaning there is ALOT you can do to it to improve the HP ratings. Hennessey Motorsports of Houston, Tx has a Venom 650r which will perform/pretty much keep up with a McLaren F1, for 1/10 of the price. So, people, look in your wallets before burning too much extra on a piece of shit Japanese car you buttnuggets. Btw, the 30th Aniversary Trans-am looks a hell of alot better than a NSX, as you can see by the pic above.

-- Joey Something, September 20, 1999

I can not believe that someone actually put up a picture of that unabashedly garish piece of trash. It blows my mind that anyone would ever think that looks better than an NSX. Btw, why are you afraid to use your real name? Are you afraid to let people know you have such bad taste?

-- Michael Wong, September 20, 1999

Now To the 1 person whom made the remote comment about the nsx then he should go out and try 1 for himself.......I for one has and I also have driven the viper ..........You can do alot with the nsx that you can't with the viper.........to say the least about the viper it's an American made and most Asian people perfer the Japan imports over the not so nice, r lookin viper.......At the import jam in 98 the nsx was a much nicer looking car then the viper......

-- Saechao Joe, September 29, 1999

That trans-am will look nice next to your trailer, what a piece of crap. The NSX is refined and properly balanced unlike the inefficient V8 LS-1 that has its origins back in the 70's. It maybe fast but other factors make the NSX great. People who have never driven one should keep opinions to themselves. As for the Mazda Protege owner you might as well compare Carnie Wilson to Cindy Crawford. Why did you even enter this page, who gives a crap about cupholders get a life.

-- Kevin Miracle, September 30, 1999

I've enjoyed the comments on this site. Some were valuable observations, some were trash. I don't own an NSX, yet. I'm going to have to drive many cars to find the right one. The NSX is a step in the right direction, with more power and lower price being the only things it lacks. For $19,000 (new) my Firebird Formula is just as fast and just as reliable; a few heads-up races and 70,000 trouble-free miles have shown this. However, it has taken nearly $2,000 worth of suspension mods to make the car's handling acceptable. Front-engine cars can be made to handle, but they'll never have the natural balance or agility of mid-engine cars. Thus my interest in the NSX.

Heritage? The 1990s NSX is hopefully the beginning of a long heritage of producing superior sports cars. 30 years from now, people will look back at what a great car this was and speak of its heritage, and of how Honda spanked the other manufacturers at the beginning of this decade. Finding one of these used will be expensive indeed. Whining about heritage now is a waste of time and just an excuse to avoid admitting what a great car this is. When I'm powersliding sideways through a corner, grinning from ear to ear and anticipating running to redline in the next gear, I don't give a sh_t about heritage because it's not relevant. What gives those lame old '70s exotics "heritage" is that mainstream cars sucked so bad back then, and memories become golden with age.

Do I think the NSX is perfect? Heck no. It's a great start. I'd like to see it drop to 2700 pounds or less, with a 440+ hp all-aluminum V8. Honda can do this, they just didn't have to in order to launch the NSX. Look how long they avoided a V6 for the Accord; only when market pressure forces their hand do they yield and up the cylinder count of their engines. I'd also like to see them rein in the price. I'd like to see the standard NSX in the $70s, with a stripper in the low $50s and loaded luxo-rockets as high as they want to price 'em for the old fat rich guys to keep in their garages while they dream about being people they never were. By "stripper" I mean no auto climate control, no leather, ultra-lightweight fixed roof, 6-speed only, at least 200lbs lighter than the standard NSX - like the notchback 'Vette, only done right. This would be the fastest, and the cheapest, and the one I would buy and drive like hell.

-- Ken Loehr, October 10, 1999

On one of the posts above someone said in essence that one reason the Acura NSX must not be a very good car is because there are so many aftermarket things to add to it. This is not an indication that it isn't a very good car. It is just the opposite. The car is built so well that it can handle the modifications. I read an article in a magazine where they upped the horses of a honda prelude from 190 to 220 with very few modifications. No turbo charging needed. I may be wrong on the exact figures but they did add 30 horses to it without the turbo charging. I myself do prefer Lamborghini's to NSX's. I have seen both cars in person and just plain like a Diablo's styling to an NSX's. Also, in R&T there is an article where they drove the Diablo across country and they loved it! Problem is I'm comparing a $350,000 car to an $85,000 car. Since I have never liked Ferrari's (except for the Testarrosa) I would probably buy a lot of other exotics first. Of course if I could have it my way I would have one of everything...a Ferrari, Lamborghini, NSX, Supra, Lotus, Jaguar, Viper, Corvette C5, BMW, etc., etc... :) Anyways, back to comparing like priced exotics....there is the NSX, Porche 911, Ferrari 355, Corvette C5, and Dodge Viper. NSX is refined. Viper is muscle. Ferrari is heritige. C5 is the least expensive. 911 is the most liked by journalists(R&T at least). Sorry about the C5 and 911, couldn't think of anything else. It just plain comes down to what you want out of a car. I would never choose the 911 because I can't stand the styling of Porches. As to Ferrari's, I find their styling too bland and the car is too small for me. I've seen the 355 spyder and is it ever small. Everything I've read screams the C5 is the best bang for the buck. I just don't trust the reliability of Chevrolet. That leaves me with a Viper or NSX. That would probably come down to whether I wanted something to drive daily or something that would knock the socks off of everyone that saw it and raced against it.

-- Brodie Mower, October 11, 1999

I am a bit saddened by petty bickering among car enthusiasts.

The fact is that the NSX is a great sports car, just like all the others mentioned earlier. I lived a few years in Italy and I love Ferrari and Lamborghini. But they have flaws like any other car. Ferraris are fragile and expensive to care for and Lambos even more so. A true fan of motor racing or any kind of racing will appreciate what the manufacturers are striving for, and that is variety. Without that we would not have all of these comments. Heritage is only what one makes of it, and Honda certainly has done just that, just look at the Indy Carts and Juan Mantoya's success. In F-1 we got McLarren and Ferrari battling it out with hopes of Michael Schumaker's comeback. The one person putting down Richard Petty or Jeff Gordon, doesn't know what he is talking about. Richard competed in over 1000 races and won just as many times. Ferrari was trying to get Jeff Gordon as their second driver earlier this year for a reason.

As a child I watched Nikki Lauda drive his hart out and crash. Arton Senna was great but within a few years Schumaker will be even greater.

It is not about cars or even drivers, those come and go. It's about competition and the thrill of the race.

Corvette or Vipers redneck cars?, pal the Corvette was built in 1953 (from plastic and carbon fiber in those years) and sold every year since. It has heritage coming out of its pipes. In 1990 a stock ZR-1 Corvette (0-60 mph in 4.2 and a top 190+ with no cats) set 15 FIA sanctioned endurance records (that stood since the 50s)off whom only 2 were beaten by a Ferrari Maranello in 98 (100 miles & 400 miles). Viper was designed with the help of Carol Shelby same one who made the Cobra 427 ( 0-60 mph in 4.0 sec in 1962-65) and the same one who won LeMans. Than there was a car called the "Immortal" Countach 25 years in production flowed by something Devilish. Porsche 911 has been running since the 60s too, and sold more than 300,000 of them (more than any supercar), while the NSX is only starting its greatnes.

Want HP per Liter look no further than a stock Bugatti EB110ss with 174.57(0-60 in 3.3 and top speed 218 mph) or F40 with 162.

I grew up on Ferraris (512 TR), and have come to love Corvettes and appreciate the NSX and now want them both.

My point is that all the sports cars are wonderful and everyone will find at least one to like or admire. Ferraris have Enzo's soul, Lamborghini has the aura, BMW the engineering, Corvette is the American Icon and the NSX is a true GEM.

Great web site by the way.........keep on rocking!

Adrian Hetmanski, October 12, 1999
Attachment: NSX .txt

-- Adrian Hetmanski, October 13, 1999

While the NSX is definately a nice middle-age, im rich, im a yuppy, and im bald car....Id like to point out that i BLEW one off the road in my '98 Mustang COBRA SVT. The guy was really trying, and i played with him a little...you could hear his NSX whinning like all Japanese sports cars tend to do, and i laughed then let my pedal FUCK the floor and listened to my SVT ROAR away....it was fun.

Richie

-- chris wilkins, October 13, 1999

I just want to say that personally, I think that Honda has the best cars from an engineering standpoint. I'm not necesarily saying that the NSX is the best super car, but you have to admire it's engineering to some respect. I've seen videos from Acura's web site that shows the NSX versus the Ferarri Spider, the new Porche Boxter, the BMW M8, and others, and if you see the footage for yourselves, you'll admit that car can do some amazing things with only a V6. You see, I like a car that exhibits great engineering, so Honda makes the perfect cars for me. However, you shouldn't put Honda down simply because it's NSX doesn't have as much horsepower as a Diablo, or a Ferarri, or even a Mclaren, because those cars first of all cost more, have bigger engines, and are completely different kinds of cars. But keep in mind bigger engines don't make a car faster. The NSX's power to mass ratios are significantly higher than most exotic cars, proving that horsepower doesn't make a car, it's horsepower and mass must be taken into account before you say a car is better than the next. But for you people who think European cars are better, you show me a European Automaker that can make a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine put out 245 horse power. Honda did it, and my proof will be on the road next year in the form of the s2000. So, to all of you people arguing about which of our cars are better, please take more than horsepower into consideration, and maybe next time your mouthes won't be on the floor after seeing Acura's very interesting racing footage. But that's only from an engineers standpoint, take it how you want.

-- Tom Spence, October 13, 1999

I am a mechanical engineer who owns an older Ferrari and a pickup truck. First, I like Honda and I think they do some pretty cool engineering. Especially that CVT thing that was done to some of the civics, not to mention VETEC. But they goofed big time with the NSX. Here is the proof:

Sales (American)

Ferrari (355) vs. NSX ~2:1 Viper vs. NSX ~4:1 Porsche (911) vs. NSX ~15:1

Rough figures taken from one or more of the past few of years.

Prices (carpoint.msn)

Ferrari (355) $ 140,000 NSX $ 85 - 88,000 Porsche (911) $ 60 - 70,000 Viper $ 65 - 68,000

How can the 355 out sell a car that's almost $70,000 cheaper? What are the people thinking when they buy a Ferrari? FUN. The Ferrari is designed to be much more exciting to drive. The NSX is designed to boring, almost easy to drive fast. However, the most direct comparison is the 911 with the NSX. Both have a 6 cyl engine, and make 290 - 300 hp, and have very close track numbers. Yet the 911 out sells the NSX by 15 to 1. Why, because for a sports-car-like daily driver, the Porsche wins with back seats. There are too many practical people that would rather own something that works better, rather something that looks better. Personally I want an 8 liter truck engine with 2 valves per cylinder and ~50 hp per liter. Talk about durable. (when my skills have been honed on the Ferrari first) The viper isn't a toy.

Then NSX is a pretty thing to look at, but it is the only car I know of over $80,000 with less then 300hp. That's just plain wrong. And the rest of America seems to agree. If you have to get one look to the used market. Honda needs to decide if it is going to compete with the Ferrari market or the Porsche market. The NSX either needs a more practical nature (2+2 or 1+2 seating), or more horsepower.

BR

-- B. R., October 14, 1999

I have my NSX since 1991 and one thing I can say for shure it is the safest car built in the world and if I had to buy another car someday it will be a NSX.

-- Nany Sanchez, October 17, 1999

Here is the shit righ' here

To all of you honky asses: Reading this here page has been very arousing. i shit my pants when i found out that the fuck load of you all own a McLaren F1. WOW. Personally i think that all Foreign Cars suck shit out my ass. The Supra fag that thinks his piece of shit is better than the NSX can take that Toyota symbol, shine the shit, turn that son bitch sideways and stick it straight up his Candy ASS. For some damn reason i like the NSX. It is rare in my country(USA) to see one driving down the road. The cars i see are ferrari's and vipers every now and then. Occasionaly i see a Viper gts-r and when i do i have a five second orgasm. DAMN!!! Anyway, to all you ass pirates the NSX is a quality made car. And if you dont think so you can check yourself into the sm@ckdowN hotel at the corner of Know your role bv. and j@broni dr. If u smell what the Laiiiiiiiiiii ...... is cooking. and if you are down with that then give me a hell ya.

-- Derek lai, October 18, 1999

Ok, Im tired of going to all these damn newsboards seeing an asshole like this Lai character. How the hell can you do that to a fucking newsboard. I say lets all work together and call on the powers of the mighty Michael Wong and terrorize this bastard until shit pours out his ears! All mighty NSX fans, I call you. Destroy this evil fiend and send his ass to Limbo. We shall win, under the veteran leadership of our Captain Wong we shall conquer all shores of the Land of Lai. We shall all ride our McLaren F1's, give'em a nice buff, turn dem Son Bitches sideways, and go 0-60 in under 4 seconds straight up his Candy Ass! Team Wong, we shall survive.....WE SHALL SURVIVE! Never again shall a terrorist as meek as this Lai will deface such a precious NSX site. God Speed men of Wong....god speed, and we shall rape the lands of its beans and apples! We will pillage the neighboring tribes! Conquer lands my souls! Let our powers combine!

-- Greg Smits, October 18, 1999

Hmm...I'll take a rather different approach.

Porsche - is a fast car but is so ugly I won't even compare it to my NSX. When you are cruising down in your NSX on Sunset Blvd. in Beverly Hills all these chicks in their Jags and CLKs look at you like you are Tom Cruise.

Viper - A friend in Oklahoma has an RT/10 and he hates it. He says it turns heads but the car has no sophistication at all. Its just a big chunk of Iron. He says the car handles worse than his BMW 325. It gets out of control when getting on the freeway. This guy and I used to race together so he is not your average driver either. My NSX glues to the ground till you feel all the G's pushing your guts in.

300ZX - I would compare a 300ZX to a Supra not corvette, not Porsche not Ferrari certainly not NSX.

Supra TT - Yep! an awesome car, I had it for 2 years very reliable too but again don't compare it to an NSX. Its just two different calibres of cars.

Corvette '97+ - Yeah drove it before I bought the NSX. It certainly has more power than the NSX but there is no comparison b/w NSX's superb handling and Corvett's body roll. Also the car feels very raw and could use some quality upgrades, specially the twichy shifter.

Ferrari F355 F1 - Sorry guys if I had the money I would buy a Ferrari over the NSX, any day of the year. I absolutely love this car, its the most beautiful car ever made. Even though it wears a Ferrari badge (which is a shame) and is definitely very un-reliable but I'll do anything to own this car!!!

Trans-AM - Gimme a break!! don't compare a car that costs more than your mom to a GM built Trans-AM.

If I missed a car to compare - it was not by mistake!

-- Russell H, October 19, 1999

Wooo! Lots of emotion on this page! Had to throw my 2 cents in. Ok I just bought my NSX back in June. I never bought it because it was the "fastest" or the "quickest", becuase it's not. I bought it because it is a fun car to drive and you're dealing with the Honda reliability. To those people who's vette's / trans-am's / camaro's / mustang's that are faster who cares??!! You have to remember the NSX was built to be "exotic", sorry but no matter how much you modify any of the above cars, you still end up with the same thing. "oooo it's a fast mustang!", but you know what, its still a mustang, they're a dime a dozen. May as well have been a lowered and fixed up civic. Ease off the caffeine folks, they're just cars. Also as an FYI I plan to get a Ferarri 355 in the next year or so, again not because its this or that, but because it looks cool and it rides cool.

-- Edward S, October 22, 1999

The NSX is a beautiful car both in terms of performance and style. Comparing the NSX to the likes of the Corvette or Trans Am is a true disgrace. Equating performance simply to HP is also equally stupid. While I can't say that the NSX is the best sports car in the world, what i can say is that it is the best sports car you can buy for $90k. The NSX's relatively poor sales figures are to a large part due to badge bigotry. Only if ppl would look at the car itself instead of the badge ... I'm sure that if the NSX had a more fancier badge (e.g. Ferrari) ppl would stop saying sh** about it, and learn to truly appreciate its beauty as one of the finest cars in the world. But unfortunately too many ignorant ppl are blinded by badge bigotry.

-- Jack Kim, October 31, 1999

I won't say the NSX is the "quickest" or "most powerful" car in the world because it simply isn't. I wouldn't say it's the most "prestigious" sports car either, 'cos it isn't. But for those who only try to equate the value of a car upon these categories (power, speed, prestige) he or she should re-examine his/her self imposed title as a car enthusiast. The NSX is one of the best cars in the world not because of its power, speed, or prestige, but because from an engineering standpoint the car is simply impeccable. The car is the most reliable sports car, and one of the most exotic beauties inside and out, style and performance-wise. When a car comes this close to perfection,character and heritage simply become oblivious questions. 10 thumbs up for HONDA.

-- Cookie Monster, November 2, 1999

Some, hmm excuse me, many people think that a company that builds econoboxes can't build quality supercars. Well in that case the NSX is bad news for all those ignororamuses out there. It takes technology and top class engineering to build sub $20,000 cars that last 1000000000 miles without a major repair (unlike neons or saturns). That's what i call top class engineering. Somehow people think that building good economic compact cars doesn't require much technology. Oh so why can't Ford, GM or Chrysler build lasting compact econoboxes? The NSX is the living proof that HONDA IS one of the best automotive companies in the world. From the civic to the s2000 to the NSX, Hondas are top class in every class.

-- Speed monster, November 3, 1999

I must say that I, for the most part, dislike Japanese cars. But I love the NSX (and the Jiotta Caspita, but that is another story.) My dad is about to buy an early NSX, '91 or '92, and I wanted to make a couple of comments and ask a couple of questions. First of all, you can get a faster car than the NSX for much less money. I saw a Jankel Tempest convertible for sale for about $35K. With 610 hp, that mo-fo will hop to 60 in 3.5 seconds and tops off at 200 mph. But there is nothing that can outhandle the NSX! I've test driven a Ferrari Mondial 3.2L cabriolet. Terrific car. But the handling is not comparable. The NSX handles like a Formula 1 racecar. What other production car can you say that about? Huh? Yeah, a C5 will get you to 60 1/10 second less, and costs 1/2 the price. Your fucking cobra SVT can out accelerate an NSX. The Viper, which looks like a squashed bug can out accelerate an NSX. But get onto the twisties with any one of these cars, and they are going to have to brake brake brake to get through the corners. The NSX just flows through bends like liquid. Besides, the NSX is a work of mechanical art. When you want to commute, you have a comfy, family sedan. When you want to turn the NSX to a racecar, it becomes one. Anyway, I have a question for the owners of early NSXs. How often do the rear tires go, and how much does it cost to replace them, and how much does it cost to get the engine worked on? Thanx! - Sasha Peel

-- Sasha Peel, November 3, 1999

The NSX is not the best sports car in the world. It's one of the best sports cars in the world along with the likes of F335, McLauren F1, Nissan skyline GTR. all of these cars are superior in different aspects, however in the area of handling, reliabilty, and comfort the NSX beats all. And for those freaks who have problems with a performance car being comfortable, buy the NSX R. (and what the hell is so wrong with comfort, it's like complaining in McDonald's about them giving you free ketchup) And pleeeaaaaase don't compare the Viper or the Vette to the NSX. Compare the Viper and Vette to a RX7 or a Supra (both the RX7 and supra kick V/V ass). And if you have the dough to buy a viper, buy an impreza P1 turbo instead, or a 2nd hand NSX, just anything

-- NSX rulezzz, November 4, 1999

I just want to say one thing: I love cars! I get emotional when people make fun of my cars and if you(Edward S.) have a problem with that then I got two words for you! SUCK IT! Anyways I really have a problem with all the comfort in my NSX because when I drive it at night I almost fall asleep. Of course that would be a problem because you don't want to endanger any drivers on the road. So my conclusion is to get a Viper, Corvette, Supra, or an RX7. Just because they are better. They are faster and could kick the NSX's ass in horsepower. The only thing the NSX has more of is its price. You could buy 3 corvettes all different colors, for the price of a damned NSX. Oh yeah, Honda sucks!

-- DEREK LAI, November 4, 1999

For all those ppl out there who say that the price is the NSX's only attraction against the likes of F335, puhahahahahaha. Personally i have enough dough to not care whether a car is $90k or 350k, and i chose the NSX by will. Yes the F335 out accelerates the NSX, but when it comes to the bends, i leisurely watch my friends struggle while i eat the bends with ease. The car handles beautifully. I pity all those quack NSX haters out there who haven't even tried one, and yet miraculously come up with a million reasons to hate the NSX. My only advice: drive one and you'll understand. (Viper? Vette? give me a break)

-- J P, November 5, 1999

People nowadays awe at the all aluminum body of the new Modena. Well hello this is something Honda did .... 9 years ago. And one question i want to ask is what difference does $70k make? You don't exactly compare a ford fiesta to a XK8, and wonder "hey why doesn't my fiesta do all the cool tricks that my Jag does?" However this isn't the type of comparison anybody can make between the Modena and the NSX. Yes the Modena is $70k more expensive but, the NSX is actually comparable (and in many aspects e.g. handling and comfort, superior) to the Modena. The sheer fact that a car can be comparable to another car $70k more expensive is something to awe about. The NSX is an awesome car, not much shy of a Modena, but at a super bargain price. I'm sure that if Honda saw any commercial success in beefing up its NSX to a $160k machine, its attempt will be extremely extremely sucessful (in producing a Ferrari, McLauren killer)

-- Mr X, November 5, 1999

Ok, peep this. JP doesn't have enough money, he is in high school or works at McDonalds. He gets an erection out of telling people that he has money. But the reality of all this is, this is not reality. This is JP's little dream world where he thinks he is the shit and wants to rule all of us. I say let us beat his ass and run all our "NSX's" over his candy ass. Ok, lets say this bitch is telling us the truth. What the hell are you buying a NSX for!? If $350,000 isn't a issue, why don't you go for a Diablo? If he is a rich bastard, then I am one too. I have a McLaren F1 and am fucking Jennifer Love Hewitt. This is Lai, out.

-- DEREK LAI, November 5, 1999

I won't waste valuable web space on this awesome website by making personal attacks on anyone. The personal attacks that have been made are (funny but nevertheless) pretty pathetic. We're here to talk about cars remember? The NSX is an awe-inspiring piece of engineering art. It's an incredible car as so are Ferraris, and McLaurens. But if you want a car that is reliable enough to be drivable everyday (instead of being washable and garage storable), well balanced, comfortable, exotic, rare, and for the most part if you can't justify spending $60 - 300k more just for some extra crude power and less refinement, here is your answer the NSX

-- Viper Hater, November 6, 1999

It makes me laugh reading all of the comments above. Lets face it, the NSX is the ultimate street legal car. Hopefully Honda will incorporate the same technology that it did in the S2000 into the NSX for the redesigned 2001 model, giving it upwards of 340 bhp at, oh say, 8800 to 9000+ rpm, with an even higher redline. SWEET MUSIC!! After a lifetime of American made pieces of shit, i will never buy anything related to GM, Chrysler Corp., Ford Motor Company, or any other american car. They all suck ass anyway (if i had tons of money i may buy the Viper for its looks only, or the Hennesey Venom, o modifeid viper) And whats his name who thinks the pontiac looks better than the NSX, TRY AGAIN BLIND MAN. I have to admit that the NSX isnt the most beautful car, but it does have style, specifically relating to F1. The corvette just sucks ass, its CHEVY!! Talk about low tech unreliable shit. The same problem with the Viper. The NSX doesn't nessecarily win a beauty contest, (although i Love the way its looks) it is by far the most technilogically advanced car in the world with superior power, handling, quality, and reliability. Even though at $90,000 fully equiped it is a bargain for a high-revving, hand built, street legal, all-aluminum(except for TITANIUM connecting rods, like F1s) race car, i do believe that it should come with a few more things for its price, because thats a lot of money. Maybe more horsepower, better interior ammenities, better seats, and more refined styling (they are so close to absolute beauty). Here's some advice folks, if you have 90,000 bucks in your back pocket, buy an NSX, its worth it. For those of you with too much money on your hands, get the MUGEN (Honda Racing Development) body kits and all other upgrades. Which reminds me, why doesn't MUGEN make a supercharger so that you don't have to void warranties with a VORTEC or COMPTECH one. While you richies are at it see COMPTECH for body kits that were designed by the original NSX designers that say "This is how the NSX should have looked." In a ROAD&TRACK magazine it had the fully equipped COMPTECH NSX, VERY SWEET. I won't waste anymore webspace with my praise for the only logical choice to spend $90,000. Ponder my words carefully... Please EMail me if you have any comments, questions, or arguements, chances are I know the answers for any car after 1980(or i can find out), and i want to hear comments and any other people who have different views than me, we may just change each others views. Thanks for reading such a LONG comment.

-- Dan Weiss, November 7, 1999

Ha, Ha, Ha. Look at the stupid kid trying to be funny on the newsboard. You all find this amusing that I am trying to single-handedly clean up this newboard of people pretending they have NSX's. I hope you all feel happy about this, you've gone and hurt my feelings. You make me feel like shit. ALL OF YOU! You supporters of Honda! Communist...Thats what you all are....Communist! I am the mighty power of Democracy and free enterprise while all of you want to give the money to the enemy. What ever happened to "Buy American"? Ford sucks, GM sucks, this is the shit that pours out of your mouths. They help our country and what do you ungrateful bitches do? You pack up your bags like a whore and fuck another man! Thats what you do! America, America God shed his grace on thee! You guys learn your Japanese and while your at it, MOVE THERE! Supporters of the ones trying to ruin our society! You will pay bastards, pay you will! The reaper has cometh and is looking for your pathetic, Communist souls! Mine is red, white and blue. Lai, out.

-- DEREK LAI, November 9, 1999

Hey Lai, you left out the truest statement of all "Chrysler sux" "Where the hell did buy American go?" is what Lai said, Well why the hell do you think that the only ppl who come to this site are americans? huh? I'm not american so don't blame me for being unpatriotic, not japanese nor european so don't tell me i'm being nationalistic either. The true blind, ignorant, hairy chauvinist is the guy above. From the most unbiased viewpoint American cars suck. They're very very very unreliable for one thing. Even my uncle who works for Ford Europe admits it. And people please denial is not by any means patriotism.

-- The Oracle, November 9, 1999

First things first, communist? So I guess Stalin embraced the political ideology that people should buy American cars... so stupid. And second, isn't Lai and ASIAN NAME??? How bout not bashing on asian cars so much, retard! And I am NOT American so I don't give a shit about their cars.

-- Michael Wong, November 13, 1999

Clearly, favoring European and American cars while arbitrarily expressing hatred (or even hostility) towards Japanese cars simply because they are Japanese is a form of racism. It is racism against the Japanese, or even racism towards the East. BECAREFUL, be very very cautious w/ your thoughts and how you express them. You jealous ***** ******

-- The Catharsis, November 13, 1999

Hey y'all americans, I'm so so so so happy that GM decided to discontinue the TransAm and Camaro. Yeah baby. This is proof. puhahahahahahahahaha, this is all the proof i need puhahahahahahahaha. And before y'all retards start talking about contribution to america, Camaros are built in Canada, while Honda USA builds 1 million vehicles in the US, employing tens of thousands of american workers. So technically speaking u ignorant ****** have got it all wrong. Anyways i rejoice over the death of the Camaro puhahahahahahahaha will the viper, vette, stang have the same fate?

-- The Saga, November 14, 1999

Hmm...very interesting. It seems like not only everyone has a NSX or a Mclaren F1, but everyone that goes to this newsboard is denying they are from the U.S. I bet there are a few that are from other parts of the world, but I didn't think everyone was from other countries. The guy in charge of this newsboard must be pretty popular attracting all of you to his site, which is in MIT. Another thing that is puzzling is how you all know English very well. Don't give me any of this bullshit that your schools teach you well. I knew guys from all over Europe and their English wasn't anywhere near perfect, hell mine isn't either. Maybe the Communist kidnap English teachers from the U.S to teach to their spies? Or you are from Canada, which means you automatically suck. Even my Canadian cousins agree that the country sucks. Now to the evil replies you wrote. I wanted to stop directly attacking people personally, but you all seem to want me to. The Oracle: You seem to have been in hibernation because Chrysler is now mainly German. I never said American cars were the most reliable, I just said buy American. American cars can be made out of cardboard for all I care and I would still say buy American! Michael Wong: I'm not bashing Asian cars! I am bashing the people who buy Asian cars. They are more reliable, but why help another country when you should be helping your own damned economy! It's like the U.S helping a country when they are in trouble!..Oh wait.. They do! And what the hell happens? The U.S wastes its military, money and most of all has resentment from other countries! The Catharsis: Im not racist, hell Im even Asian. Why the hell would I be racist against my own race? I am favoring American because I am patriotic. I already stated my reasons why you should buy American. Just don't take it as me being racist because I am not. The Saga: Before you retard start talking about how Honda and all the other Asian countries help give Americans jobs you should know how they do it. They pick a small city in the South and trick them into signing contracts not to have Unions! Sure they have the same pay as other Automotive workers, but they don't have control over their working conditions. Anyways, I try not to get personal towards anyone, but you all seem to like to hide behind this curtain called the internet. I hate lies. I have a NSX, down with the U.S, what the hell. At least this site is getting interesting. You guys are fun. This is Lai.

-- DEREK LAI, November 16, 1999

In other parts of the world we have something called a proper education system, where we learn languages other than our native language. So that explains it, you hairy chauvinistic anti Asian 13 year old going through a self deprecating identity crisis. You should have some pride in what you are instead of denouncing your own Asian heritage. You have much to learn you hairy chauvinistic anti Asian 13 year old going through a self deprecating identity crisis. It never pays off to bash your own race,that will be done by others anyway. Build some pride before you get a dose of the racist reality of the world and commit suicide. Don't try to hammer down Asia whenever and whereeever it shines. You're acting just like a Jewish Nazi aider during the 40s. BECAREFUL.

-- ihatehairychauvinists withanidentitycrisis, November 17, 1999

Hello, this is the hairy chauvinist. I better BECAREFUL or else I may say something racist like buy American Cars. Oh...whoops I said it. You superior intellectuals in this site who are bilingual and know every phase of my life, like me being a depressed 13 year old with an identity crisis. Oh shit! I really mean you stupid son of a bitches who are bisexual and don't have a clue of what goes on in my life. Don't be throwing this shit around that I am a racist. Your schools seem to teach you how to write in English, but they have forgotten to teach you all how to read and comprehend the English language. If saying "Buy American" is racist, then I am one racist asshole. I better BECAREFUL or else? Or else my ass! Im not trying to pick fights, but some of you seem to coherse me into it. I try to state my opinion and get bitched for doing so. Isn't that what a newsboard is for? If you don't belong in the group of assholes I am speaking of, then disregard this message. But to all you BECAREFUL or else the hairy chauvinist will go ballistic on your asses. Im not even sure if you are several assholes or just one using different names. In any event you are scared to use your names because you can talk shit, but can't back it up. Very smart, you're trying to BECAREFUL. Anyways as usual you are all fun. BECAREFUL, this is Lai.

-- DEREK LAI, November 18, 1999

This page has been submitted to by a disturbing crowd. Those who left their cousin asleep in the bed, emerged from the backwoods ("over yonder"), and decided to 'enlighten' everbody with their views of automotive excellence.

I hate America. I hate Americans. Individually they are not too bad, but as a society they are the reason for most of thw worlds ills. Thanks for having the highest CO2 emmissions in the world (God Bless America!). Thanks for plunging the world into the Cold War (Land of the Free!) . Thanks for exploiting the third world to support the overindulged, selfish, obese, narcissistic society that the rest of the world is forced to endure (Would you like fries with that?).

To those who wrote questioning the ability of non-Americans to speak English: learn about something other then your malignant self. Its called 'English' for a reason dickhead. Americans cannot even spell: I produce 'sulfer' (correctly 'sulpher') and 'defense' (defence) as just two examples. Colour has a 'u' in it gimpheads.

American cars are shit. They are the perfect example of what is wrong with America. They use too much petrol, are too large, make too many demands upon the worlds resources, don't take corners, and lastly: are driven by Americans.

I hate you all.

Love Marmaduke

-- Marmaduke Mephistoph, November 18, 1999

Well, I guess that it's been probably about a year now since I last commented on this site. And since then, I've seen more and more people driving NSX's (believe it or not, but I've NEVER seen anyone in an NSX prior to 1997). I'm also discovering that People are now starting to respect this great car (SOME nice comments about it in this site make it apparent).

Also, since then I've heard about this awsome new Honda called the S2000, which is built in the same factory as that of the NSX. I've always wanted an NSX and knew that purchasing one would be of immense costs, but this new Honda from what I heard may only cost anywhere from $30K to $35K, which is obviously a steal when considering that it pumps out 240hp out of a 2.0 litre engine (120hp per litre!) and can reach 0-60 (in a still fast) 6 seconds or less. Anyways, I thought I'd just bring this up for those looking for a lesser expensive alternative to the now highly praised NSX.

-Ron Suriyopas

-- Ron Suriyopas, November 18, 1999

Who are you "people" who've written those truly ugly (I also mean that literal sense since your English is horrible) comments above? If you hate the NSX sooo much, then why did you even visit this site? I don't know about you, but I personally visited this site b/c I enjoy reading the praise that the NSX so much deserves. It just helps to increase it's value in my eyes. Oh, and for those who've been bashing on the NSX, you've got to walk the walk before you talk the talk.

-- Nsx Freak, November 18, 1999

Hello, this is what has lately become my daily rant on this NSX site. What the hell happened to the NSX part? This has all of a sudden been a battleground between countries. Ive said what country I am from, but not once has anyone who wants to talk shit said where they are from. Why, are you embarrased of your country because the U.S could kick the living crap out of it? Or is it because your country is so dependent on the U.S for defense(not a fucking "c" a "S")? You make fun of the red, white and blue, but think about how your country would be without it! When the U.S decided to isolate itself from the rest of the world, what the hell happened? World War 2 happened and we had to bail Europe's ass out of being dominated by Nazi rule! Even the Russian's were losing to them! If it was my choice, I would have the U.S isolate itself again. Maybe we could rebuild our damned economy instead of helping all your ungrateful asses! Americans for the most part are pissed that we waste our resources on other places but the U.S. I'd like to see the world without the U.S's help. And what the hell was with this Marmaduke's first paragraph? It is a stereotypic remark towards Southerners! Where the hell are the people who were calling me racist because I said "Buy American"? Why aren't you roasting this son of a bitch? Im sorry for turning this page into some kind of battleground, but I must defend my country. Marmaduke's a bitch and scared of the truth! This is Lai.

-- DEREK LAI, November 19, 1999

First of all when it comes to cars i don't give a damn where it's from. The NSX is the car. And that's all i'm interested in. Honda has reached the unattainable pinaccle of automotive technology, again with impeccable drive and build quality, and reliablity.

Secondly, i don't mind most americans, but the type above, the narcissistic, ignorant, arrogant, "America can live on its own"-type bs logic minded, inane, fatuous, mono lingual, "america helps the world in good faith, the world can't do without the us" minded, retarded, backward POS american, yes i do mind. Any non-americans, or even some americans with some sense would agree. Just watch the Dow tumble, and the US economy will sink into recession, then the rest of us can laugh at your arrogant ass. And by the way talking about defence, 95% of US hi-tech weapons depend on imported Japanese technology according to USA today, so there, try living without the rest of the world you arrogant panzie. The US only acts upon its own national interests, so don't try to make it sound like some altruist state you ignorant asshole.

-- James K, November 19, 1999

Say, I just perused this whole site again, and I noticed that Derek Lai had an earlier comment saying that NSX's are good, a very different opinion than some of his other comments. How very strange.

-- Michael Wong, November 24, 1999

Yo, this Derek guy is a real fag. Everybody, just stop paying attention to his dumb ass. Don't even bother counter-arguing his retarded logic, cause it's not like he even knows what he's talking about anyways. He's probably not even Asian, just some loser redneck KKK member who wants everybody to think he's Asian just to make them look bad.

About the NSX, it's a great car, regardless of how it compares to others. Although a few other cars can out accelerate it, when looking at handling, reliability, luxury, etc., the NSX is a better car.

P.S. - STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO DEREK

-- Dan Jones, November 26, 1999

why don't you all look at yourselves. you are all pathetic! ur just making this page a debate and shit stuff. just wanna tell you that ur all pathetic (especially the shit called lai). just few bored people nothing to do in their lives, looking for something to argue about, claiming that they have a nsx. poor people. anyway nsx is a cool car, wish i have one.

-- Geo Bautista, November 26, 1999

For all you GM-lovin' clowns out there, yeah i'm sure you'd rather have a trans-am or a camaro instead of an NSX. Yeah right. Get real. Camaro Z28 vs. NSX, this is solid proof of how you guys can't use horsepower as an excuse for hating the NSX. Trans-Am? puhahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha give me a break!!!!

-- J P, November 27, 1999

you guys are all morons! Just for the record German cars are the best and you should definetley buy american to support our own country and asian cars well.... suck.

-- jeff good, November 28, 1999

Ha, finally someone who agrees with me. And for the record, once again, I NEVER SAID THE NSX OR ANY ASIAN CAR SUCKED! I merely said BUY AMERICAN! I know you read my comments because you wouldn't be pissed at me if you didn't read them. I completely agree with Geo Bautista, except the part that says I suck, but he is saying what I've been trying to say. You, who say you own NSX's, are liars. And I am bored! I have nothing to do during my break from the KKK and being a fag, so all I do is spend my time on this NSX board! Finally a few have stepped forward to protect my great country! Finally! Now if all of you would step up, we can show these lying non-Americans who we are! Camaro Z-28 vs NSX? $25,000 vs $90,000? If you want to spend your money on a weak car than go ahead and do so. Ive had enough of your gibber-jabber! This is Lai.

PS-STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO ME

-- DEREK LAI, November 29, 1999

I'm not american so i couldn't care less about american cars. They're hard to care about since they are unbeatable in shittiness. The NSX is one of the best cars in the world. And under the title "one of the best cars in the world", i'm really sorry to say there are no american cars. They are all uniform in shittiness. The term "muscle car" is a euphemism for oil hungry inefficient cars with poor handling and no refinement. The best cars in the world are made in Germany, Italy and Japan. This is something to acknowledge you jealous chauvinist. Stop trying to coerce non americans into buying shit american cars, it never worked, and never will work.

You're full of shit, and you're probably a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. You claim to be saying "buy american", but i never heard you say shit about european cars, you're simply bashing asian cars because you probably hate asian people, and asia all together.

-- Fred Westmahler, November 29, 1999

Ok, for those who haven't heard yet I will repeat this again. I never said Asian Cars suck, I never said European Cars suck, and I never EVER said any racist or stereotypic remark towards any race! I simply said BUY AMERICAN TO SUPPORT AMERICA(MY DAMN COUNTRY)! AGAIN, IF YOU WEREN'T READING: I never said Asian Cars suck, I never said European Cars suck, and I never EVER said any racist or stereotypic remark towards any race! I simply said BUY AMERICAN TO SUPPORT AMERICA(MY DAMN COUNTRY)! Before talking shit about the U.S it would be nice for you to say what country you are from! I want to know where you trash talking, so called "non-Americans" are from. I know that other countries teach students how to speak English, but I am amazed at the amount of slang you all know. I had friends from Germany(near Munich) and Denmark(15 minutes from Copenhagen) and they didn't know any slang, they spoke near perfect English. Now I must leave because my break from the Aryan Brotherhood is over. THE ARYAN BROTHERHOOD: Now available for online terrorism, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The Aryan Brotherhood: We love to say buy American!

-- DEREK LAI, November 29, 1999

you know guys, its just as simple as this.. just mind the product of your own countries and never mind the business of others. just tell me one good reason for criticizing others..well maybe lai here just wants to tell us that it is good to buy products made from his country. but you see you narrow minded people that we have our own choices and decisions. and pls stop claiming that you have a nsx, its so pathetic. for those people who say that they have one, don't you think that you must be on the streets bragging about your car instead of being in this site and claiming to have one! be real. and to those racists out there, you're all just one pile of airhead shits. THIS IS A NSX SITE.

-- Geo Bautista, December 1, 1999

Why does no one believe that these people might acutally own NSX's? I don't own one, but I do know people who do, so NSX owners do exist! While I don't doubt that some people are just bullshitting, some people might actually have NSX's as their comments are well reasoned and logical and pertain only to NSX's and no other meaningless squabbles about country of origin, race, etc. If I DID own an NSX, I'd probably still be on here trying to extrude it's virtues. I don't think that's bragging.

-- Michael Wong, December 2, 1999

ok i agree that maybe, just maybe, some of these people might have a nsx. i just saw some logical responses that have some sense and are convincing. but consider the fact that some are bullshit. well, if ever i have a nsx i'd be strolling on the streets right now.

-- Geo Bautista, December 2, 1999

Boys, I'm here to tell you that Honda may be young, but we are definetly a racing company. The purpose of the NSX was to give a wide variety of regular people, like you and I, a chance to know what passion for driving is. We believe that the NSX is the best that modern engineering has to offer. Now, on a personal note, If you dont think Honda is a racing company, you should spend a day where I work. I make them go faster, for longer, and we always do it with the customer in mind, whether it be Jordan, BAR, or Team Green. The reason we build civics, accords, integras, cl's, and rl's is to give people who work hard for their money a wide variety of dependable automobiles from a company they can feel proud of. Much of the company's profit goes back into research and development for our racing departments, and to improve on our regular vehicles. We have assulted almost every possible area of motor racing, and succesfully. Our formula one engines placed third(this year)in the manufactures championship under a team without full factory support. We have dominated the CART series this year and intend to dominate formula one and CART next year as we have done in the past. A feat no American company is prepared to do. In Europe we build the zero series of the NSX which whips the 355 in 1/4 mile and handling.(see www.vtec.net) As for the SVT, Viper, and vette lovers, most people in this country dont have the good fortune to be able to drive "straight" to work. Handling is just as important as power, at least to us. We built a car that would last more than 70k miles and give the owner piece of mind, knowing he could drive it hard for many years and needs only to change the oil, as well as a few minor tune-ups for the life of the car. More than GM can say. The price seems large up front but unlike more "popular" companies our vehicles last twice as long as theirs. (do the math and then speak of expense)The most perplexing problem facing an NSX owner is finding a gas station. We prefer our costomers to spend their money on fuel instead of on maintenance. I know there are still people out their who will maintain their position that the NSX lacks power but that is why we sell the supercharger option (comptech) through selected dealers. We do this because we understand the needs of our customers, some want more power, better handling, style, passion, heritage, all want quality, that is why we exist. We strive to be the best in everything we do, be it cars, motorcycles, or lawnmowers. We attempt to cater to everyone. Everybody deserves quality. The bottom line is to keep a loyal customer through the quality of the product not by making them feel less patriotic for expecting more. If you want the best exotic car, one that you can drive hard for many years, then you are in the right spot. For those of you who hate us, the internet is a big place, maybe you should visit another web page, The majority here knows quality and came here to find it. www.F1ENG@AOL.COM

-- Andrew C, December 4, 1999

My uncle's friend has an F355, it's a beautiful thing to wash, look at, show off, and store in the garage. But the NSX is the car to spend your $k s on if you want to DRIVE. You can't use an 355 as anything other than an ornament for your garage, especially after 30k miles. I admit i don't own an NSX, but a guy living across my street has been driving one daily since 92'. I've been in it and i've driven it, and it handles like a dream. When you want it to behave, it's as smooth and comfortable as a Lexus. When you want an exhilerating drive, it's the beast you want it to be. And for 7 yrs, he hasn't had any major problems with his car. Amazing reliability. If what you want is an expensive storage item, a display of wealth (and if you have the extra ks) go ahead for the Ferrari or Lambo. But if you want to DRIVE, drive a car that suits your needs anytime anywhere, that is as practical and reliable as an accord, and as exhilerating as a McLauren F1, NSX should be your choice.

-- Fred Westmahler, December 4, 1999

I definetily agree that the NSX is one of that best cars in the world, but as much as I like it I still must recognize that it can be beaten in acceleration but in handling it is one of the best if not the best handling car in the world. I myself have gotten to sit in one and the feeling was heavenly. What's with some of these guys it's the McLAREN F1 not mclauren

-- brent DeWolf, December 5, 1999

Yes, let's make this a place to discuss NSX's again, and none of that immature bashing!

-- Michael Wong, December 6, 1999

Have you guys checked out the NSX's on ebay.. at any given time there are at least two or three. I am approaching the magical age of 25 when driving insurance drops, so I am getting ready to get one of these beautiful machines. Which year would be best to get 91,92 or 93? PS, i know a guy at home that has over 325,000 KM on his NSX and it still runs like a charm.. this car rules!

-- Dave F., December 8, 1999

If you're looking at used NSX's, I think the best one would be a 94 or 97. 94 because that's when they got the new wheels and solid color through the body (no more black roof), 97 because of the new engine and gearbox.

-- Michael Wong, December 8, 1999

i've got a few comments. I want to direct one to that 98 Cobra B.S. His car can't even BEAT a 98 Lexus GS400. How can you take a NSX? i know how..you're full of shit. NSX is a great car. could use another engine or what it's got with a TT on it. Also, like all cars, NSX has it's flaw. If you have 2 people in it...you can feel the speed difference. But overall...American car sucks... Including the Trans Am. Trans Am Ram Air ADVERTISES 13.5 but it that piece of shit runs 14.1 on the streets. POS! Japanese all the way you domestic fuckers!

-- Hoan Truong, December 10, 1999

guys i have one thing to say...i am saddened by the loss of my car.

-- pee nuttyy, December 11, 1999

Snoot City. On my way home from the nightmare of christmas mall crowds, I noticed a yellow ferarri 348 cruising in the fast lane, naturally my nsx decided to investigate. He was cruising with the flow of traffic so i pulled up behind him. I checked out the car and decided sit behind since he was going the same direction I was (I was in no hurry either). When my exit came up, I pulled along side and gave the guy a "thumbs up nice car". His response was a cold look that had "piss off" written all over it. So I just pulled away and got on my exit. Talk about ego...geez! I love exotic cars but is it me or do some people that buy them all of a sudden think they are above everyone else?

-- Edward S, December 13, 1999

I dont understand why all of you have to bash honda's so bad. Honda is a very well made car, especially for the money. I dont know about most of you out there but who in the hell has 300 grand to blow on a damn car?!!? I myself own a 2000 Integra type-R and i love it. I dont see why you must bash Honda's because they have "no heritage" Who in the hell needs heritage when you are flying down the highway at 160? And why in the hell is all of this Integra bashing? With a few mods the Integra could easily go the speed of a Ferrari or a Lotus! Not to mention you dont have to constantly worry about if it is crashed you are shit out of luck. Just thought i would add my opinion.

-- david frazier, December 15, 1999

I just feel like saying that the NSX is a great automobile. Although it may cost a huge chunk of change, its really worth it. For that V-6 VTEC power there is nothing like it(except for my car). I work at an Acura dealership and I am proud to say that I get to drive one just about every day. That is delivering them to other dealerships and such. Anyways, they are a true piece of art work and they hold a special place in my heart. Everytime I drive one I get all choked up. Anyways, I was saying earlier that there is nothing like it except for my car. I own a 1998 Integra Type R. Its truly exhilirating. I have a full blown NOS kit on it and just about every bolt on performance add on you can find. I added a sunroof to it since they dont come stock and I gutted the interior. With my NOS kit I run low 11's in the 1/4 mile. Im really happy about it though because I took the wing off the back and changed the hatchback for an RS model (The two look totally different). I also took off the body kit and the wheels and put on the stoc RS pieces. Now it lloks like a Stock RS model that is actuall a Type R. So, if you are ever in Oregon and you wanna drag. Find the guy with the License Plate# ISMKU2

If you see me, then I'll show you what Honda Power is all about.

-- Mike Karlbom, December 21, 1999

Here is a comment regarding how the NSX compares with other cars. Having just purchased a 91 black NSX with only 4500 miles on it I'm extremely excited to finally have one of these cars in my garage. Driving this car in comparison to my old 300 ZX Twin Turbo has made it easy to justify the NSX's additional expense. It feels much more like a race car and less like a sporty sedan. It is really not any faster, but the throttle response is much more immediate and in real world driving, it is much more enjoyable. Handling is more confidence inspiring. Road feel is much, much better, build quality is unbeleivable, the seats are much snugger with better lateral support and naturally both the interior and exterior are more beautiful to look at.I have never driven a 348, 355 or Modena, but there is a huge price jump and the maintenance costs are prohibitive except for those who have plenty of discretionary cash on hand. I did drive a Mustang Cobra just to get a feel for one. What a piece of crap!!! I was truly dissapointed because it really looked like Ford had made some progress. WRONG. I also drove a C-5 and while it was better than the C-4, it still is in a different league than the NSX. I suppose some people prefer the torquey American engine, the loooong hood and the flexy fiberglass body, but to me this car does not have the exotic FEEEEEL that the NSX has. If anyone out there is looking to spend 25 to 40 K on a sports car consider picking up a used NSX you'll be glad you did. This car will last touble free for 150K+ miles, so don't be afraid to spend 25K on one with 80K miles on it. It it true motoring nirvana!!!!

-- ken Freyberger, December 21, 1999

I purchased my 92 NSX about four months ago. Let me first give you a little background info. I have owned many fast cars, old and new. My 72 chevelle which could do 0 - 60 MPH in under 3.5 seconds, had its good and bad points. It was fast and looked good. It was in July 98 Hotrod magazine too. But, no A/C, loud, strong exhaust fumes (because of the large roller cam and 461 cubic inches), cheap vinyl seats, outdated suspension that could not corner a football field etc etc. Granted, it was a vintage muscle car, but after 7 years of ownership, I was ready to move on.

I sold my 97 Mitsu 3000GT-VR4 a little over a year ago. It ran mid 13's which would be what I call 'respectable', but by no means 'commanding power' like the Chevelle had. But, it had Air, leather, AWD, cruise etc. etc. The paint was very cheap and started to fade after only 6 months. It didn't even have clear coat! The acceleration is what could be described as 'peaky'. Turbo lag, then boost..oops time to shift, lag, then boost. Not cool on the street if you don't get the jump start.

Now lets get to the meat of the story. After I traded the Mitsu for the NSX, here are some noteworthy points. The paint on the NSX is beatiful. Absolutely straight, no orangepeel or waves, period. Yes it has clear coat and it is so easy to maintain. (I have black to boot!).

I have seen many remarks from folks who have made mods and boast track times. I have read all the articles by the major magazines and find most of the track times very hard to believe. My 92 NSX currently is bone stock. I took at to Thompson Drags this summer. Granted, it was over 90 degrees (f). I ran 14.50's at 99 MPH. 60 foot times were in the 2 teens. I tried different launch techniques. 4500 RPM dumps, 2500 RPM slip starts (worked best with stock clutch). To be honest, this is the second SLOWEST car I have owned. My first car was a 66 belair that I drove every day back and forth to college, and it could run 13.80's all day long and BFG radial tires.

But raw spee

-- matt hedderly, December 23, 1999

My message above got truncated. Here is the continuation.......

But raw speed does not make a car. My attraction to the NSX goes deeper. It's the whole package. The aluminum body that won't rust, the supurb handling (which is better than the Mitsu without the harshness). The leather, the short throw shift characteristics. It's difficult to describe, but the attraction is there.

I can say this. Having owned many cars, I am hard pressed to find cars with the 'fit and finish' of the NSX. Very well made and very comfortable at 150MPH. But every car has a few flaws and I won't hide them from you. The stereo needs help. No treble, and the bass distorts easily. The 1 - 2 shift is very wide on the 5 speed. When I shift into 2nd, I watch to RPMS drop from 8000 to around 4900. Pathetic. (The Japanese spec NSX does not have this problem). And the acceleration is a far cry from what I am accustom to. I am going to install a high flow air intake, RM Racing headers and exhaust in the spring. When I do, I will post the results. (real numbers). I don't want to comprimise any realiability, yet I feel the car needs about 30 or 40 more ponies to be competitive.

You cannot believe any of the magazine-posted times or what mods people have made and 'felt' a difference. I WILL be taking it to the track to gauge the difference.

To summarize, my NSX is a joy to drive (daily). The quality is evident throughout. Brute force acceleration, it does not have, but that's what a few aftermarket pieces can change. Of all the cars I have owned, this is my favorite, even though it's second to the slowest.... :)

-- matt hedderly, December 23, 1999

To be honest i've never owned a "super car". But my uncle runs an exotic car importer in Finland, so i have driven several "super cars": Skyline GTR, NSX, McLaren F1, Aston Martin, Modena, 550 Maranellos Of the cars i've driven there are two cars that are really embedded in my head. 1) An R34 skyline GTR V spec, rigged up in a Japanese tuning house to 832hp (no bs) 2) NSX type R (tweaked up to 338 hp) They were both exhilerating experiences. The sheer performance was brutal, absolutely mind blasting. What astonished me about the NSX type R was.... hewww. Just take the wheel and drive one and you'll understand. The people who complain about the NSX lacking performance, they're the one's who've never tried the type R. And if you want more take it to a tuning house, the dream machine will turn into a brutal nightmare!!!!!!!

-- Matt Svejskopf, December 24, 1999

Hey there,i'm an owner myself of a Alex Zanardi Edition NSX(#7 of 50)and own a few other exotic's,but out of all the cars i own,i was impressed with the NSX's handling and mid engine lay out,and also the price of it(under $100K),but recently i purchased a 2000 Honda S2000 Roadster and that impressed the hell out of me with the handling,speed,RWD,and its 6spd manual.And(a 240 H.P.,2.0 liter I-4) it has more H.P. per liter (120 H.P.per ltr)than the NSX does,that was the reason i bought the S2000 for,you don't see a 240H.P. I-4 (non turbo) straight from the factory that often from any car manufacturers.The only one i could think of was the late 80's up to the mid 90's when Lotus had the Esprit's that were pumping out some horsepower with there non and turbo powered pocket rockets.Other than that,i still love my NSX.....If You were to purchase a S2000...the prices went up from $35K to around $60K now....better get them while they last...There only making them for 2 years...

-- John McNamara, December 27, 1999

Yall peoples don't know shit,i actually drive a FORD PINTO (73)....So as they say..i'ma rollin' in my FORD PINTO!

-- DEREK LAI, December 28, 1999

- Lamborghini started building his own sports car since Enzo Ferrari wasn`t interested to debate with him about the flaws that Mr. Lamborghinis Ferrari had. At least the story is read that way in Europe.

- has anybody at Honda ever considered to improve the "spirit" of the NSX by refining its interieur aka knobs, stereo, steering wheel etc. from the ordinary Integra style to true italian sports car level? In my opinion style is the only shortcomming of the technic - wise great NSX and S2000.

Thanks for still listening Mr. Lai

-- Marty Simpson, December 28, 1999

It is beautiful, exotic, precise, AND it's a bargain. I can't wait to get mine in 2000! criticism for this car falls on deaf ears, and it is rooted in jealosy. There simply is no other everyday exotic that compares to it.

-- Kirk S., January 8, 2000

Ferraris are Fragile/ / Cobras are Cheap/ / Trans-Ams are trinkets/ / broke down last week// //

Vipers are valueless/ / Corvettes are crude/ / Love an NSX/ / and you've got nothing to lose// //

-- James Wallace, January 9, 2000

I'm 20 and I have been dreaming of having an NSX since I first saw Pulp Fiction. Thats the only reason I watch that movie. But the NSX is just such a beautiful car. A couple of my friends have one and I have driven both of them and they are just the most awesome cars to drive. Even though on long trips to Vegas they are very uncomfortable but its totally worth it. I'm actaully saving to buy one and hoping I win the lottery at the same time. $85,000 is a lot of money to a 20 year old. And thats just for the car. I still have to think about the stuff I want to do to it. I have read a lot of the things you guys have said on this page and some of you are great. I just wanted to voice my opinion about the NSX and hope that if anyone had an suggestions on how to save all that money, please..let me know.

-- Jannalee Balenger, January 11, 2000

Several of you have made the comment that there are a lot of aftermarket parts for the NSX, but this is not true. Compared to other cars (911, RX-7, Supra, any American muscle car) the availability is pitiful. The only real, full line NSX suppliers that I know of are Comptech, Dali, Mugen and RM Racing.

I have done a LOT of modifications to my NSX including a wide-body kit, custom transmission (short-ratio gears and 4.55 R&P), custom flywheel, sport clutch, new suspension, headers, exhaust, supercharger, heads, cams, cold air intake, brakes, etc. The latest revision (in progress) includes a Motec programmable engine management system, 720cc injectors, twin turbos and NOS. Please feel free to email me at dbernert@texas.net if you have any questions (or want my opinion, for what it is worth) on mods to the NSX. I have done a LOT of trial and error learning and would be happy to try to spare the rest of you from the agony of screwing up a fine car.

-- David Bernert, January 13, 2000

-- 666 and Company LLC, January 14, 2000

OK, I have been reading these entries for over a year now, and finally decided to throw in my own 2 cents. OK, first of all, lets get things straight, you cannot compare the NSX to a Vette, Viper, Supra, or 911, because it is simply in a class of its own. OK, I am an American, so therefore, I should represent, and go for the American made car, but I just cant see how anyone would want something that leaks oil, is inefficient, and for some reason, I dont understand why American made cars wheel bases are so short in comparison to the overall length of the car. But, I do think there are a few exceptions, like the Ford Focus rally Edition, hehe, and (some might think Im wrong) but the Viper, Im sorry to say is a piece of crap, and Im ashamed to live in the same country that it came from. The C-5 Corvette is about a million times refined and practical than the 8 litre beast. Speaking of which, the S2000 gets 240hp outta a 2 litre 4 banger, while the viper struggles to put out 450 with an 8 litre. Do the math and you'll see that if the Magnum V-10 was as efficient as Honda's pocket rocket, the Viper would have over 900hp, but would never be as refined as a 911, Vette, NSX etc... So, what Im sayin is, if you're gonna go American, go for the Corvette, not the ugly, i cant see the road in front of me, Viper. Another point I wanna make is, I dont understand why people say the NSX doesnt have enough power... this just isnt right. If you look at how much the car weighs, and its performance stats, I dont see why you would possibly need anything with more power than that, and with that said, that wasn't even the goal of the NSX, just a little added extra. I do however believe that this car is due for an overhaul, being as it has retained the same shape for 9 years now. All and all, a perfect, user friendly, sports-commute-car that has a perfect balance, and a perfect feel of the road. Oh yeah, unlike Michael Wong, and sever others, Im not a racist asshole, so I dont go around saying "American cars suck" just cause theyre American, I just look for what is better, nevermind the badge or the emblem. The NSX, though, is better than most, not an opinion, a fact, but it isnt a God, so I dont see why people want to try to defend it with their life. Oh yeah, I own a McLaren F-1 too, except mine can fly and change colors and stuff.

-- Gabe DesMarais, January 16, 2000

I just found this website today and started reading from the oldest comments first. Then I skipped down to more current ones after I started reading all the cussing, non-informative, and basically waste of commentary space becoming more prevalent. Soul, no-soul, against American, japanese, etc. manufacturers, got all the money in the world (not), etc. What is the real purpose of this site? Is it to intelligently discuss the merits of the NSX? Operating problems? Street races? Events? Or is it to give free rein to whichever person wants to show how unintelligent and irrational they are and the number of cuss words they can string together?

I agree with this: You can't argue with opinion. However, you can have good debate or impart helpful information in support of, or give factual data not in support of, the NSX. Think of this site as an amateur Car and Driver, or Road & Track, or Consumer Report, focused solely on the NSX. Then, I think this site would be great ...

By the way, I do believe the hype of the NSX because I drove one. This is not to say it's "the best", because everyone has his own desires and wants in a car. It meets my requirements for a sexy (subjective), fast (objective), and dependable (it's a Honda) car. Now if only the price would come down. For me, I plan on getting one next year, continuing on my path from an '84 Prelude to a '90 Legend Coupe 5-speed.

Enough said ...

-- john smith, January 17, 2000

Another comment I forgot to add earleir... I dont like the title of this page (A Ferrari, but engineered by people who went to college) You gotta be kidding me, A Ferrari is the most precision car in the world, well, after the 80's, and the NSX is a far cry from anything the Modena 360 can do. What the hell is up with Derek Lai, does he honestly believe that the Trans Am can attend the same school as the NSX..? C'mon now buddy, where did you grow up, Tennessee..?

-- Gabe DesMarais, January 17, 2000

Hello again. Its been a while since Ive been to this site. I see someone impersonated me. Probably one of the millions and millions of my fans. If you don't believe this is me then click on my name and see my past comments. I do not drive a Ford Pinto, I have a Dodge Intrepid. Since I left all of you have been actually talking about cars!? Well Im back to remind you to Buy American cars. I was starting to agree with this Gabe DesMarais, but not with his latest comments. I never said that the Trans Am can match up head to head with the NSX, but the price comparison shows that you can have 3 TransAms compared to one NSX. I think the NSX is alright though because it would probably outlast all three TransAms together. Oh and Im not from Tennessee. I am from Sterling Heights, MI. Just 30 minutes away from Detroit, the Motor Capital of the world! Speaking of which, I just went to the auto show last weekend. It was great. If anyone else went, write what you thought of it. I go there every other year and I think this one was the best one. This is Lai.

-- DEREK LAI, January 17, 2000

Whats the dealio..? Allright Derek, I shouldnt a' said that stuff about you bein from Tennessee, thats almost as bad as callin you a Jew. But, when I think about it, I probably would take 3 Trans Ams over 1 NSX, I mean, that is just a much better deal cause allthough it is an incredible ugly car, it isnt that bad that I wouldnt drive 3 of 'em... Yeah, so anyway, sorry for takin up space thats not about the car of subject... Peace

-- Gabe DesMarais, January 18, 2000

In case you Corvette lovers who think the NSX is boring, haven't you noticed that the latest model gets some of its side profile styling cues from the NSX?

-- Joe Tsai, January 19, 2000

What the hell..? The Corvette hardly coppied the NSX. If you look at the history of the Corvette, and you see what it has looked like for the past 40 years, you would know that the Corvette has ALWAYS had an engine outlet on the side of the car. If you look at what the C-5's engine outtake looks like, you can plainly see that it was carried over from the previous generation's design, slightly sculpting it and rounding it off, very different looking from the NSX's. The NSX doesnt have an engine outtake, it has an intake, facing the other direction, and it isnt nearly as (rounded) as the C-5's. The Acura is better than the Corvette in most aspects,I dont doubt that, but the C-5 isnt the typical American slouch that everyone thinks it is, because of the high level of unrefinement of the older generations. But it is just two totally different trains of thought. The NSX uses precision while the Corvette uses raw power, while still being refined. whatever, imconfusing myself hella bad, so Ill say somethin some other time. the great one has spoken.,,

-- Gabe DesMarais, January 19, 2000

Gabe is correct when he says the C5 styling is not a poor copy of the NSX. It is clearly a poor copy of the RX-7.

-- David Bernert, January 20, 2000

The Corvette copied the RX-7..? They do look the same from the side, I dunno, they probably did copy it, whatever they did, it looks great!

-- Gabe DesMarais, January 20, 2000

Gabe - What's with the comment about Jews? How long have you been a racist? If you have something intelligent to discuss about the NSX, then do it. Otherwise, the rest of us don't need your racist remarks!

-- john smith, January 20, 2000

Hey John, Im sorry you're so sensitive to these things, it was just a joke, I didnt know you were gonna shit a brick over it, maybe you should grow up and not take things so seriously, and another thing, I made an inteligent comment about the car of subject, and I really dont think you know what youre talking about, and you dont need to try to impress the rest of us by using big words, because your speech is way out of context, you dirty Jew. Sorry if I offended anyone other than John Smith...

-- Gabe DesMarais, January 20, 2000

Actually, Gabe, I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that racist comments belong not in this chat page, but on KKK.com, but I was the one who responded, that's all. I can assure you that I know a lot more than you thinkabout cars, having worked on and restored cars for 25 years (Corvettes, Mopars, Nissan 240Z). Unfortunately, you showed your true colors again by repeating yourself in your response ("dirty Jew"). Obviously you have some maturing to do, and I hope you grow up someday. I'd be glad to read your opinions about cars, but not about anything else such as unprovoked personal attacks . My last words on this subject.

-- john smith, January 24, 2000

OK, I am a Honda lover. And most certainly an NSX lover. (Even worse, I am an Australian.) I am so pleased to see that this car inspires so many words from car lovers, regardless of whether or not they like the NSX. Better yet there is three or four years of correspondance here.

One thing I have notice as I skim through the arguements for and against and the neutrals is that so many of you people are totally missing the point of the NSX. What you have to remember is that the NSX comes from a company that makes Accords, Civics and motorbikes. These are the 'bread and butter' of Honda Motors. THESE are the reasons we have the NSX. NOT the other way 'round!

You think for a minute what Ferrari produce. All they produce are (great) sports coupes/convetibles. What does Porsche produce? They make coupes and convertibles too! So a Ferrari and a Porsche SHOULD be better than an NSX. The NSX really shouldn't be compared to these cars in the same vein. Really a car that performs so well shouldn't come from a company that makes predominantly People Cars. But it does! So you see they have a lot to worry about other than the horsepower per liter ratios and inertia shifting.

In saying this I acknowledge Nissan for the likes of their GT-R (Godzilla as it's dearly known here in Australia) and BMW for their M3, both truely outstanding cars. Now Honda has many good reasons to make a car like this. It proves their engineering is second to none. It is used as a road-going showcase for their wares. It provides much data/development which eventually trickles down into the 'normal' Hondas (take VTEC as a prime example). Think about the fact that this car has only a dinky little V6 powerplant. Think about how Honda have admirably resisted the urge to turbo charge it. It's a fairly average sized engine. This is one to the miracles of the engine world. Up there with the M3 straight 6, the Mclaren F1 V12 and the Australian Chrysler-Valiant slant 6 Hemi "V8 killer" of the 60's.

If you think that the NSX is under powered well consider the fact that the Japanese government in their wisdom have power limits on all Japanese road cars. It's something like 209 kW (you Americans can do the math). So although interpreted "loosely" the Japs must conform to this (I am not sure about cars exported to the US, but that's how we get 'em when they're imported to Australia).

For those of you complaining about the sports breeding, all I have to do is mention three names... Team McLaren, Senna and Berger. Where do you think this lovely engine came from? Where did the fine suspension set up come from? See the original NSX literature and you will notice one late Brazilian World Champion sitting in an NSX conferring with Honda engineers. Few cars boast this sort of breeding, sure Honda doesn't have the illustrious names of Daimler and Benz or Ferrari, but it sure as hell ain't out of the ball park.

What we all have to remember is that the NSX is designed for one good reason among others. That's to go fast. This it does well, but to the Honda formula. Not to a Ferrari or Porsche formula. Honda makes Accords but they make NSX's on the side. Pretty impressive when you look at it this way.

It ain't perfect but Honda is working on it. Love it for what it is. Embrace it's philosophy. Live with it everyday the way you would an Accord - Beat a Ferrari to 60Mph!

Like it or not, the Honda NSX well defines the term: SUPERCAR.

-- Chuck Kolyvas, January 30, 2000

This has all been very amusing. Unfortunately, many people on both sides of the discussion could use some lessons in logic, rhetoric, and engineering. By the way My 1990 Prelude SINGLE overhead cam is the finest, fastest car ever built.

-- no way, January 30, 2000

Hello. I have found a nice page. It's this. this page is filled with interesting arguments. I'm from japan. I also think honda NSX is a very nice car.but I don't think that it's the best car in the world. In japan, various sports cars are sold. for example, NSX, SKYLINE GTR, SUPRA, 300ZX, etc.... but european cars are also very populer. In perticuler,BMW, Mercedes(excluding chrysler!!) but,I'm afraid that american cars are very unpopuler in japan. At least, People around me have never bought american cars. I considered why american cars are so unpopuler in japan. Low quality? low mirage? bad design? NO!!! To be honest, It's because the cars are made by american. Somebody on the forum said that the japanese cars lack soul. this guy is right!! I must admit this insistence. this is true. Because japanese carmakers' engineers have been learning much from European car manufacuturers. LEXUS learned from Mercedes. SUBARU learned from Porshe etc....European cars have been exellent models for many japanese engineers. but american maker's have been not. Why? Most of all the japanese respect european cultures.

there is no original culture in america. american culture is only a bad copy of european one. It was a German who created first concept of automobile. It was a British who created the most gracerul cars. Rolls,Roys,etc...... If japanese cars are copies ,then american cars also copies. but , american cars are more bad copies than japanese ones. the reasons are clear!. just think why !!.

-- rikiya okawa, February 3, 2000

This is the first time I've come back to the page in awhile and I noticed that Gabe called me a "racist asshole". Very interesting since everytime I talk about the virtues of the NSX I always back it up with actual evidence. I have never said that American cars suck because they are American. That's in fact far from what I believe. I think the Corvette and Viper are fantastic cars. Stock, both of them will smoke an NSX in acceleration and top speed, and for a cheaper price I might add. My point is, however, that doesn't necessarily make them better. For awhile it seemed like everyone who disliked the NSX did so solely on the basis of hp rating and price and I just think that the value of a car goes far beyond that. I believe that SOME American cars suck, not because they are American, but because of many other factors such as their enginnering and the technology which is employed. To say a car sucks because of it's place of origin is simply ignorant.

-- Michael Wong, February 3, 2000

Ya all are a binch of dumb asses. The best car in the world is a 69 camaro ZL1. Its all american and its 440 hp stock. See whats up now with some of dat Chevy Power. Piece out Now ya niggas. See Ya !!!!

-- Nigga Niglet, February 4, 2000

OK, nigga niglet, or whatever, raw horsepower is only one aspect of a car, and doesnt mean it is better than anything else. A 69 Camero ZL-1 is a piece of shit and is ONLY fast in a straight line. If you want raw horsepower in a car, I suggest you go for a Viper, atleast they can break from 60 mph in less than a mile.

-- Gabe DesMarais, February 5, 2000

The Real Deal

I'd like to take a chance to address the 90% of America that does not have the amount of money required to purchase an NSX. Now, I think alot of you are in denial to the fact of where the NSX came from. It's origin is from the late 1984 CRX. Horsepower, handling, comfort, and styling are all things the NSX does not improve on, but rather STEAL from the CRX'S guts. Even, the name is ripped off. Please, let's keep this on a downlow, because my CRX is original and I dont want all of you NSX owner's to go off trading in your machine for a CRX. Wake up, there is more to life than what is in your garage......

-- andrew mir, February 8, 2000

NSX VS. 1988 TOYOTA CAMRY When reading all of the proceeding comments I noticed a huge problem. Arguably the best performance car in history was not even mentioned once. I have driven an NSX, Mclaren F1 and my 1988 Camry, there is no comparison. The Camry far surpasses both the Mclaren F1 and NSX in acceleration runs, braking, cornering, fuel efficiency and top speed. Not only is the camry blisteringly fast, but girls see it and get weak in the knees.

-- Jake Warner, February 8, 2000

Hey!

For all of you who don't have the money to buy an NSX, but still want to suprise 'vette owners on mountain roads get a CRX!! $1000 of shock and spring replacement and they'll need to be serious to keep you behind them! Cheap, economical, no power steering to interfere with road feel...it's the only FWD car I'd consider and It's always ready to play. Also, it cruises at 90 to 100 no problem, and still gets great mileage.

--Cheyenne --Wishing he didn't have to care about mileage

-- cheyenne young, February 9, 2000

While searching for a real sports car to dream about (the Bugatti EB110SS) Yahoo also had this link. The conversation has been intising but some comments are way out there. For istance on acceleration the NSX is not the fastest. If any one gets Moter Trend you can look in their road test reviews to see this. And dont tell mee that they lean towards amarican or european cars becouse I know Petersons publications was payed by toyota for 4x4 of the year and truck of the year.

-- Bjorn W., February 9, 2000

so, you've driven a McLaren F-1..? How much money did you have to put into Ameritech's bank before they would let you touch it..? And after driving it you still think your Camry is faster..? Did they not let you shift out of neutral or something..? I doubt the MC F-1 is even capable of driving as slow as your toyota. I'm sorry to break it to you like this, I hope you aren't devistated for life but you haven't driven a McLaren F-1 and I seriously doubt that you've driven an NSX. Don't make up stuff so that people will think more highly of you.

-- Gabe DesMarais, February 16, 2000

Okay, first of all, I think that Camary comment was sarcasm. Secondly, I want to know why, Gabe, you dislike Jews. I don't say this nastily, I say it out of curiosity. Thirdly, I want to get to the NSX. People are dissing the NSX because it does not have enough horsepower, or because it doesn't cause whiplash with a touch of the pedal. The cars that do this are called MUSCLE CARS! Not SPORTS CARS! Sports cars take into consideration handling, stealthy looks, finesse, and speed as well. The NSX is not a muscle car. It is a sports car. Correction: It is the definition of a sports car. And, what is more, it is an exotic sports car. Unreliability is not a prerequisite to being an exotic sports car. The NSX is wonderful for all the above reasons, as well as that fact that is is reliable (120K, 150K, 200K miles? Cool...) I also want to post a question to all those who have owned (or known) owners of the NSX. What is the deal with the rear tires going so quickly? My dad is about to buy a used NSX (91 or 92) and we want to know how many miles the tires on the back can accrue before they bust. Thank you. - Sasha Peel

-- Sasha Peel, February 17, 2000

I applaud the person who takes me seriosly in comparing my $1,500 camry to a $1,000,000 Mclaren(of which there are probably only 3 of in the nation). You are very astute in announcing my sarcasm! Bravo to your high intelligence.
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-- blah blah, February 17, 2000

Blah Blah: First of all, your camry can't hold a candle to the DEFINITIVE sports cars, my personal 1977 Delta 88. This is the machine that will get the women looking your way. lemme tell you. PLus, after you smoke those boys down at the sonic with their fancy F1's and NSX's, you can take home 5 waitresses, not just one or two(F1):)

seriously, all I want on earth is an AWD NSX-T. this would be the greatest car ever built:)

Anyone ever actually driven an NSX that has also driven a subura SVX? curios in how the road-handling compares(looking at getting a 96' SVX, since the NSX, is...well, Much pricey)

-- Robert Landrigan, February 17, 2000

I see everyone on this page talking about soul. Someone's comment(I dont remember whos)said that a cars soul is an extension of ones own. I think this is true. Now, I'm not a super import dude, but I'm into all things automotive. As a muscle car enthusiast (I've got a blown 68' Chevelle that gets 9.47's@152)I dont feel soul when I'm on the line. But when I see yellow, yellow, yellow, green, I know my car is going to do what I ask it to, because its a peice of me. Import cars are slightly different (mostly because people dont put as much work into them)but they are still peices of a person. So you have a Ferarii, or an NSX, or a Civic. If its your car, its your car. Wether it does 0-60 in under 5 seconds, or it takes a few minutes to get there, you've still got a precision machine. This is all.

-- Tony T, February 18, 2000

First off i would like to say great job on the site. Second im a 18year old "kid" i own three vehicles a 68 camaro a 95 camaro and a 97 ducati 996. Theay are all great vehicles because i maintain the wash them and know how they act. when i first drove an NSX i was quite uneasy (i was sitting in a 85,000 machine that i didnt own) i was guessing i would be uncomfortable in it since it was the first time in it but when i started the engine and shifted into gear it was perfect. it was the most comfortable first time car i had ever been in i grew acustomed to the gauges controls and handling immedietly this is truly a superb car so to whomever is thinking of purchasing a new vette or porsche or what not consider the NSX it is truly a great car.

P.S. lets stay on the subject of cars and not all this bashing stuff if you truly love cars you will respect others opinions and thoughts on the wide variety of autos that the world has to offer

-- jared bender, February 19, 2000

It is interesting to me that the folks proposing Ferrari's are better than NSX's keep referring to 'heritage.' How far back do you intend to go? Ferrari has not dominated any racing series since the early 70's. Honda has more F1 championships in the past two decades than Ferrari, Lotus or Porsche. Ferrari has 2 World Championships since 1980. Honda has SIX. Three times as many. Porsche has 2. Lotus has none. Lamborghini has zero. Bugatti has zero. There's your heritage. Honda has also dominated every other motorsport they have participated in. Motorcylces to Indy cars, no one anywhere has a better record in racing.

-- David Bernert, February 21, 2000

OK, OK, the whole thing about Jews was just a shameless joke, I didnt mean to offend anyone, and I am sorry if I did. I love the comment about the 4WD NSX...The current NSX is the perfect sports car, and the only thing they could do to make it better, is to learn from Subaru and Porsche. If it did have 4WD, it would be so unstopable, as if it isnt allready. This is a great idea and Im so glad that there are other people out there, besides me, that recognize the Subaru SVX as being an incredible machine.

-- Gabe DesMarais, February 26, 2000

Sup everyone. well this here goes for the YEE-HAW trans-am kiddo. what in the world makes u think the trans-aSS looks better than a NSX! hahaha. sure they are powerful. sure they are 8 bangerzZz. but the trans-aSS has no clean style. the nsx has lots of TECH. also may i add, it has one of mankinds fun, bad ass, fast, powerful, VTEC system!! does the trans-aSS have it? no. but i here gm has a vor-tech. hehehe why copy us? i my self do not have a NSX. i own a 98 Honda Prelude that'll woop a V8'z p@#sy holes. its not in the horse power. its all about torque. my prelude is soup up with all the bolt ones, polish headzZz, HKS T4 twin turbo, apex'i intercooler, hks blow off vavle, and tanabe DTM Exhaust system. sure will woop a V8. top hp is 328hp thankz to the hks turbo. now, lets put a turbo in a nsx.....wow, what will happen! your viper or trans ass will get smoked and spanked. let me remind u that the Viper is heavy. waaaayyyyyy to heavy. the trans-ass is too heavy to. now the NSX.......pure japanese smartness and is waayy lighter than a V8'z ass. great cornering, acceleratin. OH AND ANOTHER THING. i think i read this in motor trend. NSX will come out with a V8 in 2004.<possibilty>. and another thing. hehe. i know this is a nsx deal. but the honda S-2000 <4cyl may i add> is a treat to your GM's happy and soon to be sad 99 vette. pumps out more liters than a ferrari. and its a 4 banger, heh just like mines! well ill let u go. peace out to my fellow ImpOrT raCerZz. trans-ass boy...get a life.

-- Lazaro A., February 26, 2000

99 Nissan Skyline. NSX brother. hehehe!

sup its LAZ again. well i wanted to add another coment. the greatest import sports car i think will be the highest ranking of them all is the NISSAN R34 SKYLINE V-SPEC!! no doubt. i mean look at it. its twin turboed! twin cam! All wheel drive!! i want to see a mustang or TRAN-ASS race one of these. oh and when highly modiefyed. skylines can boost there hp highly. Turbo magazine showed a street legall 1,100HP skyline R34 95" i think it was. sponcered by GREDDY/TRUST! the NSX. i would say is like a brother to a skyline. except 4 wheel drive. hehehe. BYE peepzZz. <<MUGEN POWER!>>

-- Lazaro A., February 28, 2000

oh,, how about this NSX!!!!!!!! hehe. LAZ.

-- Lazaro A., February 28, 2000

Lazaro, maby you shouldent slam domestics as much as you do. Because I know several vette'and trans-am owners that would gladly pit their rides againts yours. Sure, if you spend thousands of dollars on aftermarket products you can get your car to go faster. If you take it stock against stock, (a v-tec against a vortech), then the competition would be a bit more imperical. I'm not going to say which of the two V's would win, because I dont know. Honda makes bangin' engines, but so does chevy. There is now a tiwn-turbo Vette' out there that has a T.S. of 2--something. While we are on the subject of Domestic VS Import, lets talk about trucks.. Although honda dosent really have a mass-produced light pick-up, even if they did, it probably couldent contend with the SVT Lightning. I'm not so sure how fast the e.t. is on the quarter, but I do know that it has a stock T.S. of 140, which makes it the fastest production truck in the world. Oh yeah, and it comes (standard) with a intercooled, eaton supercharged V-8. One last question before I go. You've got that super Honda, but how's your gas mileage? At least with Vette' or a T/A, you dont have to visit the gas station once a day. Oh yeah, that Nissan you showed us was sweet. Hook us(or me)up with somemore info. Peageage. -Tony

-- Tony T, February 28, 2000

For all you blind, tasteless mongrels who thought the NSX wasn't curvy enough or wasn't powerful enough or wasn't fast enough check this out: the Honda NSX-R GTI TURBO.... 634BHP...330km/h...3.3s 0-60. This thing makes the viper look like a texan water worm. (don't confuse this with the next generation NSX, because the 'real' all new next generation NSX is scheduled for 2004 with a V8 4.0L, this is just a delectable taste of what is to come> And by the way, although i don't own a Skyline GTR (obviously) R34, my friend's uncle is a senior editor of a car magazine, so i had the chance to 'test' an R34 V-spec 'extreme' package. Hewwwwwwwwwwww. It was tweaked up to 1184hp, somewhere in the low regions of 3s, in terms of 0-60 acceleration, and handled like a dream (although i must admit it's something to for driving enjoyment more than riding enjoyment, the suspensions are a bit harsh (race inspired)) The only detractor of this dream machine (although some may see it as a merit) is that it adopts so well to different surfaces and driving conditions, that it takes aways some of the fun of driving and screwing up in the process. Enter the cockpit and drive, it feels like you've entered a comdex show of high-tech gadgetry. I believe it is now legally imported into the US, $75 - 85 k. (also if you like this car you'll also want to check out the Mitsubishi EVO VI extreme package)
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-- James Wallace, February 28, 2000

I think the we all tend to miss the point of the competetion thing. A Ferrari, a Lamborghini,a Viper, A Porsche, and an NSX....all fast cars...some faster than others....my opinion....I DONT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO OWN A FERRARI, SO I WILL DRIVE AN NSX. WHY? THE NSX IS THE CLOSEST LOOKING THING TO A FERRARI. AND I CAN DRIVE MY NSX...PUT 30 THOUSAND MILES ON THE DAMN THING, SPEND A THIRD LESS ON MAINTENANCE, AND WHEN IT COMES TIME TO SELL IT....NO MAJOR DROP IN THE VALUE. NO SNOBBY FERRARI "BUYER" ASKING...MY GOD...YOU ACTUALLY DROVE YOUR FERRARI!?....YOU ARE ALL FORGETTING THE REAL ISSUE....WE HAVE AN ECONOMY AND VALUE BASED AUTO MAKER PRODUCING THEIR VERSION OF AN EXOTIC CAR. THE NSX IS EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD EXPECT FROM A COMPANY LIKE HONDA...WELL MADE...RELIABLE...AND WITH A LITTLE PERFORMANCE THROWN IN....I KIND OF LIKE BEING THE UNDER DOG.

-- matt purse, February 29, 2000

sup sup, well its laz again. want to give props out to the M5 kiddo. the m5 is bad ass to the max. 400hp i think. but newayz..... to the guy who drove a 1,000 plus skyline...from what company was it sponcered? i only know of the Greddy 1,010 hp gt-r skyline. never heard of another skyline higher than that. Blitz owns a 836hp i think 99 skyline GT-R. top speed 216mph. skylines are a master piece yo. great super sport cars. nothing compared to it but maybe a NSX. except the NSX isnt 4WD. both great for power drifting. acceleration. top speed is a plus also. but to the vipers, trans-am's, vette lovers, those heavey V8's give out good top speeds. i mean lets be real. slam the gas on a skyline, NSX, supra, RX-7, S-2000, <my prelude,hehehe>, etc etc, and it takes off really well gripping the road. while u slam the gas on a monster heavy V8 and the tires spin out for a good 5 to 8 sec's and then might catch grip. MIGHT! well anyways, i still say that the NSX and skyline's are the top TOPS of them all. so to all yall yee-haw country driving, oil burning V8 fans, so do your damn homework and read about the NSX and skyline!!! stop saying your damn cars are faster cause you all have the all so mighty V8. look at my 4 banger! 99 honda prelude VTEC! 300plus hp with the hks 4T turbine! and i still woop V8's here and there. not saying all. so next time you all stop at a red light next to a nsx or maybe a little Civic hatchback, always expect the unexpected. just cause HONDA/ACURA rulezZz. and if you all stop next to a skyline.......ummmm....i sugest u call it a night. hehehehe. (((VVRROOMM)))
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-- Lazaro A., March 2, 2000

The 2000 M5

Funny how nobody has mentioned the 2000 BMW M5. I know if you're a car person, you know all about it. For my $80k, I will take one of this little rockets please. I don't think that there is much that will come close to it's performance, handling or styling. Yeah, the NSX might look prettier. See The M5 Video ... (this isn't my page)

-- Steve Hodson, March 3, 2000

Hey Lazz, or Laz u seem to be one of the few people to appreciate the merits of the hypercar - skyline GTR R34. Anyways the skyline i tried was from nismo-hks, and more amazingly now they have a 1280 hp version (no bs. 1280 hp (although turbo i must admit) from a 2.6L engine is 1280/2.6 = 492 hp/L. Have you ever seen a viper with that ? nope. The amazing thing is that even at that level of power, the handling and ride quality is not at all choppy (unlike vipers for example). The steering feel is dynamic without sacrificing stability. I would kill to try the 1280 hp version!!!!!!! 1280 hp - I don't think a viper chassis could handle that.

-- James Wallace, March 4, 2000

Oooh, congrats to Steve for being the first to bring up the M5. Truly supercar performance in a stealth (and useful, might I add) package. Last C/D I read, the M5 went 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, about the same as an NSX. Don't get me wrong, NSX will forever be my fave, but, man, that M5 is truly something else! It would be fun to get one, mod it to look just like a normal 5-series, then laugh at other drivers' reactions when you blow away their vehicle in a family sedan!!

-- Michael Wong, March 4, 2000

thanks dude. well i didnt know about the 1280hp skyline. i would like to see that. but yea, skyline is a super car. very BAD ASS TO THA MAX! here in houston we got a shop that is called conversions Xtras. they own a 1000hp 95 vette. its ok i guess. but i would like to see it go head to head with the 1280hp skyline.

-- Lazaro A., March 4, 2000

Yo. My friend in Japan just sent me some WICKED pics from a japanese car freak fair. How does this sound: Lexus IS 200 4 times turbo 720hp, Nissan Sylvia 760hp, Subaru impreza P1 800hp (AWD), and even a Toyota MR2 with 720 horses reving close to 13000 rpm. Hewwww. And an EVO VI extreme (AWD). Of course they had the nismo-hks 1280hp skyline, and they also had about 10 differently tuned NSXs. Anyways just thought you'd find that interesting.

-- James Wallace, March 5, 2000

RX7.....wow. race this baby trans-am lover!!

well thats bad ass. i wish they will import the silvia's to the states. i would get one. did ya know that in japan street racing is legal. man cops dont give a damn. they also drift race in the mountains. but to bad my prelude cant drift. heh. ohwell. say can you send me some of those pics yo? turismo_rebel01@hotmail.com i would really want to see those. hardcore import cars are the badest of them all. OH, question for anybody in here. how would you compar a RX7 to a NSX?? just wondering. well laterzZz

-- Lazaro A., March 6, 2000

Well,

I want to start by saying that the NSX as every one agrees is one of the most exotic cars ever. However, it is not very clever to say that it would be nearly as fast as my 1998 Toyota Corolla. Which my brothers and I down here in Florida have improved it in every way you can image. My little toyota has right now, about 1300 little horses that have great capacity and speed. My engine has been upgraded from a simple V4 engine to a twin-turbo, very strong and very fast. Looks very simple from the outside though. Now can you take me on that NSX, Supra, RX7, and etc... fans???? I think so far I have ruled the streets.

-- Abdallah Ahmad, March 16, 2000

Abdallah, I'm sure that your Corolla is fast and might sport more ponies than the Clydesdales, but it's not stock and doubt that you can keep your FWD tires from breaking loose in most gears during a heated race. Both the NSX and the M5 are out of the box with nearly 4 times the power of a 2k Corolla. Just how fast is your Toyota? Have you changed the 'final drive' or put in a different transmission? I also didn't know that Corollas had a V4 motor. How about sharing some pictures with us all of your street ruler? -In friendship...

-- Steve Hodson, March 17, 2000

911 turbo

Hi my name is catlin I have a 911 turbo with 450bhp and a Mitsubishi 3000gt vr-4 with 375bhp and I have raced a NSX with my porsche down the highway and I beat it so bad I could barely see him behind me I would like to say that the NSX has no power and is very overpriced

-- catlin foster, March 17, 2000

hey whats up yallz. well yea yea we all no the NSX is da shiznit. but i want to talk to mr.toyota corolla twin turbo. if you dont have a 4cyl powerplant, what do u have?? if its a twin turbo im sure u must have been smart and added a higher power plant. whats in it? any engine swap?? are you sponcered? cause to tell u the truth, im sure your car with 1300ponyz street legall should be in a magazine. come on give me a break!! how in the world are you not going to be in the magazines?? driving a so called twin turbined powered corolla??? haha wel give me some info on the corolla. i myself have a 99 honda prelude DOHC VTEC with the all mighty H22A motor. it has been turbo charged but because of to much maintainces, i took out the turbo and now i run on 234hp all motor. my prelude was powered stock with a 200hp VTEC dual. with simple bolt ons i now have 234hp. but when i had my turbo i had a street legal 334hp lude. and yes it was fast! let me leave with these questions. WHAT MODS DID YOU ADD ON THE COROLLA POWERING OUT 1300 PONYZzZ? WHAT KIND OF TURBOS DID U HAVE?? i had the hks T4 gt turbine. AND, IM SURE YOUR LIL COROLLA WILL NOT BEAT THE NSX. WHY U ASK?? BECAUSE, LETS BE REAL HERE. I KNOW YOU DONT HAVE A TWIN TURBO NONE 4CYL POWERED COROLLA. u would have already been a some mag or out there draggin for your E.T's. PLEASE...i want to here more about this corolla. and dont look in the magazines for info. hehe. prove to us your corolla. laytzZz
Image: Japan Veil Side Supra.jpg

-- Lazaro A., March 17, 2000

I have had a 91 NSX (black)for four years now and feel I can comment objectively on it.I am a 46 year old car-nut and have had a number of muscle and sports cars over the years(e.g.62 MGB,67 Barracuda,69 442 Hurst OLds, 68 Shelby Mustang,72 BMW 2002,86 Merkur XR4TI,78 Ferrari 308,66,77 and 81 Corvettes-the 66 small block had 433 dynoed H.P.and would turn 7200 RPM! a very professionally hot rodded 81 911 SC.) At our local track I have also driven or been a passenger in a 93 Viper, a 94 Lambo aEuropean M3,a Ferrari 355 and a 97 Carrera 4.So this is not just bench racing. I got the NSX with only 20000 KM (I am Canadian )and have maintained it well.My only mods so far are a set of Speedline 3 piece Ferrari style wheels.My observations: Value;-New too much! Used;-probably the best on the market next to used Vettes in the winter. Style;- does not compare with the Ferrari F355,but pretty fine nonetheless.The new C-5 seems to copy many of its lines. Reliability;-not quite as good as touted.I have replaced one clutch and my 1-2 synchro is now soft at only 55,000 KM. Maybe it was the Dentist who owned it before me because I know how to shift.The paint is a little off and I am redoing it since I am fussy.Otherwise though it is excellent,especially the engine which has often seen the Rev limiter. Handling and Braking;-both excellent! The stock balance between comfort and control is perhaps the best on the market.Seats are the best of any performance car I have been in. Sound system OK for 1991,but it has not really changed and is now out of date. Exhaust/Intake sound great inside car but tinny outside.Shift feel and steering feel (unasissted)fantastic.High speed stability and control exceptional.My top is 273 indicated KPH (169 MPH) but it took 4 KM to get there after 150 MPH (I was soaked in sweat!)View over the hood is sublime at speed and makes you feel like an F-1 star.Power and torque? Well 75 more ft. lbs.and 75 more H.P.(in that order) would be perfect. Overall Evaluation:- Even after 10 years the NSX is a player in the exotic heavyweight leagues.Buy a good used one if you can.I usually bore of my toys quickly but my NSX should keep me happy for the next few years. Speaking of which, I would consider some reasonable mods to the car for more ZOOM. If any of you die hard guniea-pigs out there want to share some down to earth tech advice regarding dos and donts ,E-mail me (at work -it will be a nice break) stapong@bennettjones.ca Parting Thoughts for new model: V-8; 400 HP ; 3100 lbs max; killer stereo,all the great stuff above and a deprecation rate that will let me buy a creampuff when the I-gotta-have-the-newest-poseurs have moved on!

THE NSX IS A BLAST !

-- grant stapon, March 18, 2000

go! go! N S X !!!!!!!!

CHECK OUT THE NIPPON NSX GT1 NIPPON RACING RACE CAR!! i think these babys come with 430hp. ill put up some more piczZz for yallz later on. well c-ya laterz.

REV HARDER! DRIVE FASTER!

-- Lazaro A., March 20, 2000

RAYBRIG nippon GT Acura NSX

Check out the Raybrig GT NSX. nice nice! laterzZz. lAz~!~

-- Lazaro A., March 21, 2000

Here are my comments on the Acura NSX: As far as balance in being a well rounded car, meaning it performs well in every aspect (not just the 1/4 mile), I think is it one of the greatest sports cars out there. If you want a car to handle, there are better cars. If you want a car to run the 1/4 mile, there are better cars. If you want your car to get up to 60 really fast, there are better cars. The NSX is well rounded that performs every performance categorie well with only one car I can think of that will beat it in every aspect-the Dodge Viper. A Viper pulls out more G's, is quicker through the slalom, runs the 1/4 mile faster, and is faster 0-60. The NSX clearly beats it only in braking. But the Viper is 10-15 grand cheaper.

There is something people need to know about the NSX handling vs. a Viper. The Viper is more of a "Muscle Car." Where the NSX is mroe like... well, a Ferrari. Both cars have completely different feels to them. The Viper is rugged, harsh, and lound which are all very "Muscle Car" characteristics. The NSX is smoother, quieter, and not so harsh which is a more foriegn feel. Its more stealthy too. The NSX handles well, but its hard to compare a NSX to a Viper because of the drastic differences in the way the cars feel.

If you want bang for buck, get a C5 Corvette or a Trans Am. Both have very low tech engines. The T/A having a solid rear axle makes its handling not quite up to par. However, since both are so low tech, they can be modified easier and be a lot more responsive to mods. A Trans AM is 1/3 the price and the Corvette half the price. GM could get more power out of them if they wanted to, but in insurace is sooo high and the are fined every year for emmissions that they see no reason why. They outsell the NSX so why bother changing them? They could go to a smaller engine like the NSX, but they would never hear the end of it. When for went from the 5.0 to the 4.6 in the Mustang people complained and whinned like babies even though the 4.6 performed better. Someone said the LS1 is an inefficient engine. Well i think being pushrod and low tech and cranking out 345hp is pretty damn efficient. If you made the LS1 DOHC there is no telling how much power if could put out. The NSX puts out 290hp, but has all sorts of high tech stuff on it like VTEC. The Vette has nothing and is very plain and cranks out over 50 more hp with the torque to match. Both have been around a lot longer and I guess you can say have more "character."

I think the reliability is better on the NSX, but its 90 grand. Anyone that is buying a car for 90 grand and that is worried about reliability has some problems. If you pay that much for a car and can't afford to buy another car, you shouldn't be buying the car in the first place. I think the NSX is better than the Vette, but twice as good. The T/A is a 3rd of the price, but I thought it was plenty fun. I know several people with T/A and Vettes and none are having problems even with some of them having 100+k.

Bottom line: THe NSX is one of the best most rounded sports cars in the world. There are cars that can beat and that are cheaper so is wouldnt rate it #1. It would be in the top 5 in my opinion though.

-- Charlie Stewart, April 1, 2000

To the above comment: I think that you have a very good point about the NSX. It is probably the best "all around" sports cars. The Viper does beat it in most tests, except for the ones that really matter. People say that the NSX is the best handling car in the world. This is simply not true. The mid-engine layout and rear wheel drive does not serve it very well. Everybody knows that front wheel drive cars handly better, but do not accelerate as fast. Trans Am..? I dont think so. It seems as though it is a tradition for Americans to build cars with huge, low tech engines, that are loud, harsh, and crude. The C-5 Corvette gives you all the raw horsepower, and loudness of a muscle car, while still being very high tech and not being so harsh like the Trans Am. Damn, the Trans Am is an ugly car. It handles like a bull dozer, and takes corners like an oil tanker. And to the Viper lovers out there... It does give you a LOT of bang for your buck, but an NSX will give you about 90% of the performance, for twice as many years.

Gabe DesMarais

-- Gabe DesMarais, April 3, 2000

'Everybody knows front wheel drive cars handle better'? Get serious, a FWD 110hp car will handle better than a 110hp RWD car, but no real sports car ANYWHERE is FWD. If FWD is 'better' why don't Ferrari and Lamborghini use it? Think they can't afford it? No! Every serious performance car useses RWD or AWD because it is better. It is a matter of physics. Any FWD car with serious hp will torque steer like crazy. Seeing a good slalom number for a small wheelbase FWD car does not mean it 'handles better' than a RWD car. It just means it is a small wheelbase car that has an inherent advantage at slalom. People who claim FWD cars 'handle better' usually base the claim on the fact that in FWD the engine is over the drive wheels. This does provide a traction advantage in wet weather, but does not make the car 'handle better.' In fact, using that argument would make the 911 the 'best handling' car because it has the advantages of both RWD and having the engine over the drive wheels.

-- David Bernert, April 3, 2000

"What if a company that make a 200hp 4-cylinder decided to make an exotic car" That was my question when I first started drag racing Japaness cars instead of Chevys.(my Chevs are faster though)

I have a NSX, it's great... (just read the messages above) Most complain above are pretty ridiculas; I mean come on, a cup holder...

All the cars people mention have heritage and certain charactor: Corvette has raw power, Farrari are expensive, Porche looks like a Beetle with an high output engine, Viper breaks just like most Dodges... They all have the charactor their father has.

NSX had one too, just like most Hondas, they last.

P.S: About that Corolla, I think you have to be mentally retarded to believe that. And no, fwd car does not handle better. Corvettes does have a DOHC version, it's called ZR1, I think it's a '96.

And Laz, you have the best pics. thanx much for reading.

-- Franky Choi, April 4, 2000

Yes, I agree with the above about the 1200 pony Corolla.. I haven't seen any reposts from him latey either. Check out the new 911 Turbo and the Z8... whoah boy... power, style, elegance and, heritage!

-- Steve Hodson, April 6, 2000

Mugen style NSX

hello once again. well i been readin lots bout tha NSX from peepz in here. all have great commentz. NSX will last for a lonnnggg time. it'll be a classic. well thankz man for the comments on the picz, ill place more. newayz, yea, were is the corolla dudAt with the 1200 so called ponyz, well i guss he was lieing.......well lets get down to buisness. who says a 4cyl FWD cant get no power? RAW POWER is a better term to be used. for the import drag racin scene, fwd are the most popular. here are some times, u be the judge. ...................................................................... s. papadaskis: 9.07 Civic <new record just hit at IDRC challenge here in houston> eddy bergenholtz: runs 9'z on a CRX lisa K: <female drager> runnin 9'z on a Civic kenny tran: 9.14 civic jojo callos: 10 sec Civic etc etc.. imports will soon hit the 8'z. now for street racing, FWD isnt the best. that is true. but i want to see a 99 prelude <like mines> VS a corvette in a tight turn while racing. the vette will spin out because of its ~~RAW~~ power. the lude will go easily and take the vette. its not all power guys. its handeling. u want to die goin 190mph in a viper, vette. please. a NSX has both power potential and handeling. now 295hp dohc VTEC is a good mix. nsx is the great one in my opinion. nice, low, powerful. the viper is way to high to be going over 150mph. nsx has a low spring rate and can go more than 140mph with out worrying if u going to spin and crash. nsx is a master piece, just put it that way. RX7 is one of my other best. nice looks, powerful, low and great handelin. skyline....wooooooo i better not even go there. the name skyline says it all, AWD twin turbo v6. supra.....ummm ill give it a score of 9. very fast and nice looks. but i wouldent trust it in handeling. to all you people who looovvvveeeeee (((RAW))) power..grgrgr, hehe,, why dont u all go into monster truck? lots of raw power there. leave racin to cars built by smart people. not dum raw power loving technicians. did they even think about handleing?? well ..ill leave it to yall..... laterzZz......heres some pixZz

-- Lazaro A., April 7, 2000

Another piC. hehe enJoyz. lAz~!~
Image: NSX concept.jpg

-- Lazaro A., April 7, 2000

Hungry for a V8 meal..hehe~!~

check out this BAD ASS TO THA MAX SKYLINE!!!!!! vielSide kit. props go out to da owner of this ride. laterzZz nsx loveRz and hatterZzzZ

-- Lazaro A., April 7, 2000

sup yall......its LAZ again........check out the japanese NSX kangaroo GTI1. very very nice. its 50% carbon fiber as to what ive heard. by the way, ill be placing a 2004 acura nsx photo as to what it will look like in the u.s spec. suppose to be a dohc V8 VTEC. laterzZz..... ps: to the owner of this website, keep this Page posted! its da shiZnit yO!
Image: downunder1.jpg

-- Lazaro A., April 7, 2000

Here's something even Chevy-lovers can drool over

-- James Wallace, April 9, 2000

Here's somethin' even Chevy lovers can drool over

-- James Wallace, April 9, 2000

I have been fortunate (or not) to own many cars in my short life. From just about every domestic,European and Asian. I will never ever purchase another domestic car again. Way too many problems and in fact my towing insurance company canceled me because my then new 1994 Corvette had to be towed 4 times in ONE YEAR! I have owned 3 Vettes,4 Z28's(Irocs),Stangs(yes Cobras),M3's,Lexus(very nice cruisers and tops in reliability),944 Turbos(damn fast with chips,miss these cars),964's(911 4wd) and many others. Folks let me tell you that I really do like Porsches. Very solid with alot of racing background fed into the production cars and it shows. 928's,944's 911's and all. My NSX though 9 years old still to this day has a home in my garage. I have had it now for 2 years and have NEVER (did Lexus build this) had a problem with it. 92,000 miles and very strong to redline. Now to those that can only afford those V8's (not Lexus)that always have problems, let me ask you something. When was the last time you stood in line at the auto parts store because something broke?AGAIN? The truth. Facts are facts, I use to wave the flag and scream American made. Guess what?I got tired of waving this flag on the side of the road and found that it is actually more Amercian too buy an import plus im much much happier. I have never had a car with more problems than all of my domestics. A new 2000 Vette, 3 safety recalls the first year. What do you expect for a 40K car made by CHEVY! Cheap plastic and poor engineering. If you want to go really really fast than I suggest you get a 87 Hyundai Excel hatchback(500.00). Redo the motor (1200) and slap on a turbo kit with NOS (3000). Now you got a car that will blow the tow hitch off of any Z28,vette, Viper and yet it is still more reliable than these. So should everyone go do this? Point is,ANYTHING CAN BE MADE TO GO FAST! IT IS HOW IT DOES IT AS A WHOLE COMPLETE UNIT THAT WORKS IN UNISON WITH THE REST OF THE CAR that makes a car special. Porsches and NSX's have this. Corvette/Viper or those other minimum wage V8's-make me laugh.go to http://www.ladman.com/chevy/home.html

-- Charles Shupe, April 10, 2000

i think your right man. domestic arent built by a person with a smart mind. get a NSX and you have great handling, fast speeds, nice looks, less wheel spin, great acceleration, etc. get a fat heavy V8 "muscle car" and u get pretty ok looks, uncontrolable wheel spin, no handeling, gas fuel being wasted, etc. nsx may cost 85g'z and up, but you will get your moneys worth. tell me this people, were on this website or other websites have you heard people telling you that they had to take there nsx to the shop for maintaince. ???. well?? very very ware guys. proves the nsx is the shit. if i were rich like some of these guys who have garages filled with fast go go mobiles. i would get me 5 nsx's. hehe, yeap. why not? but im not rich. ill stick with my 99 honda prelude. ill soon be adding new modifications to it. oh and to the guy who said a "any car can be soup up for high performance" i agree!! i have beaten V6 camaros and mustangz, i also beat a chevy truck. hehe. well newayz....for those V8 lovers....watch out cause i hear that the honda S-2000 is a killer. 4 banger but pumps more liters than a ferrari. look out corevette, mustang, vipers, and all them other 30 ton heavy V8's. lol. laterZz...

-- Lazaro A., April 13, 2000

Let me tell you all one thing. There's a difference between patriotism and blind chauvinism. "Chevy's the best because it's American" type-logic doesn't seem very logical to me. Drooling in front of a chevy dealer holding a wet american flag, while bashing Asian cars with no apparent technical or experiential rationale (but what seems to be a rather racist motive) is just plain wrong. There are certain things certain countries are good/bad at and speaking from experience american companies are bad at making cars. And there are certain things that one must accept even though the truth may be painful: american cars are bad. Speaking as plainly as possible if you're one of those who buy a car once a decade and expect it to last two (i.e. you want reliability) american cars should not be your choice. If you're ready to spend thousands on maintenance and end up trashing your car after 20000 miles go ahead, but it's something i'd never recommend. Plus supporting a rusty inefficient complacent industry, and therefore allowing them to continue abusing american consumers making bad cars with low reliability and no refinement is far from what i'd call "patriotism"

-- James Wallace, April 16, 2000

Regardless what say you, tis F1 Mclaren (Mclaren F1); tis possess'd Carbon Fibre body, magnesium alloy rims, silver toolkit.

The car is powered by a 6.1 Liter V12 engine developed by BMW. This awesome powerplant develops 627BHP and powers the car to 230+ MPH.

0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Production capacity = 3 cars per month. Price = US$1,000,000.00+

Acura will always be a "Affordable Ferrari Look Alike."

Beat this baby.

Image: f1black5.jpg

-- Faisal Shahid, April 17, 2000

well mr. faisal shanid, been readin a lot of magz huh. is that info u got from car&driver or motor trend. newayz....maybe your the type of guy who look into the EXTREM. think about it. newayz...... i totally agree with the guy who said american cars are not reliable. some american sport cars and regular cars are nice. like the 00 vettes which has a NSX look. but not great. there just nice to look at. get into the seat of a NSX or Supra or maybe a RX7 and test drive it. you'll change your mind. like i always say,,,,,, its all about handeling and power. most of all handeling! cant stress that enough people. i dont see american cars having that. if u see an ad in the magazine about a trans-am(which is discontinue hahaha!!) or a vette.....they never talk about handeling. only basics like HP,torque,0-60, etc. never ever will u here about suspension. WHATS THE DEAL ON THAT??
Image: 2000 NSX.jpg

-- Lazaro A., April 19, 2000

sketches of the next integra
Image: new_ITR01f.jpg

-- James Wallace, April 22, 2000

hi NSX luvers...I have a black 96 saleen s281 drop top w/335bhp...the only thing i do is drag race so those NSXS die...but gas was killing me, so i heard of a rocket a 95 crx 100bhp/L...it looks great and w/o the targa as well..w/that i could not keep up w/the nsx, but this year yes from the same company behold the S2000 with 140bhp/L...I have since purchased one, and yes the are virtually the same car, but all in all the nsx is my favorite car that i cannot afford at this time 90.625

-- Vincent Tran, April 25, 2000

i'm hearing all this poise and balance crap. i have a 97 lotus espirit twin turbo. i paid 80 grand for it. the nsx is 80 grand too. it is mid engined rear wheel drive. so, is the nsx. i have a targa the 80 grand nsx does not. i have twin turbo the nsx does not. i have superb out of this world handling the nsx has a little but not in the ballpark of 360 modena or espirit. i have 350 horspepower not massive but enough for my dollar. the nsx has 290 horsepower. the only complaint that would rival against nsx is that is has a gorgeous and well thought out interior, but my entire interior does have carbon fiber. nothing that an F348 woudn't fix, but seriously HELP ME I SHOULD HAVE BLOWN MY 80 GRAND ON A HONDA NSX T OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE oh well next year. any one wanna buy a 97 lotus for 67 thousand with 500 miles on it if so email me.

-- George Tran, April 28, 2000

sup everyone, well,,,the lotus is an ok car, but it has ugly looks. yea it has power, bla bla...but who cares??!! everyone knows the nsx is tha shiznit for todayz streetz. anyone who says, oh my mustang, camaro, trans-am, V8'z, is better and faster than the nsx....may be true....but once the nsx is highly tuned with a couple of bolt ons, TWIN TURBO (mr.lotus guy), etc, u will not want to mess around with an nsx. its like you all racing your mustangs, chevys, whatever, against a nsx that has a power range higher than 400hp. people who say, yea if u get an import and want to tune it you'll wast money. please....thats cause were not cheap. i dont own a nsx myself but i guess i cant talk for peeps in here who do. we dont like buying heavy V8 powered car with already stock 300-350hp motor. i mean.....THATS CHEAP!! tuned nsx means smart, happy, money carring people! hehe. ok i thought i throw that in. newayz...... my honda prelude still rocks! even though i took out my turbo. hehe,,,,to much maintaince. well see-ya! laZ~!~

-- Lazaro A., April 28, 2000

I dont understand this...what is SOOOO bad about V-8's..? Is it the amount of cylinders it has..? Im sorry that not all engines are single litre 4 bangers, or TURBO CHARGED sixes. Not everyone on this planet wants to deal with the problems that go with a turbo, or the turbo lag, that isn't found on a normally asperated engine. I think Honda's engines are great, but I dont see why everyone in here hates "big heavy V-8s" as some of you call them. Did it escape your minds that the Ferrari F-355, 360 Modena, Lotus Esprit, Lexus GS-400, Jaguar XJR, to name a few, all have "big heavy V-8s..?" I was wondering, has anyone seen the new Mustang Cobra R..? It handles better, accelerates better, brakes better, pulls more G's on the skidpad, and outruns the NSX in top speed, all for about 2/3s of the price. Hmmmm, maybe "big heavy V-8" powered cars arent that bad, if theyre blowing the doors off of an aluminum Honda that doesnt have enough low end torque to burn the tires. Oh yeah, and to the guy with the Esprit, I give you mad props, to own one of the best cars ever built. I like the NSX, infact, I think it's one of the best cars in the world. But to say that it is better than something else, just because it isn't made in the same country isn't right. And Chevrolette must be doing something right, when the anual sales of the C-5 are more than triple that of the NSX's...

Gabe DesMarais

-- Gabe DesMarais, May 1, 2000

You can't measure a car's worth by sales figures kiddo. In that case have you ever wondered why the honda civic outsold the corvette worldwide by a ratio of 50000 to 1? I mean common the C5 only 1/2 the price of an NSX. And if you want to talk sales figures have you ever wondered why they sell like 10 corvettes a year outside of the US? And the Mustang Cobra R handles better than an NSX? where did you get that from? a ford PR guy most probably

-- James Wallace, May 4, 2000

My Jeep Wrangler is faster than any of these...off road.

-- John Kantor, May 4, 2000

haha, well now i heard it all. a mustang cobra handels better that a NSX!!?? omg, haha. maybe a civic handels better than a mustang. well newayz...not hating on mustang,, sum are nice though. i saw with my own eyes that a mustang saleen beat the nsx very well. now i love the nsx with a passion but it isnt the most powerful car. great looks and handeling but lets not go far. nsx has great power. but not much. oh, by the way, the mustang saleen which ran against the stock NSX<only had a intake> had a 80shot nitrous instalation. ummmm.. ok. thought i throw that in. well yea...anout the corevett, i think it has a nsx look. here in houston i see tons of nsx's passing by and sometimes i mistake them for 2000 vettes. heh...kinda funny. well has everyone heard that chevy wants to buy hondas V6 motors to put them in v6 trucks?? yeap. thats what i heard..i dunno for sure.well catch u all laterzZz..peace. laZ~!~

-- Lazaro A., May 4, 2000

Honda NSX: it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5,7 seconds, can go up to 270 km/h and it costs 199'900'000 Italian Liras. Ferrari 360 Modena: it can accelerate from 0 to 100 Km/h in 4,5 seconds, can go up to 295 km/h and it costs 230'000'000 Italian Liras. The 360 Modena is also the best handling Ferrari of all times, and most european magazines say that it is the best handling car nowadays. So, I' m sorry for the Honda NSX, which is a great car, but the Ferrari is another planet. And Ferrari has also got something that Honda has not got. It is called "history". If you own a Ferrari you own a piece of the glorious Italian sports car history, which include also Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Lamborghini. Andrea, Italy

-- Andrea Gregorini, May 7, 2000

hey wrangler boy. if you want to talk off road in an on road board let's go you idiot. i have a 98 impreza rs. it is a car, and i will kick your ass off road and on road bring the ruckus you pea brained driver. how the hell can you even come close to comparing the wrangler to the nsx? first of all wranglers are made by chrysler and everyone knows that they are the worst american company. wanna say something else i have a 93 hummer. i'll run over your wrangler ass. every car that was mention not a suv is a fine automobile. YOU ARE A FRIGGIN' IDIOT!!! from pinto's to the mclaren all of these CARS!!! are wonderful. anyone with a suv have a mouth bring the ruckus...i can't believe that comment was even in there.

-- Vincent Tran, May 7, 2000

A nice kit for the supra. got 16grand? peace! (*_*)

now calm down vicient tran. lol, i know were ur comin from. his wrangler is no good but to go up hill on a rocky mountain. he has no chance over your ride. the mitsubishi lancer is the shit on rally. does a 1/4mile run on dirt in 13secs. damn thats power. well now on to the guy who said that the honda nsx isnt good. well mr, it may lack power compared to the ferraris, but listen. scroll up to the very very top of this page and read what it says about the nsx. "a Ferrari, but engineered by people who went to college." THE NSX can do verywell in suspension work. it may not be fast in top speed with a ferrari modena. but it sure will handel waaaaaaayyyyyyy better. a ferrari does have lots of history, but the nsx is heading that way as a solo. REMEBER, honda is a company that specializes in racing. honda does has its history. ferrari's are nice, but to tell u the truth, i would go for a nsx rather than a 360 modena, or a porche 911 turbo. why? it looks that damn good. heh, well yea, wouldent everyone agree in the website? the nsx is a exotic sports car from japan. japan has a limit in producing horsepower in there cars. they have a limit of 295 horsepower. i dont know about european cars. maybe that have bigger limits, thats why it outruns the nsx, supra, rx7, and skyline in power, topspeed, etc. but, european cars wiegh much more than a supra, nsx, rx7, etc. now domestic cars are fast, ill admit. but, never will u compar domestic cars to european and japz. lets just say domestic specializes in horsepower stupidity, and very weak suspension work. well newayz, now im not saying european cars are wack and shitty, hell now. i like euro cars too. but, basically, in this world. top best cars are european and japanese. domestic needs to clean up its act. very bad! we see european cars with V12 motors. but domestic people, note this, they have V12's too, but remember that they do not have dum "horsepower retards", in there companys. NSX~~~~~~~~~

chat laterz, lAz~!~

-- Lazaro A., May 8, 2000

To Andrea Gregorini,

I'm guessing those prices are from Italy car dealers, and maybe you guys get a discount. But here in USA, where both cars are imported, Modena costs ($150000-220000) up to 474,469,584.96 lira, where as a NSX can cost ($75000-$80000)up to 172,534,394.53 lira. Clearly NSX has a price advantage here. And further more, a used good condition NSX that could be relied upon to work twice as long can be bought around ($40000) 85,000,000 lira. One of the great things about NSX is it's dependablility.

-- john doe, May 9, 2000

To Hiroatso Sugimoto.

Of course prices are from Italian dealers. But I' m surprised that in your country Ferraris are so expensive. I mean: they' re expensive also here, but there' s some difference between American and Italian prices. As a Dollar is now about 2,100 Liras, a 360 Modena here costs $109,523. You talked to me of $150,000-220,000! The 2000 Lamborghini Diablo with the new 6.0 Liters engine (405 KW, about 550 HP) and the new carbon fiber body costs $190,476: I wonder what' s the price in the USA...

To Lazaro A.

Please don' t tell me that Honda is specialized in racing. It races, but I would call Ferrari "a company that specializes in racing", not Honda. Do you know how is going the F1 constructors' championship? 1. Ferrari (Ferrari engine) 2. McLaren (Mercedes-Benz engine) 3. Williams (BMW engine) 4. Jordan (Mugen Honda engine) 5. Benetton (Supertec engine) 6. BAR (Honda engine) 7. Sauber (Petronas engine) And I remind you that Ferrari is a little company. It produces only sports cars since it was born. It was born in Maranello, near Modena, about 50 years ago. And the factory is still there. Every Ferrari you see is produced there, even the one which races in F1. They' re tested in the Fiorano circuit, near the factory, and they' re totally hand-made. I have to say that even some Japanese sports cars are great, as the Subaru Impreza GT, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, the Nissan R34, the NSX itself and many others. But don' t joke when you talk about Ferrari...

-- Andrea Gregorini, May 9, 2000

To Andrea Gregorini,

While I wouldn't agree with Lazaro that Honda specializes in racing, it is the most ambitious racing car maker in Japan. Honda participates in many different races and is now back in F1. While I'm not sure why Honda pulled out from F1 few years back, probably financial one, it has a pretty good year for starter year. If you do remember, Honda has more F1 titles than any other carmaker in it's history.

Also the NSX will be getting a major update, a 400 hp engine to make up for the only field it's disadvantaged in. I'll be putting my deposit in as soon as I can afford it.

-- john doe, May 9, 2000

To Hiroatsu Sugimoto,

That' s strange, because to me seems that Ferrari has 9 constructors' titles, and Honda 6. Honda had some glorious years in the past, when the great Ayrton Senna was in the McLaren-Honda team. Now Honda engineers three different teams (!) but gets no results. Ferrari races since F1 championship exists, got the 1999 title and it is first in the 2000 one. I' m sure Honda is the best racing car maker in Japan. Ferrari is the best worldwide.

-- Andrea Gregorini, May 10, 2000

To all you people who say Honda sux at racing i think you ppl are forgetting about the late 80s when Honda DOMINATED the sport. Yes Honda DOMINATED. And don't forget Jordan-Mugen-Honda came in third last year, so you can't say "they've had no results" recently

-- James Wallace, May 10, 2000

I am very disappointed and pity the people who prefer the NSX to any of the other exotics in the mid 80 grand price range. The NSX has basically the same interior as an Integra GS-R which is 1/5 the price. If you want a sporty fast Acura get a type R which even redlines higher than the NSX and with a couple aftermarkek parts and bolt ons if will be just as fast. Also the new S2000 would also be a good bet and a freshly broken in Honda would sure be able to keep up with the NSX. Also for $80,000 there are so many other options avalible than a pinner 6 cylinder when you could have the full set of 12. For example, any Dodge Viper would absolutly rape an NSX or its cousin the Skyline GT-R to any speed. Even a 91 Viper R/T would still smoke a 1999 Alex Zanardi Edtion NSX. If Imports are your preference, a 95 Supra Turbo would certainly give the NSX a run for its money plus you get the reliabilty of a Toyota. Personally I like the NSX because of the Rear engine, rear drive, two seater chassis but at the price it is not worth it. There are much cheaper cars that can be deamed a lot more luxerious aswell for much less money. Audi A4 are the best cars in the world !!!

-CAL-

-- Chris Aaron Lacusta, May 10, 2000

Mighty Supra to the rescue!!!! (~.~)

Ferrari is a great company in racing sports, no doubt about that and i didnt say that honda can beat the crap out of ferrari's. duh, honda does make economy rideZz. but honda does have racing spirits. i bet anyone in this discussion board that if honda wanted to be top rank in F1 racing, GT, etc, it can. if they can buid a great 295hp DOHC VTEC NSX with pure intelligance starting from the smallest bolt, to the aggresive nsx 3.3 motor, and to the stylish light weight body which has great aerodynamicz, i think honda can compete with ferrari in any type of course. and for some reason there holding back on us. honda/acura can make great racing cars if they wanted to. the nsx is a great example. japanese have V6 motors. but soon the NSX will have a nice V8 <which i read in motor trend.> 400 hp i think. but anywayz. i dont own one, i wish i did. my prelude was very very fast stock. 2.2 dohc vtec 200hp/ 157lbs ft of torque. as i got into the lude for the very first time and i took it out for a test drive, i was amazed at honda's work. faster than a type r integra. now its the s-2000 out there makin vettes look like wossy's....<no offence. hehe> WHICH PUMPS OUT MORE LITERS THAN A FERRARI. i thought i throw that in. then comes the NSX. whats next?? ummmmm who knows. newayz... also i want to throw in the the nissan skyline was compared to a lamborgini diablo in road and track magazine. both ran 13 sec 1/4 e.t's. both 0-60 in less that 4.8 secs. skyline can very well be side by side with a ferrari. what do you all think? thankz for reading. lAz~!~

-- Lazaro A., May 10, 2000

Do you remember a car called Bugatti EB 110 SS? It was 1996, and it came out with an incredible 3.5 liters V12, 60 Valves, 4 turbochargers, more than 600 HP. It reaches 351 Km/h. I' m sorry that in Japan there are speed and power limits, but in Europe they don' t exist. I mean: In Italy for example there' s the speed limit of 130 Km/h, but no power limit on the cars. In Germany there is no power limit and neither speed limit. On German motorways it' s legal to go as fast as your car can. And this is a good condition for engineering sports cars.

To Lazaro A.

You say great things about your favourite car brand, but unfortunately you speak hypotetically: "Honda could race better than Ferrari, if wanted to". Why? Is that because Honda don' t want that gets no results in F1? When NSX will get the 400 HP V8 (another hypotesis...) we will see who is faster between NSX and 360 Modena. Another thing: I see that the NSX runs up to 60 mph in 5.8 sec, but the automatic trasmission version takes 6.5 sec! That' s incredible for a sports car! The 360 Modena takes 4.5 sec either with the manual six speed transmission and the sequential "F1" six speed transmission!

Image: Bugatti EB 110 SS.jpg

-- Andrea Gregorini, May 11, 2000

Do you remember a car called Bugatti EB 110 SS? It was 1996, and it came out with an incredible 3.5 liters V12, 60 Valves, 4 turbochargers, more than 600 HP. It reaches 351 Km/h. I' m sorry that in Japan there are speed and power limits, but in Europe they don' t exist. I mean: In Italy for example there' s the speed limit of 130 Km/h, but no power limit on the cars. In Germany there is no power limit and neither speed limit. On German motorways it' s legal to go as fast as your car can. And this is a good condition for engineering sports cars.

To Lazaro A.

You say great things about your favourite car brand, but unfortunately you speak hypotetically: "Honda could race better than Ferrari, if wanted to". Why? Is that because Honda don' t want that gets no results in F1? When NSX will get the 400 HP V8 (another hypotesis...) we will see who is faster between NSX and 360 Modena. Another thing: I see that the NSX runs up to 60 mph in 5.8 sec, but the automatic trasmission version takes 6.5 sec! That' s incredible for a sports car! The 360 Modena takes 4.5 sec either with the manual six speed transmission and the sequential "F1" six speed transmission!

-- Andrea Gregorini, May 11, 2000

Do you remember a car called Bugatti EB 110 SS? It was 1996, and it came out with an incredible 3.5 liters V12, 60 Valves, 4 turbochargers, more than 600 HP. It reaches 351 Km/h. I' m sorry that in Japan there are speed and power limits, but in Europe they don' t exist. I mean: In Italy for example there' s the speed limit of 130 Km/h, but no power limit on the cars. In Germany there is no power limit and neither speed limit. On German motorways it' s legal to go as fast as your car can. And this is a good condition for engineering sports cars.

To Lazaro A.

You say great things about your favourite car brand, but unfortunately you speak hypotetically: "Honda could race better than Ferrari, if wanted to". Why? Is that because Honda don' t want that gets no results in F1? When NSX will get the 400 HP V8 (another hypotesis...) we will see who is faster between NSX and 360 Modena. Another thing: I see that the NSX runs up to 60 mph in 5.8 sec, but the automatic trasmission version takes 6.5 sec! That' s incredible for a sports car! The 360 Modena takes 4.5 sec either with the manual six speed transmission and the sequential "F1" six speed transmission!

-- Andrea Gregorini, May 11, 2000

An Acura NSX going from 0-60 mph in 5.8 sec? And an NSX with an automatic transmission going from 0-60 mph in only 6.5 sec? Tell me, what kind of NSX's get imported to Italy/Europe--the old 3.0 liter 270hp NSX's? Because in the U.S., we now get the 290 hp NSX's, which can go from 0-60 mph in 4.8 sec (as tested by Motor Trend); and NSX's with automatic transmissions go from 0-60 mph in 5.8 sec.

Personally, I would not compare an NSX to a Modena since they're not even in the same league. Let's be realistic about this. An NSX has 290hp; a Modena has (correct me if I'm wrong) around 400hp. And so basically, performance-wise, the NSX is no match for the Modena. But then again, I agree with Andreas that we should wait for the 400hp NSX to come out, and only then can we compare the #'s.

-Ron

-- Ron Suriyopas, May 11, 2000

To Ron Suryiopas:

Honda Italia importes the NSX Couph and the NSX T. They' re both 3.179 liters with 280 HP. Honda Italia declares 5.7 sec for the couph and 5.8 for the T to go from 0 to 60 mph. And 6.5 sec for the automatic versions. Honestly I don' t know why the American one is faster. I must also say that the NSX Couph here costs 200,192,000 Italian Liras. The Viper GTS costs 168,992,000. The Porsche 911 Carrera costs 146,267,000. The Corvette costs 110,192,000. I agree when you say that one can' t compare the NSX with the 360 Modena. You must tell it to some NSX fans who say that it' s better than a Ferrari!

-- Andrea Gregorini, May 12, 2000

I'm tired of you guys who don't know a thing about "Japanese cars" saying they underperform. The nismo-hks Skyline GTR V spec extreme has 1280hp and does 0-62mph in less than 3 seconds (if you don't believe me check out the CAR magazine with the R34 on its cover). So now let's compare the figures shall we? this skyline can cream the modena with its feet tied together. The nismo skyline 400R can also smoke pass the modena with only 400 hp. And then have you ever heard about the Mitsubishi Evo VI extreme: some figures to think about: 0-62 in 3.9 sec, 340 hp from a 2L 4 cylinder engine. <<3.9 sec>> <<3.9sec>> Do some research before go on ranting against Japanese cars

-- James Wallace, May 12, 2000

To: james wallace. is the skyline your talkin about street legal??? i heard about the skyline with 1280hp but im not sure about its 0-60 in under 3 secz, i seen a black HKS skyline that does a 0-60 in 4.6 or 4.8 secs. well, besides, if the 1280hp skyline is only a drag race car, it shouldent be compare to a ferrari, NSX, etc. cause be real, we are talkin about street legal ridez. but it was tight that u mention about hardcore japanese go go mobiles. the lancer is such a bad ass to the max ride. 1/4 mile run ON DIRT in 12secz.<sport compact car magazine> i personally love the Nissan silvia. but to bad they dont import them to the u.s. well newayz, theres a 1,100hp "street legal" Skyline tuned by GREDDY. 0-60 in 3.3sec. <turbo magazine.> but i would want to see the Viper 650R go againts that. i think the viper 650r does a 0-60 in 3.3 secz also. well enough bout that, i was bored today that i decided to read old messages place on the page. seems 30-40% in here hates the NSX. why??? is it because it looks better than a vette, viper<of course>, etc??? or because it lacks power but still performes like a superior sports car. well im bored. talk laterz,

laz~!~

-- Lazaro A., May 12, 2000

I posted earlier that I felt the NSX was a well rounded car. My friend recently got a 2000 Trans Am with the 4 speed automatic. Its handling is good for a car in its price range and category and its accelaration and speed potential is good for a car that is over twice as much. It gets good gas milage on he highway but flex your foot on the throttle and wave good-bye to that. Luckily, 2 weeks after my friend got his T/A we found the perfect race...an NSX. It was a race from a start of about 60 when we pulled along side it. Off we went. The NSX lost by about 3 car lengths up to about 100mph. This shows the NSX's only big weak spot....IT HAS LITTLE TORQUE AND APARENTLY GETS IT AT A BAD RPM. Torque is low end and horsepower high end. The NSX gets plently of hp considering its weight (not its price)....but torque is another story....220lb-ft??? My pushrod Ford Explorer puts out that much. Engine wise, I think the LS1 (referring to the Trans Am) is much better. It gets its max torue only 800-1200 (800 for WS6 and 1200 for regular) rpm form where it gets it max hp. That means when you race from a start you get lots of torque and lots of hp which is obviously a good combination. The NSX doesn't have this. I still like the NSX, but I'll like it better when it gets the V8 with 400hp. However, I read the C5 Corvette will have 400hp by either 2003 or 2004 WITH THE TORQUE TO MATCH.

-- Charlie Stewart, May 14, 2000

The NSX-R GTI Turbo is street legal and it has 634hp, does 0-60 in 3.3 sec. Just thought i'd throw that in. Also the Subaru Impreza P1 is worth mentioning: 0-60 in 4.6sec (w/ a 2L engine!!)

-- James Wallace, May 15, 2000

A very interesting and exciting posting was on www.vtec.net. A fan talked to a Acura/Honda exec about NSX and the summary was

-New design NSX will come out around late 2002

-Will be nearly all steel frame

-will have a 4.0L V8 around 400 - 450 hp

-Will be around 50k - 55k US dollars

-North American exec stated they feel if it can not make the price mark, then it shouldn't be in North America at all

You can read the rest here http://www.vtec.net/news/items/374.html

Guess NSX has just become a much more lethal competition to corvettes and porches

-- john doe, May 19, 2000

oh yes, i can smell it now. burning rubber of some nice bfgoodrich<cant spell> tires of the all might V8 DOHC VTEC Honda/Acura N.S.X . all those vettes being left behind, porches being dominated, mustangs.....no comment...we know who's going to when<nsx duh!!>, and how about burning out a trans-am on a freeway criss crossing the lanes makin the other driver jealous and wishing he had a VTEC. hehehe, newayz, i cant wait to see the 450hp VTEC. i hope it comes out. heres something i saw at a local race track a week ago. i saw a 98 NSX T race a 94 or 95 camaro Z28. the camaro was souped up with a 80 shot NOS bottle<weak>, as that is what i heard. and the nsx only had HKS headers, HKS intake, Greddy S/P's, TOP FUEL Turbo, JUN intercooler, and hks tech exhaust from japan. man the nsx ran a nice 12 while the HEAVY ass V8 ran a 13. why?? well damn from what i saw is that the camaro was loosing tracktion cause of its so powerful wheelspin <LOL> which he got grip about 20ft from the start point. i was like hahahahaha. man, show that the nsx is so nicely tuned from the start. it had stock suspension. how bout that yall!!!

-- Lazaro A., May 19, 2000

If those targets are met, I think NSX will become a household name in performance cars. Won't be immediate, but by being around $50k, it is within the price range of Corvette($40k), have power of a BMW m5, and cornering capability unique to NSX. It'll be heavier, but that's a minor trade off in return of the improvements.

Plus you'll have the reliability of Honda behind it, here's a true story I heard. A Japanese racecar driver, Shimizu Yoshio, got a NSX and forgot to change the oil for 3 years totaling 50000 miles(80000 km). What came out was something resembling tar, but the NSX ran without a problem. Try that with any other car.

-- john doe, May 20, 2000

Hi everybody i'm a little 15 year old kid who loves the Acura NSX. I am desperately trying to get a job somehow so that i could aford a used NSX in two years when i am able to drive. A friend of mine owns an NSX and it is an awesome car. Simply put i love the cool exciting feeling you get when you come out of a corner a feel the wheels spin out and the power race through your veins. It is a classy looking, exciting car that inspires me to work hard now so that i can someday (hopefully two years from now) get one. I would love to hear what everybody else thinks please write back to me on anything from your views on the NSX to ideas on how to make some money. Signing off NSXlover.

-- john doe, July 4, 2000

umm.. i read up there somewhere something about nissan being a better, more reliable car than a honda.. hehe.. that's amusing..

oh yeah, and to the kid that wrote above this.. if you find a job that pays over $35,000 a year to a 15-year old, tell me about it..

L8r.

tha cap'n--- proud owner of a heavily-modified 94 prelude si 'stang killa.

-- captain funk, July 11, 2000

>>>"a Ferrari, but engineered by people who went to college." by Philip Greenspun <<<

I like and am touched by much of what Mr. Greenspun writes, but the above quote doesn't sit well. It is snobby. While I like the NSX alot, I'd rather have a Ferrari 355 GTB or GTS. As far as going to college, I could and do learn a great deal more from my father - in - law, a retired farmer from New Mexico with no college degree than he learns from me, an ex - physicist. I believe that an automobile is equal parts art and engineering, at best and the NSX lacks art in comparision. Too many engineers? Joel

-- Joel Manes, July 15, 2000

"a Ferrari, but engineered by people who went to college."

Yes, the engineers behind the Ferrari 360 Modena were ignoramuses who knew nothing of aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, etc, while they spent more than 5000 hours in the wind tunnel. Likewise, it is much better to spend $80,000 on a 252hp torque-less sports car from Tochigi than it is to blow $45,000 on an unrefined 350hp GM from Detroit. Obviously, America both sucks and blows, as it always does and always will, while the superior VTEC shall continue to rule. Honda -- oh excuse me, "Acura" -- deserves the kudos for pricing current NSXes which often lose ten thousand dollars in value each year. Stupido Amerikans make bado caas ha-ha-ha!

From now on I'm going to start tYpIn' LiKe THis ToO 'cUz iT's Coool and BADAZZ tO B a RiCeBOY. Heh.

Shawn
2000 Jaguar S-Type
1999 Pontiac Trans-Am
1978 Ferrari 308GTB

-- Shawn Cheng, July 19, 2000

It seems to me that there seems to be three basic arguments here that are constantly brought up. Sports car, muscle car, or history/"heritage" bound sports car. What is humoring to me is how the various rice grinders out there insist that the nifty NSX is all of these. You have the whole import scene which seems to me to be hondas, toyotas, and nissans, that all are trying to be muscle car drag racers (lord knows what would happen if you put one of those on a turn) You have the ones saying the nsx is a great sports car which it seems to be. (all the numbers indicate decent performance in most aspects) And then you have the people swearing that honda is steeped in racing heritage, which seems to be a decent argument, honda has certainly had it's successes there. But what seems most humouring to me are those that are trying to compare the nsx allure to that of a ferrari, lambo, BMW, or Porsche. Which is simply laughable. While honda has it's heritage in racing F1 cars it has zero confidence in the honda badge capturing the $80,000+ asking price for the nsx so they market it under the Acura marque with limited success. Where am I going with all this? Oh yeah, if you ask someone what kind of car they drive and they say, "a honda....." barely any body gives a damn. If they respond an acura "that may raise an eye brow" If they say an acura NSX that can usually start a conversation. Now repeat the same scenario only change the first answer to porsche and watch the peoples response. I have a very affordable ($5500) porsche 944 turbo, which is a fine car for the money. And yet it never stops amazing me how shocked people are when they find that out. And all I have to say is who makes it. That is the difference in the Heritage. All you have to say is ferrari, porsche, or lamborghini, and mentally people automatically put it in a different, and elevated, class... Neither honda nor acura has that and they will be hard pressed to ever try and attain that. even with the best marketting in the world, it would be virtually impossible.

If we want to start talking performance, then the Nsx is a fine performer and it can certainly hold it's own in the sports car realm. But I must add, even a basic 911 that can be had for between 65-80,000 (depending on options) can easily stay with, if not ahead of an NSX any day, plus it says Porsche on it.

-- ronny m, August 9, 2000

well i have no idea where all u guys are goin, but i'm a 15 year old kid who thinks acura nsx is just a waist of money. Man, i can buy a civic that would smoke the nsx and still have enough money to buy a caddilac or something. But a real car in my eye is the powerful Toyota Supra one of the best cars ever built no recalls for most years. Also there is the powerhouse SKYLINE thats real power. NSX is a good looking car but for power fuckennn suckss who the hell would buy that when u can get a supra for a lot less and have more stock hp than a nsx. I've seen supra's around 900hp that's a serious car. Forget the little vtec's. But honestly nothing can touch a v-8 or even a turbo car the sound, the fell is really amazing. So to conclude my though on this topic THE NSX IS A BIG WASTE OF MONEY IT SUCKS NO POWER ONLY 220 FT MY MOMS 4 door car has more power than that.

-- fefa fafds, August 17, 2000

yoo nsx fuckenn suckkkkk nice looking fuckenn sllooww i'd smoke one with a fucken supra NO CAR CAN TOUCH THEM MOST REAR WHEEL DRIVE HP CAR IN THE WORLD IS A SUPRA TRY 910 MOST POWERFUL CAR IN THE WORLD IS A SKYLINE AT 1230hp MAN i have a supra 97 limited edition right now i'm at 854hp at 32psi any honda boys or acura boys wanna run with the big boys bring it even stock when i first got my car i smoked a nsx all done up there fucken garbage bigg waste of fucken money FUCKEN STONNESSSSSS

-- fefa fafds, August 17, 2000

FEAR THE WRATH OF CHEVY

well the fact is that if honda ever makes a v8 it will be well over 100k. I mean come on, over 400hp, and a cost of 55,000? please the nsx barley gets 290hp,and costing over 80k. And what do you think will win between the three???? Corvette vs NSX vs Firebird Formula vs Ferrari F355??????

1)corvette 2)Ferrari 3)Firebird 4)NSX

I bet your thinking yeaha right........sure/ well I got proof http://popularmechanics.com/popmech/auto3/9907AUCTBP.html

-- David Ormio, August 18, 2000

!ALL HAIL CHEVY!

ohh and the skyline gtr runs 13s???? what so great about that???? try supercars.net they have all the info on high powerd machines.

-- David Ormio, August 18, 2000

OOOSOOO SEXXY

I love the NSX with all its high-tech philosophy to it. The Ferrari is an amazing car and I would buy it over the NSX but I've also come to the realization that that car is a POS sometimes. There is this Ferrari that is around my house and I've spoken to the owner. He has been in and out of shops at least once every two weeks and one week he had to go to the shop over five times because of many problems with maintenance and such. Given it is a fast car but it requires a load of maintenance that will give you a heart attack! The Skyline is another I would pick over the NSX but the looks are a little bit umm... EWWW. Being a turbo car also gives way for trouble in the future too. Another turbo the Supra is nice but I would not get this car. Its great for power but if I want handling, I would more likely pick the NSX over the Supra. I don't know about you, but for a NA mid-engine car, the NSX has got to be the best. Its not even a 8 cylinder yet it can run 13.3's stock. Potential is there, imagine what you can do with a turbo in this baby. Luxury, performance and handling is all there. It may not have the name of Porsche, Ferrari, or Lotus but in my book, a NSX is in its own catagory. Its technology, its spirit, and FI cousins has definately given it its own HERITAGE no matter what anyone says. Its like the Japanese Ferrari except it'll last longer and much more reliable. No turbo fails or spin outs. One word... PERFECTION!

-- Y Cheng, August 19, 2000

"lemme take a spin"

So aerodynamic right?

-- Y Cheng, August 20, 2000

"mid-engine pride"

This will last through the years...

-- Y Cheng, August 20, 2000

how is the nsx in its own class? perfection??? to bad its nothing just an opinion.
Image: C5_Wallpaper.jpg

-- David Ormio, August 21, 2000

GOD THATS FUCK1N TIGHT!!
Image: Page07.jpg

-- David Ormio, August 21, 2000

hey anyone see the 0-150-0 time for the NSX?? it slaughtered the corvette. if it doesnt take you directly there. click on 0-150-0 speed. http://members.aol.com/jimmylucky/main3.html

-- micah buckley, August 23, 2000

if you go to superhonda.com and watch the video of the type s zero vs. the 355, well guess who wins?? the nsx! (0-60 in under 4.5 seconds!)that car is fast for the horsepower! its the best car ever made. and by the way, pieces of welded sheet metal dont have souls.

-- micah buckley, August 23, 2000

In a previous post:

"i'm a 15 year old kid who thinks acura nsx is just a waist of money." "i have a supra 97 limited edition right now"

You're funny, kiddo.

But yes, a new NSX is not necessarily worth the money. For the cost of a new Corvette, however, you can have an older NSX. I think that's a good deal -- you won't outrun many people with it, but it sure looks decent.

-- Shawn Cheng, August 26, 2000

Man some of you people take this seriously. Do all of you people go and race your cars every weekend or something? If you do I guess paying 90 grand for a car is ok. If you get an NSX don't take it to the drag stip...it will make you sick when a car a third of the price runs off and leaves you. AS far as reliability goes....honda makes a great car. However I know a guy with a 94 Z28 that has 130k of pure racing on it and it will run off and leave an NSX and its not having any problems. It may not outhandle it but there are cars out there that can for half the price. If you want value, I'd get a Trans Am or a Vette. Both kick ass for the price and in my opinion look better. They need to update the NSX bad..I mean it looks the same as it did in like 91 when it came out. And they have more power....290 hp out of a 3.2L V6 isn't that great and wonderful like yall say it is because it has no torque. Make any engine spin really fast and you get hp but i'll be more appreciative of that engine when they can make it have 290hp and 290 lb-ft of torque without using turbo. That would be a true engineering breakthrough. Well thats all I have to say. I may post again in a few months.

-- Charlie Stewart, August 27, 2000

Wow, small world - Phil was one of my teachers when I was a nerd at MIT trying to sneak my way through the hell to an honorary degree :) Now that I've owned the NSX for 2 months (2000 NSX-T) let me say his comments are on target. The car is awesome, but you'll have a better chance picking up the ladies if you go to MIT than if you get behind the wheel of an NSX. If you're a single lady, or looking to meet lots of guys who know this car inside and out, the NSX is for you :P

-- Jeff DUrso, September 7, 2000

I have owned four Corvettes (one super charged) and a turbo RX-7, and driven an NSX and a Viper. In my humble opinion the NSX and the RX-7 have a much much better quality to them in both refinement and engineering. The Viper was fun to drive just for the gawk factor, but I can't imagine driving the rattle coaster all the time, Corvettes are fun, much more refined than the Viper, but still possess that shoddy GM fit and finish. The RX-7 is quick, handles good and is nicely finished. I would love to own an NSX (right after a Lotus), however it is just not in my budget. Just my. 02$ http://2ndgenrx7.freeservers.com/10th.html
Image: Rx7-03.jpg

-- Cyril Sawyer, September 8, 2000

Okay guys calm down. If you are going to complain about the NSX becuase it is made by the same people who make the Civic and Accord, or you also going to say the Corvette is less of a car becuase it is made by the same people who brought you the Chevette, Metro and Cavalier? Or how about Lotus since they also made some of Chrysler's low end cars like the Spirit R/T. Maybe you should also complain about Porsche since it shared a good long portion of it's life built on the same platform as the VW Bettle? I guess the Mustang also sucks becuase it shares the same company as the Festiva, Aspire and Escort. You must also diss Lamborgini and Mercedese since they are now teamed up with Chrysler. Do I even need to bring up Maserati's Bi-Turbo, they crappiest POS car ever to come from a foreign car maker. You guys need to do some more research on your beloved cars before you start complaining about other ones that come from companies that make low end cars.

-- Jonathan Deveruax, September 17, 2000

To which comment are you reffering to, Johnathan? I have not seen anyone bashing the NSX just because it is made by a company that also makes lower end cars. I have read where people disagree with NSX in value and or performance, but not because Honda also makes the Civic. You stated "You guys need to do some more research on your beloved cars before you start complaining about other ones that come from companies that make low end cars", well in my opinion you should do more research on the comments on the page before you proceed to post.
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-- Cyril Sawyer, September 17, 2000

Audi R8!
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-- Audi R8, October 6, 2000

First off, i dont know why you guys think the NSX is the worlds greatest sports car. Its not. Come on... a car that costs that much with the same if not lesser performance of cars half its price. RX-7, Supra Turbo. They all performed better than NSX and all those car mags seemed to have loved them more than NSX. Engineering? whats so great about the engineering in NSX? they made it out of aluminum to save weight..but it weights slightly less than a supra turbo. Lets not forget that RX-7 weights a hell of a lot less than both those cars too. both these cars..only took up half the dollar amount than NSX. the so called great car you speak of. Also..with a zero to sixty time of about.. 5 seconds? come on.. supra turbo did it in 4.6 and rx-7 did it in 5 flat. more performance less money. Mid engine cars dont always perform the greatest.. supra turbo can pull more G's than NSX and it does the salom at a higher speed than nsx.. also a higher quatermile. It brakes better and just looks a hell of a lot better.

most honda drivers suffer from a rather overinflated ego about their stupid cars. Integra. a level up civic. Prelude. an ugly box car. NSX. a wannabe ferrari. Grow up. honda has the most unoriginal car designs. they rule f1 and cart? if i can remember, there were other manufactuers that beat out honda. its has not been a consistant winner. and recently.. didnt ferrari win? right.

for 80k you can buy a better, classier car. say a porsche. a car that is actually original in design. a car with character. a car with class.

honda isnt the greatest thing in the world. nor on the side of the rising sun.

toyota seems to be the single biggest car maker in the world. The first japanese car company to make a mid engine car too. The MR2. so honda isnt the first.

Vtec isnt the greatest thing either. Its just another set of camshafts. big deal. ford was the first to pioneer variable valve timing. Toyota was the first japanese car maker to do it too. Porsche was the first to offer variable camshafts with the VarioCam design. The only thing different from these cars and honda is that they acutally had a good amount of torque to begin with where as honda has always had low torque numbers. honda has a history of low torque numbers. if they could just stop making inline 4's and mediocore V6's they could probably get somewhere.

So honda drivers, grow up. there are real cars out there than can best the NSX easily. 911's, Supras, RX-7's, Ferrari's etc. Some of these cars have a REAL amount of torque. Cars that look more original rather than some knock off design. Cars that can actually perform better than this so called great NSX.

-- John Tran, October 9, 2000

sorry but you all need to buy a chevy. you would all lose to a camaro SS
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-- Mike V, October 12, 2000

Hmm I think my next car will be a 93-95 NSX... I'm going to buy one just for its looks, heh heh.

-- Shawn Cheng, October 15, 2000

Whichever stupid azz muther fuck put that picture of the ugly Trans Am, you'z a dumb mother fucker. Who wants a piece of shit, unrefined car. There's a reason why the NSX cost so much and that's cuz it's got a lot of technology in it, unlike those stupid little "GM" cars with cheep plastic and shit. Fact is, if you try to race a Trans Am against an NSX in a REAL race track with REAL turns and everythin, the NSX would loose you after a few turns on the track, cuz V-8 muscle cars can't handle for shit. Oh, and that MAZDA PROTEGE owner, hell no the Protege ain't more comfortable than the NSX. Have you seen the amount of leather in an NSX? I just aint down with that cheep cloth interior in your little shit MAZDA.

-- Dan P, October 26, 2000

HEY DAN P YOU BEEN DICK SLAPPED ONE TOO MANY TIMES U DIPSHIT GO SUCK ON YOUR UR FUCKIN FAT ASS HONDA EXHAUSTS FUCKIN RICEBOYS OH AND ALL THIS BULLSHIT ABOUT REFINEMENT REFINEMENT SHUT THE FUCK UP DO ANY OF U FAGGOTS NO WHAT REFINEMENT IS WHAT CUPHOLDERS? CORVETTE Z06, HALF THE PRICE OF THIS BULLSHIT NSX AND IT TOTALLY FUCKS THE NSX

-- shut up, November 4, 2000

OH AND 0-60 IN 2.7 http://www.supercars.net/SDBQ?y=2000&m=Chevrolet&o=Camaro%20ZL1%20Concept

-- shut up, November 4, 2000

Hey whoever wrote the message after me. You obviously don't kno much about ccars. You see, refinement is important becuz a car has to be built to perform AND LAST at the same time. 2 years from now, when your Corvette or Camaro is only worth like 1/3 the price you paid for and you tried to sell it cuz it keeps breaking down on you, you'd be the one to go suck a riceboy'z dick you azz fucker. And one more thing. Since you seem to believe that your Vette can do 60 in just 2.7 seconds, you better go look up the word CONCEPT in the dictionary then.

-- Dan P, November 4, 2000

NOT THE GREATEST BUT SURE GOOD!

Since when do Corvettes handle bad....do some research buddy. Just like David said, if Honda ever makes a Vtec V8 for their NSX it WILL be well over the current price of the NSX. A Camaro would be 1/3 of the price in two years?!??!?! Lets see....97 Camaro - around 21,000.....1/3 of 21,000...thats 7,000 dude. I would love to see a good condition Camaro go for that much. YOU MUST NOT KNOW ALOT ABOUT CARS SINCE YOU THINK EVER DOMESTIC BREAKS DOWN. I bought a used 94 Integra and had problems like a mother. That sh!t wasnt worth anything. Oil leaks,alternator problems,head gaskets...all these were killing my car. It all depends how you treat the damn car. Thats why Im always seeing Civic SIs for Transmission trouble. Cause those fukers are always driving like speed racer. I agree the NSX is a great well around sports car, but many ppl think it crappy once it comes down to the dragstrip. V8s are gas huzglers?!?! well thats too bad for the NSX because it 'huzlges' more gas than the vette, Thanx to the CAGS. But once the foot smashes the thottle,say bye bye. This is straight from Acuras website.The NSX is to the right and Vette to the left. Check it out http://acura.com/model_nsx/nsx_comp/nsx_comp_results.asp Fuel-Economy City 17 18 Fuel-Economy Highway 24 27

Oh and the new ZO6 corvette would beat the NSX in every department. Dont start naming the NSX-turbo or whatever. The Zo6 is a production car. For me, I have a z28.. not the best, but its the greatest bang for the buck. And now my team and I are souping up our MR2 :) But hey, whoever owns a NSX , IM DAMN JEALOUS.

-- Daniel Trerib, November 18, 2000

After reading everyone's comments here, I can't help but to wonder if what they say about the car you drive being reflective of your personality is true or not.

IMO, the people you'd meet at NSX, or even Corvette owner's clubs are generally older and nicer people. I'd prefer to do without the profanity and name calling.

Anyways, on subject of sports cars. The first car I drove was a red Ford Mustang back in High School (1988?). I didn't take care of it as well as I should've, so it went to hell and ended up as a trade-in.

Since then, I've had 2 Honda 4 doors. The Accord is not very sporty, but it gets me where I need to go. Was a bit surprised at how quietly the little 4-banger gets up to 85mph. I think car manufactuers have made a lot of advances in the last 12 years.

I was laying in bed with a cold recently, reflecting on life and various complicated and headach-inducing stuffs (e.g. women/relationships)... I started thinking, hey, I'm going to be 30 next year. They say you're only young once, so maybe I should induge myself a bit before settling down. ;)

Hmm... got house, boat too expensive, hmmm... car. Fast, shiny, red car. :D

As a 2nd "toy" car, I couldn't justify spending a huge chunk of $$ on a new one. So I made a list of used cars -- 88+ Lotus Esprit, Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4, Chevy C4 '92-96 (LT1), Nissian 300Z...

Then suddenly I came upon some ads selling used '91-'94 NSX for $30-35k. It's a bit more than what I had in mind, but do-able. Unfortunately, the cheaper ones usually come with high milege.

If there are any current NSX owners reading this, I'd greatly apperciated if you could tell me what the mainteance cost on your NSX is. I decided against an Esprit, because I was told by Esprit owners that the annual maintenance is $3,000-$5,000 (!).

For a high-milege NSX, I think the first thing I'd do is get the timing belt & water pump replaced. I really like the car, but I don't want to put myself into a situation where I can afford to buy, but not maintain the car.

-- Jerry Yen, November 26, 2000

I think a lot pf people need to realize that the NSX is now a 10 year old design. After Acura gives it more power in a couple of years it should be top dog again. The Camaro is a car with great performance figures, but design wise it sucks. The reasons for this are:

1.It is tall 2.Large exterior with a small interior 3.Pushrod engine 4.Live Axle 5.Long ass hood 6.cheap plastic interior 7.cheap plastic looking exterior

Flame on!

The Fuzzy Green Carpets

http://www.mp3.com/fuzzygreen

-- The Fuzzy Green Carpets, November 30, 2000

To start off i would like to say this... I think the Vette' NSX and F360 Ferrari are the best car on the planet,sandard, sure the mcLaren isa great car and so is a whole lotta other cars but, the truth is ALMOST no one has the money to pay the price tag these cars hold. I have a 1999 Vette in Torch Red, This car guns out on the highway i can fly with ease. The NSX i have driven and i absoluty love it. The NSX and the Vette were VERY similar, the Vette with power and handling, and the NSX with less power but more handling. Now the F360 i think would be better over all these except that the handling ain' that great but now when will i ever be going 200 mph in town? i went a average speed of about 120 mph on the highway and the car held up very well i was please even with a price tag like that, i forgot to mention that this is my Uncle's car, he has brought it to a shop like 2ice i think but if you buy a car for 150K you better know how to take care of it. NEways over the NSX,Vette,F360 i would go for the 360 first and between the NSX and the Vette i would get teh vette, i love the the NSX don't get me wrong but with that kinda 80K price tag i can deal with the minor loss of handling i get, Cuz i don't think i am paying 30 K more for handling and a weaker engine. Think about it... the NSX is a great car but i think the tag should be around 50K

-- Michael King, December 1, 2000

well first of all i would like to ask nicely foe all ya stang, vette, tran-Ass to get the fuck outta hea ok. cause i didn't think anyone wanted your opinion on them fucken needle dick cars. hehehe. second of all ACURA NSX, NISSAN SKYLINE rules and vette, stang, and trans-ass screw. hehehe. so fuck ya domestic lova. ()()()()()()()()()() Us importer can beat ya ass anyday, anytime, anyplace. just come to the hot import night where ya live. and ya will see what a import can do. ya bitches talkin alot of shit about ya cars have more horse so it can probably beat the skyline or nsx. but screw dat too. maybe our nsx, and skyline may have less hp. but who's talkin about only hp. we're talkin about the weight, and inside power hea. not just high hp, so it can pull them heavy ass metal thing u fuckers call a car. hahahahaha. if u import haterz think i'm crazy. go screw your momma and then u'll know who's crazy. hahahaha. IMPORT RACERS 4 LIFE HEA.
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-- nick vang, December 8, 2000

This page started off as a good topic of conversation, now, however it is laden with people who are "hooked on ebonics" and do not know how to use the english language. Sad to see

-- Cyril Sawyer, December 10, 2000

the 385hp, 3116lb Z06 Corvette

Corvettes suck? While retaining day-to-day livability, the new 385hp Z06 all-stock Corvette has an amazing power-weight ratio which out-accelerates the Ferrari 360 Modena. A heavily modified C4 Corvette called the Sledgehammer was able to achieve 255mph, faster than the McLaren F1. It is a very fine automobile.

-- Shawn Cheng, December 10, 2000

The TVR Speed 12 ...... perfect!

Everybody seems to be overlooking the TVR Speed 12, in my opinion the very best car in the world with a 0-60 of 3.2secs, a top speed of more than 200mph and looks to die for! Not to mention the Jag XJR-15 and XJR 220 the Bugatti EB110 and the Merc CLKGTR all of which are true supercars as standard!

-- Lee Thelwal, January 10, 2001

First off, i feel i should say i am only eighteen, but my dad collects sports cars. I have driven the corvette, nsx, m3, camaro, and carrera (and am currently driving a '92 Q45 for practical reasons). Each of the cars has definite pluses and minuses, but what it comes down to is the feeling the car gives you when you are pushing it to the limits. Of all of those cars, the carrera is the one which gives the driver the greatest feeling of feedback and control. Although I liked the others, none of them gave me the all around feeling that i wanted. The corvette and camaro had speed, but the suspension did not feel right. The m3 was great, as good as the carrera but when it comes down to it, who doesn't want a convertible? As for the Nsx, i had two main problems with it. One, i expect more torque from an $80,000 dollar car. Two, the suspension did not give me the same feedback that i got from the porsche and bmw. Anyway, thats my two cents.

-- James Nixon, January 13, 2001

Well, I have read most of the comments posted here. I have to say, that I do like the acura NSX-T. Its a very sexy car and I think anyone wouldn't mind owning one BUT considering its a 6-year-old car, which WAS worth 80 grand and is now worth around 45 grand. If I wanted a fast car, I think Id want to stick my 45 grand into a brand-new 2001 car, such as a Camaro, or a Corvette. a 2001 Corvette has a 5.7L 350 HP engine. Now I dont know much about cars but I know that the corvette would kill the acura. The acura only has a 3 liter, 270 HP engine. My father owns a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville which has a 3.8L 240 HP engine. Only 30 HP less than the Acura.

so, let me see..... I have a USED 1995 3 liter, 270HP Acura NSX-T in front of me, and a BRAND NEW 2001 5.7 liter, 350HP Chevrolet Corvette in front of me, both worth 45 grand. Which one will I purchase? Its undenyably true that most SMART people will choose the Corvette. It beats the Acura in all positions.

Also, I dont see how people can say that the Acura NSX-T looks better than the Corvette. To me, the 2 look pretty much a like in body style.

-- jeff A, January 15, 2001

YOU GO, MARC! I can't agree more with marc. If you got 80 grand to spare, buy a viper! it will KILL AND MANGLE the NSX-T. IU hear all these kids talking about souping up their little puney accords, civics and preludes. I have a 1998 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. 240 HP SUPERCHARGED WILL KILL THE TOYOTA SUPRA, MR2, CAMERY, HONDA ACCORD, CIVIC, PRELUDE, NISSAN MAXIMA, ALTIMA, SENTRA.......All of you poeple talk about SOUPING UP cars.. CMON, You do what ever you want to em. I have a nice car, Fully loaded, every option, comfortable, and VERY stylish, and didnt have to do anything extra to it. YOu are not going to match the power of my pontiac. I mean, instead of buying those small, compact, uncomfortable, talk about UGLY cars, and buy a real car like mine. Have a nice day :)

-- jeff A, January 16, 2001

My Delsol next to 2000 Ferarri 360 Modena F1 Challenge

First of all, I drive a Honda Delsol with 207.4 hp / 201.0 lb ft of torque dynoed at the WHEELS (sohc 1.6L turbo vtec). I have some experience with sports cars, and raced around in the NSX, Supra Turbo and Ferarri F360 Modena F1 Challenge. Here in Canada, they Ferarri goes for about $250,000 with a 1.5 year waiting list. The NSX is $100,000 cheaper. How do they compare? Well... the supra turbo feels a bit sluggish, but it is a fast car and has potential. Slap on a t88 turbo and you have some serious horsepower. But, it's a heavy car and will not compare in handling to either the NSX or Ferarri. The NSX is a great car, no doubt about it... it has looks and handling and speed... but... it still doesn't feel like an exotic car. Granted it handles really well, but I don't think it handles much better than the Ferarri would at all. The Ferarri is over priced, no question there. The optional fire extinguisher costs $1,500! But... it is also an exotic car. It is more refined than the NSX, it is extremely photogenic, and the ride is really smooth! The F1 shifting system is a little hard to get used to, and you may get annoyed by a beeping sound when the computer detects the clutch is getting too hot and warns you. But, these are features I like. Honestly, I've raced both cars in my modified delsol and out-accelerated them from a rolling start, I haven't had the chance to race them from a stop but from their 1/4 mile times I don't see them having any advantage. But hey, after riding around in the Ferarri and knowing the $250,000 price tag and the 1.5 year waiting list - WHERE DO I SIGN UP???
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-- Jerome Xavier DuBois, January 18, 2001

what an ugly car

-- jeff A, January 18, 2001

First of all, there's no doubt that the Vettes or the Vipers are fast rides. The performance figures definitely come close, if not, slightly better than the 360 Modena in certain categories. But what we don't realize is that the 360 Modena is an "entry level" Ferrari that we're talking about. THE CHEAPEST ONE AVAILABLE. I for one, would hate to see a Vette or a Viper run against the TRUE Big Boyz from Europe. Seeing how we all believe that the more cylinders the better, how's a V-12 sound. The F-50, the AWD Diablos, or the McLaren F-1's can easily mess up a Vette or a Viper. Don't get me wrong now. I don't hate Vettes or Vipers, but I think Dodge and GM should aim at the Big Boy cars from Europe so for once, we can compare our fastest to Europe's fastest, instead of our fastest to Europe's slowest. And I'm talking non-modified cars here. Straight out the production plant. Finally, I wanna give a shout out to all those who love the NSX. If Japan didn't have a stupid azz law that limits their production cars to 280 HP max, then the NSX and many other Japanese cars would easily be in the mid 300 hp range today. So whoever doggs on the NSX being weak, go do some research before you start cussing everybody out again.

-- Dan P, January 27, 2001

hey marc, I have a 95 bonneville. I see you have a 97 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, 3800 Series II engine. I got that same engine. Ya mind sending me the recipe to get it to 300 HP? Wouldnt mind having that.

Thanks!

-- jeff A, January 29, 2001

Hey Marc. It took me some research but I did manage to find a site that explains briefly about the 280 hp limitation in Japan. The site is "formen.ign.com/news/24127.html". You might be interested in checking it out. You did mention the NSX being rated at 290hp. Now of course manufacturers will not be able to crank out exactly 280 hps. So they'll crank out as much as possible knowing that the gov't will let it slide if they exceed by a little. Some still fall short such as the Mazda RX7 rated at 255hp. But the most exceeded that I can think of would be the Toyota Supra and the Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 both rated at 320hp. Not close to the Corvette Z06's 385hp or Viper's 450hp but if any of these Japanese automakers dare to exceed the 280hp limit by 100 horsepowers of a difference, then we're talking lawsuits that might put their company in jeopardy. Now that wouldn't be considered smart business. As far as NSX moving to North America goes, well, the word "WHY?" pops into my mind. It's like asking "Why not let the Canadians or Mexicans build the Vette" The NSX is Japan's pride just like the Vette is an American pride. We build many GM's in Canada and Mexico but just not the Vette. If You can figure out why GM does that, then that probably answers your question as to why Acura does that too.

-- Dan P, January 29, 2001

ps. As a final thought, i want all who reads this to understand that i'm not here to make any enemies with anyone. Marc feels that his message is his humble opinion. I feel the same for mine as well.

-- Dan P, January 29, 2001

the best-engineered V6 on the planet

"who in their right mind would by and 80 grand car that comes with a six cylinder?"

Porsche 911 Turbo customers. They are buying a $111,000, 415hp turbo V6.

Anyone who thinks sportscars is only about horsepower and engine sizes either doesn't own one or has never appreciated the joy of a great handling automobile.

-- Shawn Cheng, February 3, 2001

Yes, I forgot, Porsche's engine is not a V6, but nonetheless it is a 6 cylinder and still superb. And I don't think anyone is knocking the Z06, since it obviously performs well -- if you look back on last December's posts I was among the first to point this out, as well as the C4-based Sledgehammer in 1988. But just because Corvette is good does not mean the NSX is bad. They are both great. It is the jingoism that goes on that is silly. The NSX design is 10 years old, so it naturally appears aged. But it has always been an all-around great car. Outhandling does not necessarily just mean out-skipadding. Handling is an intricate thing that can mostly be described subjectively. And everyone who has ever driven an NSX has suggested that driving it is a pure pleasure, while many who have driven, say, a Viper will say that it is madly fast on corners but its handling is very mushy. The NSX may not win drag races everywhere or even deliver the best track times, but it is apparently just fun to live with. At the end of the day, that's not at all a bad thing for casual drivers everywhere. Besides, just as the new 500hp Viper is coming soon, the next-generation, 395hp NSX replacement is around the corner.

-- Shawn Cheng, February 5, 2001

Newer NSX's aren't much different from older ones in terms of technology. Older ones can be had for less than 40k, those are good deals.

-- Shawn Cheng, February 6, 2001

Let me get this straight. There are actually people who own Japanese cars and admit it?

If it ain't Italian, there's really just no point is there? All the technology in the world will never replicate the sound of ANY Ferrari, especially a V12.

Lots of words on this page, and that's really all they are. Pointless words. These words included.

-- Dale Jerkins, March 12, 2001

Bottom line Dale, why should anyone be affraid to admit they have a Japanese ride. They are well built reliable cars. I have a Civic and one can laugh at me all they want for admitting to it, but my ride's never left me stranded, cheap to own, and looks flashy being semi-decked out just like any other car out on the streets would (import or domestic). And for those three reasons, I aint affraid to admit to people that I OWN A JAPANESE CAR. Talk about good budget planning. But if I had a fat bank account, I wouldn't mind settling for a Ferrari though. But then again, these are just another set of words. I gotta get rich first.

-- Dan P, March 23, 2001

Next generation of NSX should not target at Modena, but MC-F1. Use VTEC V8 to have same or better 0-60 performance and better torque than F1. If so, no one will challenge it again. Price same as existing NSX. How does it sound?

-- Elmer Chen, April 9, 2001

I own a 92 nsx with a pipe and a chip. I live in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. As you would expect, the locals have lots of money and drive exotic and highly modified cars. Example, 750 hp Supra, 1000 hp Toyota Lexus 400 with race car suspension and capable of 200 mph+. I know as I have been passed by this guy while gunning along the Al Ain highway at 165 mph. Lambos, Ferraris etc. are a dime a dozen. There are only 3 nsx here and yet I can skid into the local Honda dealer for a service at the same door rate as my wife's Civic hot hatchback. And the nicest thing is that when it's 50 C/120 F during the summer, you will see me passing you at 140 mph on the Emirates road as I drive the 30 miles to work with the stereo purring and ice cubes falling out of the dash slots. Oh yea, the car has 97,890 MILES on the clock. Looking forward to the day I have to rebuild it with a nice 400 hp mod though I think it's going to be a long wait. Get a real car, get an NSX.

-- richard vinnell, April 11, 2001

Next generation of NSX should not aim at Modena, but Mc-F1. This means Honda should use V-8, similiar power and torque like F1. Price at around existing price.

-- Elmer Chen, April 12, 2001

Having driven an NSX real HARD and then a LOTUS Esprit Turbo real hard....other than the requirement to keep the boost up and (that's just knowing how to heel-toe the brake and throttle..piece of cake). The Lotus was what I bought. I increased the boost to 14 bar and 0-60's are in the low 4 second zone with 28 mpg.

-- Patrick james, May 4, 2001

I read this page up and down and found it quite fascinating. However, there is one crucial argument that seems to have been ignored: the styling design of the NSX. I had always thought that it was inspired maybe by 80s Ferraris, Lotus Esprits or other such exotics. I had always had a great deal of respect for the NSX because it was Honda's world introduction of VTEC.

However, when doing some research on the 300ZX, I found out about Nissan's 1985 Mid4 and 1987 Mid4 II. Once I saw that car, I lost any and all respect I ever had for Honda's exterior designers (it was already low for what they did to the Civic and Prelude, and the RSX is downright plain). The NSX looks like it was ripped straight from the Mid4 - the front, the cockpit, the rear end, even the tail light configuration!!!

Honda has great engine technology that is reliable and works. But for cryin' out loud. If I was going to spend 90K on a car, I would at least hope that the designers didn't get their idea from a mid 80s concept test mule.

I just hope they can recover a bit of that lost respect with the new NSX.

One other thing: NSXs are so common in Atlanta that I don't even look twice at them when I see one. But a Viper or Ferrari - now that's still a rarity. And a C5 looks so good - even though the roads seem to be clogged with them I just have to do a double take!

-- Peter Morris, June 4, 2001

I own a vette Zo6. when i first bought it off the line, it could beat my buddy's NSX quite handily. After a couple of engine and suspension mods, I find it to handle much better than the NSX at any speed, not to mention the ones the NSX can't even achieve. The total amount of money i have put into my car is still less than what a viper costs, let alone a NSX. I have beat a viper gts hands down, and am looking for more competition around where i live. I enjoy toying with all the young punks in their 'suped' up rice rockets. I ride beside them, then give a wave and lay down rubber, leaving them a little shocked/embarassed in front of there cooool friends.

-- jim galagner, June 14, 2001

To all the people that think NSX rules. Maybe you should take a second look. The corvette recent winner of Le mans is by far the best car for bang for your buck. The vette could spank the NSX any time in a drag. Put twin turbos on it and has roughly 600hp. Of course you would need some suspension mods to match the handling of the NSX but it would still be less then it. Jim you ARE A DUMBASS YOU DON'T OWN A Z06

-- Wexford III, June 15, 2001

I have been a huge fan of Porsches and have owned 2 in the past. I have been looking for a 96' or 97' twin turbo, when I came across a comptech equipped 2000 NSX. Although there is nothing really printed about the aftermarket comptech equipped NSX, I am looking for performance stats. In addition, general comments from anyone who has driven both vehicles?

-- jim nelson, June 26, 2001

A lot of you people are confused and mislead. If you guys want to compare then u gotta know ur shiET. No Doubt the NSX is a great car. IT's reliable, quick, and lookz nice. For all you Domestic luvaz who think a 3.2L nsx can get beat by a stock regular corvette, the NSX gets best overall acceleration. thanx to itz close ratio gearbox the NSX accelerates better than the corvette at high speeds. That's kind of sad for an engine almost twice it's size. In a car & driver issue the NSX did 0-60 in 4.5 and a quarter mile in 12.9. That's real impressice for a v6 car. The thing wrong with domestic cars is that the engineers don't know how to make high performance out of smaller engines. That's why you got big a$$ v8's that barely push out more than 50hp/liter. ex.: - the dodge viper is a horrible high performance vehicle<<< it's basically a muscle car(which relies on horsepower to make fast acceleration)8LITER v10 w/450hp...PSHHHHhhh Of course domestic sports cars are gonna be cheaper!! the quality and technology isn't there. that's why domestics have DECENT handling. - THe only reason why the NSX is priced the way it is, is because: >hand built >and made to be an EXoTIC car (otherwise NoT COMMON) The corvette is way TOO common and doesn't turn heads like NSX does. JAPaNESE anD EUROPEAN cars are the best in the world. THe only people that gotta hate are the people that are either jealous because other countries make better cars, or just too narrow minded to see a car faster and better than what they got in their garage. ANy car is capable of being faster than the NSX if you wanna invest hella CAsh to fix it up. YOU can't compare the nsx to a corvette C5 because there totally different cars. This is because a corvette C5 is not a production vehicle for everyday leisurli driving. the C5 is made for the tracks. if you wanna compare, then compare it to the NSX's that are used to race. Most of them pushin enough power to run side-by-side with a C5 if not leavin it in the dust. IM OUT...jus wanted to tell everybody wat'z up IMPORT LUVA<><<><><><><><><,>

-- sinh truong, June 29, 2001

Man, some of you get all worked up about the Corvette and NSX. Both are excellent examples of automotive achievement and development. Most have overlooked the fact that both are designed to do different things, however they are somewhat comparable in stats. Why sweat the little things, if you like the NSX and are willing to drop 80 large fine, if you like the Vette and are willing to drop 45 large fine. Personal preference is a great thing.

I do have one question though: For all the owners of the "supped" up rice grinders, what do you plan to do with them down the road? Are you planning to keep the vehicle and pass it on to your off-spring (heaven help us)? Or do you plan to trade-in the vehicle when you get tired of it? Now also keep in mind that NO car dealer will accept a trade-in like that. Any vehicle that is modified to that extent cannot by law be accepted as a trade-in. They can't sell a vehicle with that many mods. Another question: How much do you have invested into the car? Roughly 12-16K for the car itself then what another 8-16K for the mods? How much do you think you can sell the vehicle for in the classifieds? At a guess you have 20-25K invested total, I wouldn't give you more than 5K if I was totally wasted off some major drugs. Just a point.

Now don't take this the wrong way I just don't understand. Some one please help me out here.

What I do understand is that I spent 9K on a used Ford Contour with a 2.5 liter 170HP 164ft-lbs of engine, running on 85 octane pump gas. 3 years down the road I will be able to trade-in that vehicle on a 2002 or newer BMW M3. Now that is the new car to beat.

That's all I have to say for now. Hopefully someone (not a half-wit) will answer my questions (and hopefully not sarcastically).

-- Aaron B, July 1, 2001

I agree with Aaron on the fact that basically modding out your car by adding a kit, rims, crazy paint jobs/stickers and bolt-ons basically only lower your car's value. Nobody has the same exact taste as you, so chances are most people will not like the mods. Why drop $10k into roughly $10k-20k car? Why not SAVE up money and buy a $30k car like a used NSX or a used Corvette? Personally I like NSX's better, but if it is a sick ride you want, with speed, save up and buy the more expensive car. Or you can just drop money into your rice-rocket and watch the value of it drop as well. Same goes for all those guys who modify their damn Neons. Sure in magazines the modded out cars look good (to some people), but that is because the morons put in $25k on a paint job, kit, rims, etc. NSX is the best car mentioned in a combination of reliability, performance, looks, handling and economy. PERIOD.

-- Drew W, July 2, 2001

Interesting page. My main problem with the NSX is a lack of power. To me a sports car is a complete package of handling, power and braking. The NSX certainly has great handling and good braking, but its power-to-weight ratio lets it down.

I have a Toyota Supra Turbo which had about equal accelleration to an NSX when it was stock . By changing the restrictive exhaust and upping the boost by a few psi (from 11 to 18psi) my car now has around 500hp at the engine; these are VERY MINOR modifications. Doing this to most cars would cause unreliability or cause the engine to blow up, but the fuel system, gearbox, diff, etc are all capable of handling around 600hp on a Supra Turbo. This makes me think that the Supra was made to have 500 to 600hp, and then detuned (it is still very docile and easy to drive around town because the boost is adjustable).

Although it is possible to modify an NSX to get a similar power-to-weight ratio (it would require only about 430hp because of the lighter weight) this would be very expensive and almost certainly require forced induction; you wouldn't be leaving the car as the manufacture intended it.

My problem is that after driving cars with a better power-to-weight ratio, the NSX feels 'slow' to accellerate and therefore not exciting to drive. The same applies to a stock Supra, RX-7, etc. I haven't had the opportunity to drive a modern Ferrari, but I suspect it has a better balance between accelleration and handling than an NSX.

If the NSX has enough accelleration to keep you happy then it is probably a great buy. Although skidpad and other 'handling' figures show the Supra is up there with the NSX (some comparisons show the Supra having better figures than the NSX) I suspect that in the real world the handling of the NSX would feel better; the Supra doesn't have quite the same road feel. Having said that, the Supra is still a great-handling car and is extremely reliable. But for me a lightly modified Supra is a better balance between accelleration and and handling (braking is excellent on both cars).

-- Mark C, July 4, 2001

can you say 5.0 v8 with around 400 hp?

go drive a BMW z8 then come talk to me. I'm going to have to venture out on a limb(hahah) and say that the z8 is a better car then the nsx... starting with the engine, and ending with the looks. in fact i would say a bmw z8 is better than any other car disscussed in this forum except the ferrari and the diablo..

-- john williams, July 5, 2001

I agree with John. BMW has been the best contributor to the industry. They are the only manufacturer that is able to build an automobile that has both luxury and sport. The amount of attention and precision to accomplish this is astounding. Everyone should accept the fact that the boys in Munich (Germany for those who don't know) are the best when it comes to the automotive industry.

-- Aaron Borchard, July 10, 2001

As highly as you speak of the z8, i must confess the BMW m3's engine is most impressive

-- marie oooo, July 15, 2001

Hmm... the NSX is a terribly great car, but it's a headache watching the debate on how other cars are better. For the most part, they're pretty much incomparable, those who drive an NSX look for the elegance/sophistication of the car, instead of just raw power like the corvettes and so forth. (Also, if you want more power for the nsx, consider upgrade kids. HKS - 460 bhps - that's some major power for ya. 0 - 60mph = 4 sec flat.) The styling of the NSX is one of the best I've seen, nothing really comes close to it in this current state, even the ferrrari's or lamborghini's.. are lacking their creative juice. Well, anyways, one more thing, i just hope they don't drop the pricing for the NSX, [which i read somewhere around here], it'll just lower the elegance, rarity, and the quality of the car itself.

-- Mike Lin, July 15, 2001

The demand for the NSX is so low, Honda barely sells a few hundred of them in the States a year nowadays. Everyone thinks it's overpriced and outdated, and Honda knows that. That's why a new NSX is in the works.

(And to whoever said that the NSX should "target the McLaren F1" -- what are you smoking?)

-- Shawn Cheng, July 15, 2001

I own an Integra Type-R, NSX, Maxima, and a dead Altima :( (crashed it on the high way at rush hour traffic but walked a way with no injuries). Yeah, FWD cars arent all that great, but when i drive up to the mountains, which i do quite often, i much rather be driving a japanese car that had the "driver" in mind then the engine. I also like to go 6000 miles before every tune-up, unlike the first car i ever owned "taurus", that says it all. Not that german cars are bad, my friend owns an M3 and i love that car, bur for some reason, a car that has the driver in mind is a car that a driver will love for eternity.

-- Michael Avrukin, July 17, 2001

To comment on Aaron B.'s question posted on the first of July, it really is interesting to watch people modifying their cars at amazing amounts of prices, I myself put about 5 grand modifying mine(nothing compared to others). Definitely money down the toilet in my own opinion! But the reason why I spend money on modifying it is the sense of pride I feel when I finish a project. Those of you who value your rides and have done you're own installations know what I mean. But I think if you look at those of us who do spend large amounts of cash on modifications as just another odd bunch just like the bunch who buys the NSX at 80g's or a corvette for 45 g's, then we're no different than each other. We're all certified car nuts. ps.. I do plan on keeping my Civ for a long time to come. The motor that Honda's make are among the few out there that has a longer life span than a giant sequoia..

-- Dan P, July 22, 2001

Wow! You people only look at two things. Money and horsepower. If your worried about the cost of an NSX you should not own any car over $50k. Yuppys! And horsepower isn't everything. How come a truck has 300 hp like an NSX? Cause it's heavy. An NSX weighs nothing. Nothing is more reliable than a Honda. How many cars do you know that can go from 0-60 in 7 sec.? Don't laugh yet. How many of those cars are 14 years old, have never had anything done to the engine, have 170,000 miles, have never broken down once, and are FRONT WEEL DRIVE! Every driver will tell you comfort will help you win the race. Only one car can live up to all this. The Acura NSX.

-- Chris Cirelli, August 4, 2001

"0-60 in 7 sec.? Don't laugh yet. How many of those cars are 14 years old, have never had anything done to the engine, have 170,000 miles, have never broken down once, and are FRONT WEEL DRIVE"

How bout a 89 mitsubishi eclipse turbo? thats a FWD, almost 14 yrs old and no problem hitting 0-60 in under 7 sec stock.

-- car lover, August 6, 2001

I REALLY LIKE THE WAY HOW NSX LOOKS!

Well people can any one tell me does a NSX cost a lot to fix? because I know that my F355 F1 cost to much to keep up with. I want to find a new weekend car that does not need to be in the shop every other week. I was thinking maybe try the new 2000 Ultima GTR or Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0. I really like the NSX look, o ya and can any one also tell me what in the world happen to NSX for 2002 and 2004 it looks so bad. please help thanks!

-- Theo CrazyRacerTheo, August 16, 2001

I drove a 97 nsx the other day, and wow what a car. Honda builds the best product. I have a new mustang cobra, and really the car is no where near what an NSX is. After driving the NSX,I felt that it excellerated near what my cobra would do and it handles a hell of lot better. My cobra is goin. I will be buying an NSX>>>>

-- D Jones, August 18, 2001

For the most part I must concur with the author's perspective on the NSX, and on exotic sports cars in general. I have not yet owned an NSX, but I have been lucky enough to own two air cooled Porsches to date, an '85 and a '91 model, both bought used, and both driven daily for several years. Although both cars bristled with "character" and were a unique driving experience, they were also incredibly expensive to maintain as daily drivers. And this with me doing the maintenance and repair work myself, for the most part. The list of repairs is endless, from alternators (which last 30k miles) to oil thermostats to non-cold a/c systems to worn transmission synchros to an endless amount of leaking oil lines. I am of the mind that I do not want to invest a huge sum of money into a car and then just look at it as it sits in the garage, so I was committed from the start to drive the Porsches every day, or not buy them at all. Even so, I was still shocked at the huge expense involved in keeping these cars on the road every day, especially since they had the reputation of being reliable exotic cars. So my lesson learned from the 911's is that they are feasible as daily drivers, but on an expense level that is orders of magnitude higher than any pedestrian automobile. I sold the 911s a few months ago, and while I miss the cars, I must say that I don't miss their cantankerousness. Originally, I was looking into either a '90 Ferrari 348 or a '91 NSX for the Porsche replacement. But the more I read about the 348, the more I get the impression that it will make my 1991 911 seem as reliable as a Honda Civic in comparison, and will be prohibitvely expensive to use as a daily driver. I do believe that the 348 has more "character," that certain exotic look and feel that draws crowds. But it won't draw much of a crowd as it sits in my garage 80% of the time, disassembled, waiting for repair parts to arrive, while I'm using my backup-car Honda Civic as my daily driver in the meantime. So my money is on the NSX, preferably a '91 vintage car with 80,000 miles or so (just broken in for a Honda engine), and I look forward to many more daily-driven miles in this beautiful machine.

And I just received Comptech's latest catalog, which shows their supercharger kit (+100hp). In the Speedvision GT series, the NSX was so fast with the supercharger compared to the Corvettes, BMW M3, and Cobras, that the techs first added 200 pounds to the car, and then detuned the boost twice, in order to give the other cars a chance against it!

-- Mike Staniszewski, September 10, 2001

For me a sports/performance car has to have 3 things:Looks,Sound and Performance.While the NSX has great performance it sounds lousy and its looks are generic at best(looks like any other rice rocket,stealth,supra,plastic looking car).Most exotic cars sound like coffee grinders and are annoying ie Porsche is the worst sounding car ever-its really,really lame. If i had 80k to blow Id get any hot 60s muscle car which blows away an nsx in looks and sound and you get a pretty beefy engine thats easy to repair and has plenty of history.Here are the cars imho that blow away an NSX in looks and sound(forget handling but performance-wise they may be even with nsx): Any 60s big block Vette any 65-68 Shelby. any 440 or hemi cuda/charger any big block 69-70 el camino/cutlass 442 any big block 67-69 Camaro

These cars are about a quarter to half the price of an nsx but unlike the nsx they appreciate in value.

-- dave smythe, December 25, 2001

"Hmm... the NSX is a terribly great car, but it's a headache watching the debate on how other cars are better. For the most part, they're pretty much incomparable, those who drive an NSX look for the elegance/sophistication of the car, instead of just raw power like the corvettes and so forth. (Also, if you want more power for the nsx, consider upgrade kids. HKS - 460 bhps - that's some major power for ya. 0 - 60mph = 4 sec flat.) The styling of the NSX is one of the best I've seen, nothing really comes close to it in this current state, even the ferrrari's or lamborghini's.. are lacking their creative juice. Well, anyways, one more thing, i just hope they don't drop the pricing for the NSX, [which i read somewhere around here], it'll just lower the elegance, rarity, and the quality of the car itself."

-- Mike Lin, July 15, 2001

I totally agree with Mike on this. Thought I pitch in my 2 centavos worth..... :)

-- Bill Lee, December 27, 2001

This is in response to the moron who was touting his Lambo Diablo awhile back - dude, get real - comparing a diablo to an NSX is like comparing a Corvette to a Mitsubishi Eclipse - both are great cars with similar characteristics, but as good as the lower end car is its still a world apart. I've never really considered the NSX an "exotic" car anyway, sure its expensive but by no means inaccessable. Maybe if they up the price tag another $100,000 and add doors that open up instead of out;-) I know plenty of rich multi-millionaire families, and not a single one of them owns a Diablo even though they could easily afford it. Most of them drive a Lexus, Mercedes, or BMW - couple own Jags, 911, or Corvettes as their second car. The assumption that anybody with the money would automatically choose a Diablo is absurd.

I have certainly come away from this forum with a new perspective on the NSX though - I've never really considered the fact that you can't drive a Ferrari or a Diablo on a daily basis - which is kinda strange when you think about it, that kinda defeats the purpose of owning a car. I would buy an NSX simply out of the convenience that I wouldn't have to worry about breaking it if I drive it too much.

-- Dirk Diggler, February 1, 2002

The NSX was rated in 1995 as the most reliable car for the previous 5 years. Tell me anybody, which sports car has ever been rated by J D Powers other than the NSX as being the most reliable, for even one year let alone 5? What's that; none you say? We get to a very important point here. Honda's automobiles are among the finest manufactured in the world in the sense that there is absolutely no other car manufacturer other than Toyota that makes cars that are so unquestionably reliable and uncompromising in build and engineering quality. HONDA was the first company to introduce variable valve timing, LEV, and ULEV of any company in the world. Honda's will outlast any other car on the road. Honda has been met with resounding success in every aspect of their endeavors; from being the most winning F1 team since they began in the 80's, to manufacturing the most clean, efficient, ergonomic, and well designed quality automobiles in the world. Examining the culmination of Honda's racing experience and investment in technology and efficiency, the NSX has been lauded by the most respected car magazines as one of the greatest drivers cars of all times. Meaning that it accomodates the driver and provides the driver with the ability to push the limits of the car while the NSX responds directly with the inputs of the driver in a refined and neutral manner. This car is superbly balanced and occupies the highest strata of sophistication and refinement ever to be found in any sports car that has ever been made. This is a luxury sports car that is worlds ahead of any other because of Honda's goal of creating an automobile that has the performance of an exotic, the uncontested reputation of HONDA's products as being utterly reliable, and the explicit design philosophy behind the NSX that enables the NSX to communicate the road to the driver in a direct and neutral manner. These important facets come together into one package to manifest one of the, if not THE most refined exotic sports car ever made in the history of motoring. That's no small accomplishment. Simply put there has never been a production automobile made that approaches the NSX's performance, refinement, and reliability as a complete package. It is in a class of its own.

-- Skyline R35 Nismo, February 12, 2002

HEY, NO OFFENSE BUT PERSONALLY I THINK ALL YOU GUY'S ARE FULL OF CRAP, I AM AN AMERICAN AND LOVE THE JAPANESE CARS, FROM HONDA,TO ACURA, TO TOYOTA. YOU NAME IT. I'VE OWNED SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS. I AM ALWAYS DEFENDING THESE CARS. YET AS A FACT, AN AMERICAN CAR CAN BURN THE SHIT OUT OF THOSE RICE BURNERS. YOU TALK ABOUT THE NSX AND SUPRA LIKE IT'S UNBEATABLE, THEY HAVE SHITTY ACCELERATION AND ARE LIKE 2WHEEL DRIVE, THEY CAN'T EVEN BURN RUBBER THE RIGHT WAY WITH THE BACK WHEELS. PLUS THEY HAVE LIKE BABY V8'S, WHICH IS LIKE COMPARED TO WHAT FORD AND CHEVY STARTED USING LIKE IN THE 60'S. THEY HAVE NO BALLS TO THEM WHEN YOU COMPARE THEM TO THE AMERICAN MUSCLE CARS. THEY ARE FIRST OF ALL MADE OUT OF LIKE ALUMINUM, WHICH MEANS DENT CITY FOR RICE PATTY OWNERS, WHILE AMERICANS BUILD THEIR VEHICLES WILL A MORE DURABLE MATERIAL. NEXT YOU GUYS RIP ON THE FERRARI, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? THAT IS REAL QUALITY BUILT FROM SCRATCH BY HAND, NOT BY A DAMN MACHINE. EVEN AMERICA'S OLD CARS LIKE THE COBRA, CHARGER, CAMARO, MUSTANG ECT. WILL BEAT THE HELL OUT THE JAP CARS OF TODAY THEY ARE JUST WAY TO POWERFUL TO BEAT, THEY ARE ALL V8'S, AND I KNOW YOU THINK WITH ALL THAT CRAP THAT YOU CAN PUT IN THE CARS NOW LIKE THE INTAKES, AND NOS THAT IT WILL SMOKE THEM BUT HEY YOU ARE WORKING OFF OF 4 BANGERS, WHILE THEY BUILD THEIRS UP FROM A ALREADY POWERFUL V8. NO MATTER WHAT, THEY ARE ALWAYS A STEP AHEAD. I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT IMPORTS HAVE OVER AMERICAN CARS IS BETTER GAS MILAGE. SO WHAT I AM SAYING IS THINK BEFORE YOU TALK B.S.

-- Jason Jimenez, February 28, 2002

Competition from the bow-tie boys

Perhaps the ultimate testament to the NSX is that the greatest supercar of all time, McLaren's F1, was modeled after it.

I'd like to see the NSX offered with an engine worthy of the chassis. Every major turbocharged import of the early 90s, sans RX-7, had at least 30 HP on Honda's Ferrari-fighter. Ten years later, you can order a Corvette with over 400 HP AND a BMW 328i for the same money. That the NSX continues to sell at all speaks volumes, but it's time to give the enthusiast community a new halo car.

-D. Indech

-- David Indech, March 26, 2002

ok well i have read every comment on this page and now how about some input from someone who has driven or family members have owned and their comments. First off everyone of these cars are great cars they all have their downfalls but a true car lover can respect everyone of these cars. I am 20 and my dad and i are mechanics and weekend drag racers of street cars, i have built and worked and raced on everything from older and newer muscle cars, 4x4 trucks, imports(hondas, acuras, toyota ect.), porsch, ferarri, diablos, vipers and bimmers. All the above are fast cars and any normal car nut would be happy with the power from any one of them. But I don't care what anyone says if you got a hemi cuda(426) or a gto goat judge vs. a nxs the nxs will win on a normal twisty road they handle much better and the body roll is less and the mid engin can take turns much faster than an old muscle car or new one for that, but if your nsx or say my uncle toms ferarri 355 pulls up beside my judge(which i really do own) and there is a stop light 150 yards away i will be waiting for you at that light. I have no where near the money in my judge that my uncle paid for that 355 and i can run low 9 second quarter miles but then again i cant run 120 miles and hour for miles upon miles like he can, plus i don't even get 120 miles to a tank of gas, so there are advantages and disadvantages to every car. I have a 95 honda del sol si that runs 13's in the quarter, i love the car, it is fun handles great but there is one set back to having it, do you know how much money in parts and motor work and suspension work it takes to get a honda to run that fast, it's not worth it. but now on to my opinion about exotic cars and high horse power american cars. -The nxs, very comfortable to drive but not a family car, could definitally be an every day driver, nice interior, cockpit like but not as cramped, shifts smooth, unbeleaveable high end power, handles like a dream, the only thing i dont like about the car is i think it needs a minor make over extertior wise but some people like it that way. -porsch i have driven a older 911 and a 2000 boxter, a porsh owner is a porsh owner eather you like them or you don't. they are nice cars. nice interior and exterior, a manual has no problum shifting at very high rpms handles very good but no near as good at high speeds like the nsx, 355, or even the bimmer m3. the only thing i personally don't like about porsch is the exhaust note. -the lambo diablo, beautiful car I had this car doing i40 on a strait strech up the road and this car scared the shit out of me only because i was tempted to push the pedil the rest of the way to the floor, the top end on that car is amazing and it handles great, sleek looks, great handleing this car has it all, but the down fall, way to expensive to fix anything, for the price difference if your looking for performance and reliability buy the nxs. but if you have the extra 300 and some grand go for it, just don't break anything and you are eather nuts or you have to much money if you drive a car like this for an every day driver -the ferarri 355 f1, my uncle has one of these and i drive it often you get looks from everyone from young to old i think this is one of the most beautiful cars on the market, it is very fast and handles better than the nxs, porsch,or lambo, but it is a ferrari, nothing but problums, expensive to fix and have you ever looked at insurance rates for one of these. -the dodge viper. here is a fun car, here is a reliable car, off the line tork, tire smoking performance, good exterior looks but the interior is far from lux. stop light racing your great, high speed twistey roads yuor good but not great but at high speed you get a little loose in these cars almost to loose, even on strait streches, but if you like the all american muscle try pulling your body out of your seat when shifting to 3rd at about 65 grand, bet you cant do it. -corvett pretty much the same as the viper only nicer interior but alot more loose at higher speeds the ass end likes to slide out while taking high speed turns but then again corvett has always had this downfall. but look at sales number compared to everything else. but corvetts are a tradition that is why they will always be bought and treasured, corvett owners are different to it is like a family, i live in pa i could drive me moms sting ray to new york and almost every corvett i pass on the way the driver will wave to me, corvetts are like a family, they are the all american muscle car. ---other less expensive cars i like-- supra twin turbo, 300zx twin turbo, 3000gt twin turbo, suburu wrx, mazda rx7 twin, toy mr2 turbo for the price these cars get with it and are easily daily drivers but you just don't have the finess and lux as the higher prices cars --other american made new cars-- mustang gt or the svt(holy shit), ram air transam(holy shit),Z28 camaro(holy shit) these are all very fast cars. cheaper parts daily drivers. and most mechanics can actually work on these cars. -but let me tell you if i was to go buy a car right now even if i was a millionare even after driving all the cars listed above, what would it be. a new BMW M3 this car has it all and i mean it all. bimmer owners know what i mean, lux, performance, style, finess, and a very good handleing, it has it's downfalls but i will own one some day even if i had a mill in the bank. in conclusion everyone wants somthing different in a car, owners of all these differnt cars will argue for years but everyone of them has somthing that the other one dosn't, you just have to choose your option and most important your cash because it dosn't make much sense to own an 80 grand nxs and not have 10 bucks for gas and believe me there are people out there like that.

-- Dustin Jones, March 28, 2002

Great article, Philip, but why an automatic gearbox for a sport car? No excuses here.

-- S Cohen, May 9, 2002

Just writing this to say I recently became a proud owner of a 94 acura nsx(couldn't afford a new one). The price was very good, the car is in immaculate shape, the previous owner used it as a daily driver and had it maintained meticously. I've read a lot of the comments on this page and wanted to share this. I'm not going to say my car is better than any of the other cars mentioned on this page (they're all very good cars)instead what I'll say is that I'm very impressed with the acura nsx, I drive it about 3 times a week, I've only had to change the oil, the car hasn't given me a single problem, the car is very capable of going to 8k rpm with no problem. It handles great. I changed the stock wheels to 18's all around,(a wheel shop said 18's all around would be okay as long as the rear tires were taller than the fronts) mistake, the stock set up was a bit better on the handling. The car is definetly worth the money (a used one that is) and if I had to decide again between the cars I had to chose from, I would pick an nsx again.

-- Ray Cordero, June 2, 2002

Well, I am a BIG honda and acura fan. I wish they would put the accord, since it is manufactured in the USA, in NASCAR to show all those american made pieces of crap up. I am currently looking for a honda civic to make into a rally car, but My dad has a prelude with 205,000+ miles on it, and it just won't quit. It is totaled, it has knocked the cab off of a full sized pick up truck, and the most damage he has ever done to the car is made the cd player stop working. He blew the timing belt at 70mph, and the thing still runs great, and looks good. The car dealer was wondering why the trunk had a slight bend in it, and he told them it was because of the lady that rearended him at 30+mph. The thing is indestructable. About all you people racing NSXs and winning, try doing it on a mountain road with winding curves. They will drive circles around your out of controle car. I know I have seen them do it!

-- Chris Ellis, June 10, 2002

Ah, my favourite car - the Acura/Honda NSX! Well, first let me say that about half of the comments on this page should be deleted, and it surprises me that such stupid people know how to operate a computer.

Anyway, I need to do a little defense and praise of my favourite car. First back when this car was designed in 1989-1991, Honda WAS dominating the world of Formula 1. Sure, they might suck now, but when the car at hand was designed, it was designed by the world's best designers of the day. It shows. Several of the comments in this column are comparing it to the 2001 Zo6, which is quite flattering that the designers of 10 years ago built something that still compares quite well with today's best sports cars! As yet another note about the car's design, it was used by Ron Dennis and Gordan Murray, both owners of this incredible car, as a benchmark for the McLaren F1, a car which is arguably the world's best car. As yet another bonus, the NSX is definitley the cheapest supercar to maintain, and used ones are a steal - you can buy used 1991 or 1992 NSX's for around $25-$30,000... that's right, for about the same price as a nice new Mustang GT or Camaro SS, you can buy a supercar that will outrun, outlook, and outlive just about anything on the market today.

This car is amazing... Nothing on the road turns heads quite like it, except for a screaming red or yellow Ferrari or Lambo. Yes, a new corvette is only around $35,000, but who wants something that sells 25K+ copies a year? Where is the exclusivity? Acura only sells about 50-60 NSX's a year, but it generates almost as much media attention as the 360 modena or the new Viper (both of wich are sold in comparitively high numbers of over 1500)? If I pull up in a nice red Pontiac Firebird to pick up a date, do you really think she'll give half a crap? NO. Now the NSX, THIS is a mysterious car, causing people to ask, what is it? As my date slides into the very nicley detailed, hand-stitched leather seat and immeadiatly feels comfortable, I am thanking my wisdom for spending those extra dollars and buying my refined machine instead of the cheap, plasticy interior of the Corvette or Camaro varities.

Oh, I almost forgot, this car only comes with a wimpy little V6 engine. Oh darn. Wait a second, I'm saved. The desingers smartly built my car out of Rust-proof, strong, lightweight aluminum! Saving me over 600lbs of weight from the Corvette in the next lane! Yes, I might only have 270 or 290hp, but my power-to-weight is about the same. Add in the fact that I've got more weight over the driving wheels, increasing traction, and a higher redline to reduce gear shifting, and pretty soon the poor lady in her Corvette is wondering why her husband was too cheap to buy her one of those!

Well, these and many more reasons are why, when I get my educated a$$ out of engineering school, I will be out on ebay looking for my first NSX, probably a black or forest-green one, with the mandatory 5-speed. I think I'll get a 1991, but if the price is right, a 1992 will do just fine! Check out the Owner Survey, page 99, in the August 2002 Road & Track, just one of many articles that will make it easy for me to part with $30,000 and gain a friend for life - The NSX.

Christopher D. Burch

-- Christopher D. Burch, July 5, 2002

Most of the comments on this page are insightful! I have one subjective question and one quick technical comment. Why do some of you assume that the person who accelerates fastest from 0-60 at the cheapest cost is the winner? I'm not rich or elitist, but I love cars enough to know that if I had the money, I'd pay for exclusivity and "rareness." Second, someone claimed that their Porsche (rear engined) achieved the same weight distribution as the NSX without the mid-engine layout (which may be correct); however, they then inferred that the layout wasn't that special because their Porsche could achieve the same distribution without it. Cars with different polar moment of intertias can have the same front/rear weight distributions. Distributions only indicate the position of the centers of mass. It says nothing about how much mass must rotate about a the CM. Here, you can't beat the NSX. Don't you think there is a reason that F1, Indy, LeMans, Modena, Saleen, etc. cars all have a mid-engine layout? Do I have to point to Porsche's own Boxster or upcomming Carrera GT. . . look where they put then engine!

-- Danny Bachmann, July 17, 2002

the supera,nsx,rsx,crx,mr2,lamborghini,vipers,skyline, and any other car that i mised out on sucks compared to the mazda rx-7 twin turbo touring edition. they all suck! if you put a mazda rx-7 against a nsx the nsx will lose in a heart beat. the rx-7 got a bad name in cooling but if you know how to fix the prob it will be fine. its like a girl if you treat a girl nice she will treat you nice. if you all think for one second that the nsx will beat the rx-7 you all are fucking mistaking you dumb asses.

-- james king, September 5, 2002

What a website! Took me 3 hours to read about one of my favourite cars and I enjoyed it. I live in America, grew up in Europe, but damn the Japanese are good. The people at Honda, they know what they're doing and they're doing it as good as they can. Everything they do has an obligation, a purpose, an explination and an outcome!!! Mistakes are extremelly costly. They do everything for a reason and you can bet 100% it's for the right reason unlike very many other car making companies. In America companies make cars for the MONEY(absolutely nothing else matters). In Europe it's different from place to place. Honda makes cars for the people, that's why it sells so many. They know what the masses of population want and they give it to them. If a car company were to make a Perfect Car, one that would be wonderful in absolutely every aspect from performance to comfort to PRICE to reliability, etc, everybody would buy one so they would have to build very MANY of them, but there's a problem, the manufacturer would lose money, BIG TIME. So that's not gonna' happen, but out of ALL the manufacturers on the planet how many are trying to do their best to make as "perfect" cars as they could to satisfy the customers' needs? In 1989 Honda had ZERO experience in building a world class sports car for PRODUCTION purposes. Production is a very BIG word. But Honda wanted even more. They wanted this car to be a daily driver. I want to know which other manufacturer dared to try, and what happened after. Does ANYBODY have any idea what happens to a Diablo on a sunny day when you're stuck in traffic on the freeway??? Try this and you'll sell that Diablo by sunset. You don't see exotic cars Monday to Friday, let alone in the winter. But Honda did it. You can drive this sports car EVERY DAY of the year and you won't spend $$$$$$ on repairs. But alas Honda has been learning, for the past 13 years they've been learning hard. In 2 years they'll give us a new one. And in my opinion it will better on the current one so much that every soul on this planet will drop their jaws except for the people that only see "STRAIGHT" forward (much like a horse). To you just like everyone else the current one is OLD. OLD = HERITAGE. I don't think it will have so much of it but damn, it's the second NSX and the first one had a pretty long life. I think this is a smart strategy from Honda. Everybody wanted and still wants heritage in their sports car, and the current model was a brand new model, what were they supposed to do. The new model will have ABSOLUTELY everything the old one had, and a lot MORE. I recently found out it will have an electric motor for the front wheels pushing 100HP and as well a 3.5L V6 at the back pushing 300HP to total 400HP and MAYBE ALL WHEEL DRIVE???? It might be a good strategy to beat the Japanese restrections on horsepower, I have no idea wheather or not the restrections apply only to internal combustion powerplants. I actually believe it's a possibility. Japan is best in electronics and it's only so expensive to design electronics, not so much build them. Imagine the fuel consumtion Vs. power output. Brand new exterior syling (hopefully as good as the current one) , maybe new interior, maybe some cool transmition and differentials, and we ALL know Honda delivers nothing but the best in suspension, steering, DRIVABILITY and low EMISSIONS. So what more could you ask for???huh???huh???think!!! I personally do think all this will come true, I think Honda can build such a production car. And if Honda can make it for the right PRICE PRICE PRICE the NSX will be famous. It will even make the old NSX famous. HUGE ACOMPLISMENT by a manufacturer that started making cars two dacades ago. And you're gonna look back to the 1990-2003 NSX and what will you think of? You're gonna' think it's twice the price of the Vette or this much more the the Viper or half the Modena?????HA HA HA .............. I'll have mine in Championship White with matching rims!

-- Robert Cojocarasu, September 15, 2002

I am doing a report on the NSX, and have come across so much information about this car that it boggles the mind. If someone was to research a car they liked, say for example the Corvette Z06 or SVT Mustang Cobra people keep saying are better cars, could you find the techinical spectacularity in the body panels of the car? Could you find soul in either of the cars' suspensions? Are they 90% originality and 10% everything every other car has? No! Such is what makes the NSX as valuable, in my opinion, as a Lambourghini. There isnt a piece of steel on the NSX anywhere. There isnt a non-functional part anywhere on it either. It all means business. Oh - and its made by Honda. That means you're also investing in something that holds over half its value in 60 months from when you buy it. In 60 months, a Chevy or a Ford is worth less than a quarter of its original value.

The NSX has NEVER been criticised by anyone who knows ANYTHING about cars. Mario Andretti himself called the NSX a fun car to drive by saying "when you want to let your hair down and drive it like you hate it, it lets you. It handles as well at its limits as it does when you drive it in your neighborhood." In the same article, he also drove a Lotus Esprit, a Ferrari 355 Spider, Corvette Z06, a Viper GTR, and a 911 Turbo amongst other things. The NSX was rated 2nd highest by his standards, and only because he was driving the Zanardi Edition, which has no power steering (the steering was rated 7.0 out of 10 - the only rating out of 15 categories that was below 8.5). The NSX is the best car you can buy for under 100,000 dollars with VERY little competition. Dont bother trying to tell me that your american V8 can blow me away in a race, because the NSX OWNED the most american styled car of them ALL in a track race the 500+ RWHP Viper GTR- EVEN WHEN THEY WERE BOTH DRIVEN BY MARIO ANDRETTI HIMSELF!

Being an avid street racer myself, I recall the race that summarized Japanese vs. American with much hilarity. My friend and I were out raising hell in downtown atlanta, me in my Integra, and him in his supercharged Miata. We come across a HUGE BOAT of a pontiac - I couldnt tell which one... they all look like futuristic toys to me... and we pull up to a red light - the ugly P.O.S. between us. The light turns green, and my friend and I lay back b/c we werent even racing - the pontiac (which is full of about 5 teenagers) jerks out ahead of us, and one of the teenagers sticks his torso out the back wandow and starts to wave. My friend downshifts from second to first, lays a massive wheel, BLOWS by the pontiac, I follow suit on the other side (without the dramatic wheel screeching) and pass the pontiac and start navigating the next turn going about 60 and still on the gas pedal like a thong on a sumo wrestler. In my rear view, the pontiac UNDERSTEERS INTO THE MEDIAN - HOPS IT - SPARKS FLYING EVERYWHERE - and CLOBBERS a street sign, then skids down the median on its belly for about 20 feet. My friend and I copped a Uturn, and drove by waving and laughing and continued on our merry way. I imagine a drag race with twisties going much like that between an NSX and a Viper or a Mustang or Corvette.

And I'd like to thank the poster of the first message/comment (regarding the cup holders in his protege)

Next time I buy a car for its cupholders, Ill look into the proteges. Until then, thanks for the laugh. I havent laughed that hard in quite some time.
Image: NSX03F.JPG

-- Rory Kiefer, October 16, 2002

sup people? well the nsx is a great car and i tops alot of cars on the market too...but it's not the best. very expensive to modify! it's been around for along time now and japan needs to go ahead and add some more horsepower..yeah they have regulations but someone needs to come up with a conclusion and beef it up, stock for that matter...and everyone who adds there 2 sense about modified 4bangers and nsx's for that well go to conceptcarz.com and look under chevrolet and you'll find a z28 that does 0-60 in 2secs. so no talking now! nothing in the world street legal will touch it..and it is street legal! go check it out and email me back!

-- chris sohrabi, October 26, 2002

I finally got one....98 yellow NSX! Say what you like about more powerful cars, But when I pulled into a Dodge dealership to inquire about a Viper All the salesmen went out to look at that car! Yes, The viper is much more powerful, but just does not have the beauty of this machine, (nevermind handling....you have never seen a car handle worse in your life as a Viper)! The NSX above 80 mph sings alittle tune (thats the only why I can describe it) Driving it From Penn to Chicago people got out of my way in the fast lane. It was repeatedly mistaken for a Ferrari on the trip. The car behaves so well that you can forget you are driving an exotic. ( And it is comfortable in a thousand mile drive.....say that about a Vette or Viper ) I think I'm going to keep this one a while. I can just barely afford it for the $45k but it's worth it!

-- Bryce Wolfe, December 14, 2002

I've recently read drive reports on the improved NSX (fixed headlights) including the Type-R version and i have to conclude(after a short test drive) that it is one hell of a well-engineered car. My neighbor has one in a really sterile shade of white and after driving it I have to admit that it's quite competent. However, i have to mention that at low speeds it feels a lot like my dad's Benz, or maybe an Accord. And the interior sucks. Good for everyday use perhaps, but u guys oughtta try a Ferrari 360. It feels a lot faster, looks better, and the handling is extraordinary. The best bit must be the engine noise though. It sounds like an F1 engine running on avgas. Simply brilliant. As is the 4.3 second 0-60 time. You really have to drive one before you die.

-- Zaim Razak, January 26, 2003

What an entertaining page! The ignorance here is amazing. 99% of the people here that have bad things to say about the NSX have never even been behind the wheel of the car!

The reason that some of you do not like the NSX or think that it has no "soul," or whatever, is because you try to rae it's performance based soley on the acceleration numbers that a magazine has been able to extract from the car. The bottom line here is that the NSX is not, was not, never will be, designed to drag-race. It was not intended to be some monster street car that preys on unsuspecting victims at stoplights. It was designed to drive everyday, and perform on a road course all without sacrificing reliability or driveability. Honda did a great job meshing two worlds that do not often mesh well. Put the average driver in the NSX and an average driver in say, a ZO6 or the Modena, place them on a track and let them loose. The NSX will be turning faster laps all day long. Not because it is the fastest, not because it has the best power to weight ratio, not because it is perfect, but because it is designed for that very purpose. Remember that the numbers that you see printed in magazines are acheived by PROFESSIONAL drivers. Not the average every-day person.

NSX's are expensive because they too are hand-built. Right down to the hand done port and polish job in the intake manifold.

You have to take everything into consideration when comparing cars to eachother. Things like, how do they perform on the street? Can I live with this car everyday? What is my driving style and does this car fit it? Due to a former job (Exotic car auto body shop) I have had the chance to drive just about everything under the sun. The ZO6 and the NSX are just about the only two supercars that would even half-way be acceptable daily drivers. Personally I would choose the NSX. The Vette feels too big until you are at about 7/10's or higher. And the suspension can be a bit harsh. But I would love to have the torque of the LS6 to push me around all day. All the other cars listed are totally unacceptable as daily drivers. Viper? No way. 360? Are you kidding? I even had the chance to drive an '00 Diablo SV for 9 days. It was fun, but I gave the keys back with no complaints. It beat the crap out of me.

Bottom line? Reserve your comments on the car until you actually have the chance to drive one. Also, keep the car in perspective when comparing it to other cars. If you drag race, the NSX is not for you. If you road race, the NSX is more your cup of tea.

-- Jacoby Burns, February 10, 2003

MT900

I'll tell you all this, although I didn't read though every single comment, I did read alot of them and I have some stiff to say.

First of all, unless you have driven the Acura NSX, you should seriously keep your comments to yourself because you don't have a basis on what to compare it to.

I've driven many cars being a valet here in Florida and out of every car I have driven, nothing sticks to my mind like the Acura NSX.

Today a Ferrari 360 Modena was parked on our ramp and, sure everyone was looking at it, but as the Acura pulled up, more people were talking about it, go figure. Ferrari is a better looking car in my opinion, but I would not want one over the NSX.

The NSX I drove put me into a state of shock. I couldn't imagine how a fast car could feel like a luxury car. The Viper I drove, sure, had alot of speed and torque, but the bumps.....oh man. The Viper would be a horrible daily driver.

The only thing I can imagine that can top the prowess of the NSX would be an AWD turbo charged version that comes straight from Honda. Although I doubt it will EVER happen, it would be nice.

The only car that I can think of off the bat that can cream almost any car on the road would be the Mosler Trenne MT900 because it's an almost perfect design, however I have no clue on how it rides in every day traffic. This thing looks great and performs unbelievable, but I have not driven one, and I probably won't. This car uses the LS6 engine from the Z06 Vette with better brakes/handling and acceleration. It tops even the Porsche 911 turbo in 0-60.

Al the people talking about fast Z28's or Subra's are leaving out the comfort factor and build quality. No match for the NSX.

-- Bob Benkosky, February 12, 2003

A lot of intersesting comments here.

A lot of people talk of 'heritage'. Yes Ferrari have a heritage but so do Honda. They entered their 1st F1 Grand Prix in 1964, with their 1st win coming in 1965. They won 6 constructers championships in a row with Mclaren in the late 80's and early 90's!! And wot about Lambo? They have no racing heritage wot so ever, but i don't see anyone dissing them. They were in F1 for a couple of years, in the early 90's and acheived nothing. Did you know they actually started off building tractors?

Yes the NSX, only has 296 bhp, but its a lot lighter, thus it has an excellent power-to-weight ratio (approx. 91 bhp/litre which is v.good for a NA engine). No other big car manufacturer has the expertise or guts to "hand build" an all Aluminium car like the NSX, and certainly not back in 1990.

In Dec 2002 a UK car magazine, "EVO", voted the Honda NSX Type-R as the "Performance & Driver's car of the Year 2002" beating the likes of the 911 and Ferrari 575! They didn't just look at straight line speed but the whole package, Handling, Brakes, Accelaration, Engine Sound Responsiveness etc

And for all those who say a F355 would beat an NSX, over a 0-60 sprint or over a quarter mile, i suggest you go the following web page and scroll down till just over half way and click on the video "Best Motoring: Ferrari F355 vs. Honda NSX":

http://www.nsxprime.com/Gallery/multimedia/multimedia.htm

Its a lot closer than you would think especially looking at the stats F355 (380hp) Vs NSX (290hp). I wonder how a 360 would compare to the latest NSX?

But of course its not all about straight line speed. A number of years ago Top Gear Magazine (UK mag) took some of the finest sports cars (below £100,000) to the legendary 'original' Nurburgring Race circuit which is over 12 miles long!! The F355 (with 380hp) posted a time of 8 min 31 secs, and the NSX i hear you ask? Only 2 secs slower, at 8 min 33 secs, over a 12 mile long circuit!! (The F355 and NSX posted the fastest times).
Attachment: nsxr.wmv

-- Usman Anwar, May 8, 2003

smoked em"

a lil tech tech notes: Hello fellow NSX owners. I have owned 2 NSX's and they are the best performance cars on the market today. My first was a 91 coupe and my second was a 2000 T-top, after purchasing the 2000 i sorta missed the coupe due to high speed winds i hear from the roof. But i got used to it and doesnt bother me much anymore, My girlfriend say's hey its a sports car its not suposed to be all smooth like a Mercedez. But the NSX does drive like a luxury car, in its own sense. Any way I did a few minor modifications to the car: I lowered it with Tein Coil overs RE's and added Generation II Super ADVANS 3 spoke 3pc wheels 18 Rr and 17 fr. and Carbon fiber accents here and there...I noticed a noise comin from under the hood of the car and never figured out what the hell it was. Until today of 5/19/03 I fastened all loose wires (fog lamps,Radio and gauge wires) and tightened all visible bolts in and around the spare tire, AND THE NOISE IS GONE!! on bumps cruising 10~40 mph all cured. So all us gearheads alike, lets tighten the bolts and fasten the wires every so often and noises will be eliminated, leaving only the wind noise!!! hehe Oh I raced a Dodge Viper the other day at a stop light, YA he won by 1/2 a car, he was turbo charged too or supercharges, how could i tell, well i can hear the blowoff valve clearly as he changed gears, and to say the least Im Stock with performance parts....i did say i modified, but only minor mods with visual enhancements(carbon here and there) Ive decided to go with Comptech headers and the JGTC center Exit exhaust made by Taitec of Japan(thankgod they sell it to the public now) and i hope to see the Viper at the same stop light as i did before...HAHAHA he'll be in for a lil suprise.....LEts modify and smoke those vipers and Z`o6's.. NSX life Forever Arrrghhh...

-- badder louder faster, May 21, 2003

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Image: MY NSX 215.jpg

-- badder louder faster, May 22, 2003

Dear All car lovers, I just bought myself an NSX 6-speed '98. And I've read a lot about it before I considered buying it. So, as an owner now, and as a 100% neutral and unbiased comment from an owner of NSX, I just want to put my few main points forward.

With all the due respect to the various positive and negative comments about the NSX above, I hope that my following few points can help to aptly summarize the NSX:

- if you don't look at it a sports car, look at it as an everyday car (which it is) then it is an everyday car which has been slightly over engineered, and performs exceedingly & exceptionally well. but in the end i want to be honest with myself (and so should you), because if you are then it's not the most superb sports car. because simply, it didn't start out to be one and neither has it blossomed into a Mega Sports Car very close to like a Carrera GT in the latest NSX version (2002) [yet..]

- fact 2. it can beat the occasional ferrari 355 or porsche 911, but look on the other side, it can lose to the Supra or Skyline GTR, whether at home in japan or abroad. This doesnt do justice to show anything purposeful about the car's own independent performance, rather, probably more telling about the driver or probably road conditions. let's face it, it's simply a very good piece of (if not 1 of the best) auto engineer's work, regardless of what race there is. please do not use race to measure a car's indep capabilities or performance. and btw, it's got only less than 300 bhp and V6 engine, why try to make it 'god-like' and try to outdo a Lamborghini or MacLaren ? I know macLaren drivers have lost to Ferrari or Supra so does that mean MacLaren is slower than the others ? Of course not.

- The NSX caught my attention because it has a very charming look. I wouldn't call it drop-dead gorgeous yet, but it's definitely very charming, good to watch when you're tired of looking at Ferraris,or Porsches. Now I know why owners of NSX get so personally attached to it and I think honestly, with resp to Ferrari's Modena or MacLaren, I prefer NSX's looks (even though maybe NSX engine is not as powerful) [NOT because NSX is cheaper, but because it DOES look better in my opinion].

- I've driven the Ferrari Modena and Lamborghini Diablo, and I know that NSX may have to 'get in line' in terms of engine specs, but it should stand somewhere very front ahead in terms of the comfort and feel of driving. It does give you both: you get the sports car thrill, and the comfort is unbelievable. You can't get that from the earlier two.

I'm sorry if I offended any NSX lovers, but I'm an NSX owner and I also own an older version of Skyline GTR. And I don't want to bash any car nor over-worship any car just because you really love it unconditionally. This is just some of my straight, simple plain comments.

Thanks. Jason.

-- Jason C, June 9, 2003

Hello Jason, Congratulations on your NSX purchase. ;) I read your comment's, and frankly, I think you dont know what your talking about. I dont mean to say your an idiot or anything (really im not). But lets face it, what you put was full of budweiser written all over it. you put: "- fact 2. it can beat the occasional ferrari 355 or porsche 911, but look on the other side, it can lose to the Supra or Skyline GTR, whether at home in japan or abroad. This doesnt do justice to show anything purposeful about the car's own independent performance, rather, probably more telling about the driver or probably road conditions. let's face it, it's simply a very good piece of (if not 1 of the best) auto engineer's work, regardless of what race there is. please do not use race to measure a car's indep capabilities or performance. and btw, it's got only less than 300 bhp and V6 engine, why try to make it 'god-like' and try to outdo a Lamborghini or MacLaren ? I know macLaren drivers have lost to Ferrari or Supra so does that mean MacLaren is slower than the others ? Of course not.

okay first of all the NSX can not beat the "occasional Porsche 911", especially if your talkin bout the twin turbo. Even if you add Exhaust and Headers you'll still be in 2nd no matter how many times you run em'. Also, The Skyline R32 R33 and R34 are NOT faster than the NSX!! And same goes for the Twin Turbo Supra. especially on the track. Weight is the ENEMY and the skyline and the Supra have plenty of it (weight). Have you ever seen the NSX Debut!? How bout the Skyline Debut's?? and the Supra Debut's?? Im sorry, but the NSX smokes the skyline and the Supra (factory) on the track. You just watch too much Fast and Furious and believe it all. Another thing, have you ever heard of JGTC?? obviously not, because the NSX won back to back 98' 99' 00' and 01 championship races, Raybrig, Autobacs, Mobil 1, all taking the top podium 1st place. AND YES THE SUPRA AND THE SKYLINE WERE IN ALL RACES!!!, OOOOOOH and i fotgot, even the MCLAREN!! OOOOOOH and even the Lamborghini.!!! whatever floats your boat with what you want to believe in about the Supra and the Skyline being faster, LMAO (LAughing My Ass Off) gimme a break, read more and research more before commenting To us NSX owners. The NSX is the Dopest car out there. You dont know nothin.

~sorry i got a little hyper writing this haha, but nothing personal BuD. Just take it easy on the beer man, Youll start saying wierd stuff. lol Best Regards, Thee NSX tuner

-- Toshitaka Saigura, September 10, 2003

What does everyone think of the suppossed new NSX presented at the Tokyo Auto Show?

-- Hunter Zee, December 20, 2003

First of all anyone who even compared a Z28 or a Trans Am to the NSX should be punched in the face. I wouldn't be caught dead driving one. They say a Z28 could blow away an NSX.....uh yeah sure as long as you don't have to make any turns! So go put on your wife beater and take your outdated muscle to the junk yard. To those who compared the NSX to the Z06 yes the corvette is an incredible car for its reasonable price but the problem is you drive down the street and you see 5 corvettes. The NSX is an exotic car with great speed, engine technology, and weight ratio. Besides that the NSX doesn't need maintenance every other weekend like it seems Ferraris and Lamborghinis always do. Also its well built V6 provides plenty of power and I'm sure Honda could build an NSX with 500hp if they really wanted to but that wouldn't be practical and besides Japan has horsepower restrictions on cars. The NSX is a car that can be driven daily with reliability and is fairly environmentally friendly for an exotic. As far as comparing an NSX to a car like the Porsche, they are really to dissimilar to compare they have completely different styles and although I love the 911 I am attracted to the NSX more. In the end it's no Ferrari but it's a great entry level exotic car that can be driven every day and handles great.

Oh and lastly since Honda started its heritage on motorcycles where is a GM or a Chevy or an American motorcycle that could compare to a Honda or a Japanese bike.

-- michael sluiter, April 13, 2004

Comparing an NSX to a Z06 should be a crime. For one reason you do not see that many Z06's and for the money a Z06 can outperform a NSX in every way possible stock against stock. I am the owner of a 95 993 with modifications and I have also owned a 92 NSX there is absolutely no comparison between the two. The 911 has more racing heritage and life than the NSX will ever have the people that know this do not even question it. I liked the NSX as a daily driver but I see as many of them as a standard corvette and it appears to be just another Honda. JMO

-- Greg Perris, April 21, 2004

When the NSX 1st came out, it was a nice niche vehicle. It was a daily driver performance car that better performance than a corvette(c4 of course. It was not a true exotic, and could not compete with the lambos, ferraris and porches, but did have enough exotic features to justify its price, and it was a nice option someone who was ready to move up from the vette, but not ready for a true exotic.

Its styling was not groundbreaking, it did not go anywhere a 1989 toyota supra hasn't been before. It trulty was a honda performance car- somewhat bland, but it did what it was supposed to well.

But its been along time since its introduction, and we have seen alot of cars catch up to the nsx. The c5 vette was a vast improvement, and a z06 version is more than a match for the nsx at CONSIDERABILTY less cost. There was also the Viper GTS coupe which offered more performance at a similar price. As for handling, the last RX-7 was a dream around the track for less than 1/2 the cost. The honda S2000 is also another great sports car offering outstanding abilities at less than 1/2 cost.

Honda really needs to up the performance of the NSX, and make it a true supercar, or lower the price considerably to bring it in line with other cars in its class. And is a used NSX worth 30-40k ? Maybe if its still 1991, but its not, and there are alot better options out there.

-- Jim Jenkins, June 6, 2004

wow its been 4 years since i posted here! my taste in cars have changed, and reality has hit me (as far as cars that i will be able to afford) sure you all are talking about how light aluminum is, but they have to make the aluminum sheets thicker (compared to your typical steel chassis) to be strong enough for the conditions that vehicles encounter. And the nsx isnt THAT light. in the usa where we didnt recieve the type S zero, or type R, our nsx's are still over 3000 lbs. r32 skylines rang in at 3200~ish and got heavier as the years went on. They also have the most advanced 4wd system that there is. Obviously nissan did something right with that car, as it was banned from racing in Australia and some other countries, hence the name "godzilla" when the r32 GTR came out in the late 80's/early 90's it could run high 12's low 13's in the 1/4. supras in the usa were clocked in at 13.4's~ and could almost generate 1.0G in the corners. with BPU (basic performance upgrades) these cars potential really comes through. (were talking 11,12 second 1/4 mi times) and these cars are still setting records every day in all kinds of racing. the usa still has yet to see what the gtr can do. (read up on the time trials in sport compact car magazine) a sentra se-r was dogging the nsx on there, and the skyline WON and supra's were doing extremely well. sure i can find japanese car comparison videos where a different car wins every time, and it isnt the nsx every time (rx7, supra, skyline, nsx etc) all my point is dont just dismiss these cars because the NSX is made out of aluminum. there are many other facotrs. and the z06 is an absolute beast. 1.0g in the corners, low 12's in the 1/4, and alot more power left in the ls1 motor. thats hard to match on a small honda motor coming out of the factory almost tweaked to the max(more so with the s2000) flipside, the 2jz-gte is one of the baddest motors to come from japan, with people squeezing out 1000bhp on the stock internals (heavily tuned of course, race fuel) these cars cannot be dismissed and automatically deemed inferioir to an NSX because they are cheaper or whatever. sure the nsx is special, but its not king of the road

-- micah buckley, July 23, 2004

I currently own a 1991 Prelude SR (yes SR, not Si, cuz I'm Canadian), anyway, it currently has over 250,000kms on it, and I also own a '91 Civic with over 300,000kms, neather of them leak oil anywhere, they burn a little bit of oil but hardly any, and they run perfectly, I will never buy anything other then Honda, unless I need a truck, in which case I'll look at Toyota or Nissan, my dream car is the NSX-I know a couple people that have driven one and I haven't heard a single bad thing about them, I am currently only 19 and am spending all of my money on school, but I'm confident that I will own one before I turn 30, and I can't wait!

Anyway to all those in this thread that have said buy american blah, blah, blah-Hondas Minivan is currently ONLY manufactured in Canada and the US, so county of origin in my mind is no longer relevant when it comes to supporting 'american jobs'. and besides the Japanese are superior when it comes to technology, and reliability anyway, its no contest, Jap crap IS the best crap.

and I can tell you that I will NEVER EVER BUY FORD, my parents own two and their both pieces of crap to drive and their constantly getting fixed, I also can't stand GM, or Chrysler, nothing but pieces of junk. As for German cars (BMW, Audi etc) good, fast Luxurious cars, but thats not what I'm into, I like the fast sporty look, which brings me to the italians (Ferrari, and Lamborghini)-excellent cars but as many people have said you could buy 2 NSX's, and one every couple of years after all the maintenance that comes with those exotics, which brings me to Porche, I'm sorry to all those Porche lovers out their, but the 911 and boxter-just plain ugly I can't stand them, and worst of all any wealthy, preppy little sh*t is driving one, which is probably the biggest reason why I will stay away from Porche

Bottom line, I'm in love with Honda, and the NSX has proven it self to be one of the best sports cars on the market. and Honda couldn't make a crappy car if they tried, while North American companies seem to pull it off on a regular basis! and anything you buy from Honda is guaranteed to hit 300,000km if you maintain it properly so you can't loose, you can't say that about anyother company except for Toyota, and what do you know, their headquarters are in Japan as well.

Remeber this is just an opinion, but its a justified one!

-- Steve Reems, September 3, 2004

Hello everyone i've just about read every comment on this page negative and positive towards the fantastic NSX,well let me just say this 80% probly dont even own an nsx so how can you say how good or bad the car is? I hav a blue 2003 model nsx and the car is fantastic its fast, reliable,comfort,and full complete handling agility aslong as you keep a good grip on the wheel it will just about tackle every corner in its path. so for all you ppl talkin crap about this super car i'd suggest you drive one and find out for your self!

-- Neil White, March 25, 2005

I'm lucky enough to own an '01 Porsche 911, one of the cars of my dreams. I just picked up my NSX, and I have to say, it's a fantastic car. Can you compare the two? Yes, they're different colours. Over the years, the German car has been refined, while the NSX still has an edge to it. A lot of people have commented on the differences between the two, but if you have either, they are both fantastic cars. I can't talk of oversteer, brake fade etc etc - I just get in and drive the cars through the hills and love taking either one of them. You can't be too technical otherwise you lose the passion of pure motoring fun. Happy & safe driving!

-- Brenton T, July 10, 2005

The NSX is affordable art you can drive and enjoy...

-- Jim Dion, October 8, 2005

Everyone was fun to "listen" to reguarding the NSX. I'll probably end up getting one in the future because it's a V6. I currently own an MR2. (1991- 2.2 NA) I just wanted to comment on handling. I live in south Indiana. Very hilly,lots of windy country roads. I leave most cars in the dust (especially mustangs) simply because I can fly around curves and they can't. I forget the exact specs, but I'm only running at about 136 hp. It's lots of fun. I don't really care who can drive in a straight line faster.

-- James Bridhewater, November 14, 2005

The first time I saw the NSX was in a high end magazine ad. WOW! It looked like nothing else on the road. It might as well have been a $1,000,000 car, 'cause in 1991 my $18,000 a year salary could only allow me to dream of ever owning such a car in my life. Somehow (and it's true), good things happen to those who wait. In the Spring of 1995, I was in a position to afford my first NSX-T, paid cash for the new midnight/plum color. At first it was so intimidating for me, as I was constantly stared at (or my car was) going down the street. Like a movie star or sport star, it constantly drew a crowd, as the car signed autographs via my passing on my knowledge of what I knew about NSX-T. It was the star, at rest in the parking lot, at prance down Broadway, and at gallop down Interstate 5; a thoroughbred and I was its jockey. What a feeling!!

A meere two years later, they came out with the yellow color. All my life I had wanted a yellow sports car and here it was! I traded my 95 for the new one -- call me crazy --- cause I must have been. NSX does that to you. I have never let go of that car since. Since new, I have driven it 23,000 miles in 9 years. Every time I get into the cockpit, it still feels like the first day I took possession back on March 3, 1997. At my age of 54, it still makes me feel like I won the Gold medal at my high school state track meet.

That, my friends, is what it's like owning an NSX. Yes, there are faster, bigger, and more expensive cars out there. There are the corvettes, the Supras, Vipers, Ferraris, etc... but look around you. When you're driving, traveling, or just out and about, what are the ones that you see? How many NSX's do you notice? In my city of 2 million, there are only about 12 of them and I have the only yellow one. She still sparkles, gets admired when going out on the town, and occasionally is allowed to show her stuff on the open road. It's a feeling she gives me, like a beautiful woman next to you, she makes you feel good about you. Owners of classic 56's and 57's corvettes and t-birds know what I'm talking about.

As a footnote, can you believe that she only costs me $650.00 a year FULL COVERAGE on my auto insurance?? Hey ferrari, supra, corvette, and viper owners, what do YOU pay?

-- Nick Roche, May 6, 2006

I just wanted to add some more info to this forum. I have a stock 2006 Mustang GT and had the pleasure of coming up against a gentelman in what looked like a mid to late 90's NSX. We raced each other for about 50 miles through a section of I-25 in Colorado, USA at speeds ranging between 80 and 150 mph. I knew that the NSX is thought to be a pretty nice sports car and I was pleasently surprised to find out that I was able to match his acceleration between 80 and 130 mph. Above 130 aerodynamics begins to play a greater roll and the NSX had the advantage there. The reasons that I say I "had the pleasure" and "was pleasantly surprised" in my comments above is because 1) it was a lot of fun racing this guy, and 2) from finding out how much that guy probably spent on his NSX vs. what I spent on my Mustang. Damn! $85,000!?! You gotta be kidding me! Sure, it's a nice looking car, but come on! I can buy 3 Mustang GT's for what he probably paid for his NSX. Either, there have been some great advances in sports car technology, over the past 5 to 10 years, to help make a $26,000 car, of today, perform similarly to an $85,000 car, of 5 to 10 years ago, OR, someone at Honda realized that there are people in this world with too much money burning a hole in their pockets so they changed their name to Acura and jacked up their pricing. You guys can talk about your Porsche's, and Lamborghini's, and so on. Bottom line, all of these cars are fun to drive. But, for the money, I'll stick with my Mustang.
Image: DSC01252.JPG

-- Wendell Salas, July 23, 2006

Wow, I have just purchased my MY02 Acura NSX, & don't have much to complain about. This vehicle is SERIOUSLY a superb work of art that many man hours & R&D has come to a vehicle that will be a classic & modern sports car. I have a small collection of vehicles & only one of my other vehicles can compare with this NSX. My MY04 Porsche GT2 & the NSX BOTH handle like champs there is no say in that. Powerwise, of course the Porsche is pushing a LOT more power & torque with the 6 cylinder Boxer engine Turboed for maximum performance. But by my guesses, the NSX is far more superb than lets say the Dodge Viper. A friendly competitor that has approx the same price tag but a LOT more power. But let me ask you this... WHAT DO YOU NEED ALL THAT POWER FOR?!?!!??!?! Especially when all the Dodge Viper can do is run through its' rear tires like there's no tommorow. Although I do agree that the NSX may need a bit more power & torque, it's still a machine where it can handle what it has with no doubt. Hey if you want more power... you've already spent the $94k to pay for the NSX, just pay $7k-15k more and get some SERIOUS power! Just my 2 cents... But you know ALL in ALL the Acura NSX in my eyes is just a BEAUTIFUL vehicle that will ALWAYS be remembered.

-- Johnny Han, August 3, 2006

This comment is in response to Wyndell(sorry if I spelled it wrong) The problem is the NSX was never known for its straight line speed, You have a Mustang GT, a car that had a drag racing heritage, but were the NSX may fall behind in the straights, I more than garentee it will make up in braking and cornering. If you don't think that light weight and cornering is important, then watch the American Le Mans Series. Pay paticular attention to the LMP1 Class Audi R10's and the LMP2 Class Penske Porsche's and Acura Prototypes. While us Americans have been mainly designing big muscle cars like the Viper and sort(there are exceptions like the ZO6, and Ford GT) the rest of the world has been working on balance and light weight. There is nothing wrong with that, its part of our heritage and who we our, but in my opinion I rather drive a car hard in a corner than in a straight line.

-- Bradley Newcomb, June 10, 2008

I just purchased a 1991 Miata as my 3rd car. Underpowered. Gutless. Chick-car. I never thought i'd ever own one, but I bought it, and within a month, drove it 3000 miles round-trip to attend the car's 20th anniversary celebrations at Laguna Seca, a trip that included all the twisties of California's Hwy 1. When you consider that the NSX and Miata were released about the same time (1990-91), you begin to understand the cars' original design objectives, and the engineers' adherence to them. In many ways, both cars reflect a purity of design that is very uncommon these days--both cars show that engineers were given a free hand to design the vehicle, with a minimum of unnecessary fluff as required by the marketing department. V8? 400hp? Gas guzzler tax? Who needs it? Keep the weight down. Maintain a healthy power-to-weight ratio. Add lightness!!!! Build in handling balance without huge tires. Hell, Lotus does this and charges an outrageous sum for their "racing heritage". All those in this thread who knock the NSX, would in the same breath, be likely knocking the Miata also. The Miata doesn't need a V6, and neither does the NSX need a V8. Both cars have deviated very little from the originals released in 1990 and 1991---which show that the cars were designed with intent from the outset. Both cars placed a premium on light weight, and handling balance. I heard the Miata's original designer speak in Monterey last month, he spoke of "linearity of response" as one of the Miata's original six design objectives. The amazing thing, is that these cars were introduced in the early 90s, and engineered in the late 80s, ie during a time where fuel prices (once inflation-adjusted) were actually falling. Japan, by virtue of the fact they import almost all their petroleum consumption, is a nation that places a premium on fuel- and energy-efficiency. So it is comparing apples to oranges, in comparing the NSX to V8 American Iron and other exotica. Fast forward to 2009. Now, we are in an inflationary period with the cost of fuel rising for the past five+ years. Smaller motors are coming back into the forefront, and fuel efficiency and weight reduction is once again a design consideration. Early word on the street is that the 4th generation MY2012 Miata MX-5 will be smaller, lighter, and "back to basics" with smaller and hyper-efficient engines. Just like the first generation. The NSX? It lasted longer than anyone thought it would, despite not selling hardly any in its final years. Why????? Well, i'm probably the only one on this forum who has ever been to both the mazda Miata factory in hiroshima (which still runs to this day), AND the Honda production facility in Tochigi, that in 2002 at the time of my visit was the site of NSX (about one per day) and S2000 production. S2000 production has since moved, since NSX production ceased.

All cars are moving towards EPS (electric power steering) to reduce weight and power-consumption. Guess what? The NSX was the first production car to offer this..............eighteen years ago. THe NSX is filled with details like this. Try an 8000rpm redline. Eighteen years ago. The car is a work of art. Period. 270hp out of 3.0L??? They can't do that even now. That's essentially a race-car motor, slightly tamed for production.

Call it what you like. Knock it if you want. Criticize the lack of "racing heritage" if you must. Both the Miata and the NSX are modern-day living car classics, that are already beginning to be recognized as the future must-have classics they will be. Jay Leno has already gone on record as saying that the original Miata will be the next generation's Mustang--a vehicle that current toddlers will be berating their fathers for not having kept for them to drive.

The NSX? Bless its soul. Rumours of its front-engined, V10, rear-drive replacement having been killed due to the current "world economic situation" have been confirmed. But really? In my opinion, that's a good thing. Because a 500hp front-drive Acura is thus a Gran Turismo car, and surely it isn't an NSX any longer. That car, and the Lexus LF-A, have now both been cancelled.

http://njection.com/blogs/autoblog/archive/tags/LsF/default.aspx

My prediction? The 2002-2008 period will be known as the next peak in terms of automobile engine output and displacement. As vehicles and their motors take years to design, and bring to production, it is always telling that the winds of change, change direction and oftentimes catch automakers off-guard. The original Honda Insight came out just as oil prices were making a final bottom. Audi's S4 moved from a turbo-5, to a twin-turbo V6, then quickly to a V8 then a monster-output V8 in the RS4, only to be quickly pulled due to its absolutely insane fuel consumption. Personally, I think the Audi RS4 will one-day be coveted as a rare collector, a modern-day big-block motor that saw limited production before common sense and rationality pulled it from the marketplace.

The flip-side? Car makers know that high efficiency and lower emmissions is the way of the future. Future sports cars will be "back to basics", not "bigger and heavier cuz gas is cheap". It has already been semi-confirmed that the next-gen 2012 Miata will be smaller, lighter, more efficient, and faster. When was the last time that ever happened? My guess? There WILL be a NSX replacement after a cooling-off period. Acura will use it to showcase its GREEN technology. It will be a V6-hybrid. It will outperform almost anything out there, all the while using half the gas to do it. If Acura is smart..............it will keep the NSX MkII mid-engined. That is half of what makes the NSX, an NSX.

Part of the Miata's charm is its ubuiquity, what with almost a million of these guys running around. Simple, with plentiful spare parts floating around. The NSX? It was exceptionally rare even when it was new, even during its early years. As time marched on, its rarity only increased.

The other car that I dearly love that is pure in its design, is the 1999-2003 BMW M coupe. It was a car before its time. Now that they are making the second generation Z4-based M-coupe, the first generation is recognized for being the classic that it is.

One day, NSX MkII will be released. When it comes to market, NSX MkI will only then be recognized for the timeless classic that it was, from day one.

-- Patrick Lum, April 27, 2009

• ViperZone- A Dodge Viper Place   (contributed by Nick Smith)

• Shelby American - Makers of the Cobra- If the NSX is a sophisticated, highly evolved predatory mammal, the Cobra is -- well -- a pea-brained, but extraordinarily deadly reptile. See for yourself.   (contributed by Frank Wortner)

• NSXHeaven- Exotic cars of the world including the NSX. Use the search box to find more related links. Still under construction. Will be fully functional by 09/99. Japanese car section operational now.   (contributed by joe sudrudin)

• The World's Coolest Cars of the '90's- This is basically just a short listing of the cars that I PERSONALLY think are the very best in the world, ranked in numerical order. It includes pics (though I'm still trying to find more) as well as a poll for you to vote for whatever car you believe should belong on that list.   (contributed by Ron Suriyopas)

• Dali Racing- NSX aftermarket performance parts site run by a real enthusiast   (contributed by David Bernert)

• Comptech- Probably the best overal source for NSX performance equipment. Backed by Honda, under warranty and available through many Acura dealers.   (contributed by David Bernert)

• AMAZING SPORT CARS!!!!!!!- THE MOST COMPLETE PAGE OF SPORT CARS EVER BUILT ! STARING: THE SPECTACULAR DODGE VIPER..AND LAMB,,,   (contributed by Esteban Uauy Rabie)

• THE MOST SPECTACULAR JEEP- THIS IS A SITE BUILT TO SHOW THE CHAGES U CAN DO TO YOUR 4X4.   (contributed by Esteban Uauy Rabie)

• Not a supercar, a HYPERCAR ---> skyline GTR- you'll never look at other cars the same way again   (contributed by Automotive expert)

• EngineMusic- mp3 samples of sports and racing cars. Not a banner ad to be seen and free. Have fun!   (contributed by Matt Agnew)

• HondaBeat.com- Honda & Acura news, articles, information on new models, classic Hondas and race team updates.   (contributed by Ellen Emerson)

• Ladman Lexus- The finest site for Lexus enthusiasts. New models, technical, discussion, etc....   (contributed by Charles Shupe)

• NSX- ahhh! The Acura NSX is my favorite car of all times!! I know of two poeple that have them around were I live and they are really nice car's! I was informed the other day that my step fathers son just bought one! A "94" NSX wow! I would do just about anything to have a NSX!! I hope I get to ride in one!! I know I wont get to drive it!! Oh well, just being in one will make my day!! Everytime I see one it makes my day!! I hope to own a NSX one day, wait I know I am going to own one they are the best car!!!!! Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!   (contributed by Patrick Close)

• NSX v RX7- I admire the NSX because in the 24 hr lemans race no one comes close in meeting Hondas reliability. You don't have to give up reliability for sport. The closest manufacturer is Mazda's RX7. I respect the NSX but I am the proud owner of an RX7. I believe the RX7 can handle, reach speeds of 160 and accelerate ferrociously. All this in a 2800 lb package that is $44k cheaper. American cars are missin' the boat. I can't afford European cars. Long live Japanese cars they deliver everything and for a price I can afford. Except the NSX. I live in Honolulu, Hawaii and I hereby challenge any NSX out there to a grudge match at the track! If I pull up to a red light next to a Supra I think I'd stand down. But if it were an NSX instead I'm ready to rumble. Hey, and if the road turns and twists no problem I have a great handling car also! NSX doesn't hafta worry about competing with Porche they are having difficulty with RX7s. I'm sorry some people feel that the NSX is above the RX7. I don't feel above those with reciprocating engines. We are both Formula/LeMans racing inspired cars. (Mazda is new to this. Maybe if the NSX was a $40k car it would be a different story.   (contributed by Diego De La Vega)

• not here to aggravate anyone- 20 year old college student who delivers pizza and chinese 7 days a week. this money could wind up in a used nsx in a few years, couldn it? :) dont tell me, i'll keep the dream. id love to sit in one, and itd be even greater to drive it. Im glad everyone that owns one is happy with it, and it was worth all the hard work. same for all the other guys with their ferraris and mclarens (? the internets reputation preceeds me, should i believe that?) the nsx happens to be my current favorite tho. Ciao   (contributed by chuck w)

• the fastest, baddest car ever...- The Thrust SSC set the world land speed record of 763+ mph in 10/97. Car lovers everywhere will enjoy reading the story behind the project.   (contributed by C Alba)

• 10th Anniversery RX-7- Twin rotary turbo II. I have owned four Corvettes (one super charged) and a turbo RX-7, and driven an NSX and a Viper. In my humble opinion the NSX and the RX-7 have a much much better quality to them in both refinement and engineering. The Viper was fun to drive just for the gawk factor, but I can't imagine driving the rattle coaster all the time, Corvettes are fun, much more refined than the Viper, but still possess that shoddy GM fit and finish. The RX-7 is quick, handles good and is nicely finished. I would love to own an NSX (right after a Lotus), however it is just not in my budget. Just my. 02$ 10th AE RX-7 Turbo II   (contributed by Cyril Sawyer)

• quityerbitchen- ALL YOU PEOPLE SUCK!!!! you all bitch about one anothers 100,000$ sports cars.fucking rich people. some of us wouldn't give a shit whatit was, just to have a nice car would give a woody to most people.SO QUIT YER BITCHEN!!!! fucking rich people. YOU SUCK   (contributed by im poor)

• no comp- i have all the cars in the world and if i want to look under my matress for some money to buy a Mclaren then i will, but ya'll talk about having all the dough, hahahahahah, no comp, my mustang gt with 100000000hp will burn all the cars ya'll have mentioned, let me look in my ashtray, so maybe I'll find some money to buy that NSX that ya'll dumb asses are talking about.   (contributed by Bill Gates)

• whatacar!- Porsche Carrera GT. V10, 558hp, +200mph top speed, 8200rpm redline, 0-60 under 4 secs. I think it costs more than the NSX :)   (contributed by C Alba)

• The Fuzzy Green Carpets- Great music to drive to.   (contributed by The Fuzzy Green Carpets)

• BUSINESS2- The SIte That Murders The ******* NSX   (contributed by Brett Solomon)

• non japenese cars- very good site   (contributed by lorane s)

• The best sports car in the world...- The Acura NSX-T is the best sports car in the world must be COMPTECHED-OUT for maximum performance. Rmmmmm, rmmmmmmm!!!! Screw all you people who are player hatin and faken, driving a corvette that American wannabe NSX-T!!!   (contributed by Danny Jack)

• Lingenfelter Performance Engineering- One of the premeir Corvette tuners in the world. There's a reason he picked the car he did to be his main mod platform.   (contributed by J. Brown)

• acura nsx- the article is about the acura nsx. i just read all of the links and 95% of them are jealous fools who have never even driven a nsx. every one says dodge and chevy is cheaper and faster. check out the size of the engine in the nsx is and how efficient it is, not to mention that is does't break down every 2 days. nsx does have a high sticker but it isn't a 8 liter v 10 that wastes gas with a engine that you can't really compare to the nsx but if it was japanese it would have about 900 hp. the camaro and corvette are all nice car but the fact that they are big engines and that is all they have going for them. Big inefficient, uncomfortable, gas hogs, and last but not least have something go wrong every time you drive them like they are supposed to be driven, like race cars. all i am trying to say is that the nsx isn't for a 16 year old who just got his license and loves to work on cars, the camaro is for him. if you work hard a desire something thats fast, luxurious, smooth, and i could go on forever, than the acura nsx is for you. so take the top off and blair down the road past the guy on the side of the road screwing his viper because a hose popped off or his horn broke, whatever. japenese have got their shit together and have had it together for a long time. i don't want to hear about any other american, german, etc. this is a cite for nsx lovers and if you don't like them you probably need something repaired just like your car.   (contributed by andre j)

• ferrari is going to be the nsx bi*ch!!!!!!!!- Price: $143,000 On sale: spring 2002 Generally regarded as the car that made Ferrari rethink its build quality, the aging NSX is due for its first major makeover since the car's launch in 1991. It's a makeover that will bump its status from light exotic to full-fledged supercar. The new model will be powered by a version of the 3.5-liter DOHC 40-valve V-8 intended for the next Legend (RL in the U.S.) sedan, generating 395 horsepower -- a smashing 105 more than the previous NSX-T. This means, among other things, that Honda will be the first Japanese manufacturer to break that country's gentlemen's agreement limiting maximum engine output to 276. This huge power boost is expected to give the new NSX 200-mph capability. There will also be a 415-hp, 3.6-liter racing version of the engine, which Honda may use to mount an assault on the 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans. Although the design of the second-generation NSX isn't final, it's expected to be dimensionally similar to the current car and also to reflect the car's significantly higher performance aspirations. Also significantly higher will be the price -- about $143,000.   (contributed by Darryl swain jr.)

• Jeff's NSX Shrine- Pictures & Videos of my 2000 NSX-T against sunsets, etc.   (contributed by Jeff DUrso)

• NSXfiles.................check it Out- Phat site...........all you need to know about the nsx   (contributed by Aman Azadi)

• NSXfiles.................check it Out- Phat site, all you need to know about the nsx   (contributed by Aman Azadi)

• check it Out these files- Phat site, all you need to know about the nsx   (contributed by Aman Azadi)

• Corvette site- Cool site, cool guy.   (contributed by J. Brown)

• Dont over look the saleen S7- nobody Fucks with Ford   (contributed by Ian Watson)

• Jason's Page- Personal website with pages dedicated to the Acura NSX   (contributed by Jason Lo)

• Real Drivers- Learn to drive a car the way it should be driven   (contributed by Alex Taba)

• No car is any car's bit**- You guys are dumb. If a speed/price was really the deciding factor for real in a car. Everyone would buy a used CRX or a used older corvett or anything that suites your preference in style and comfort. They would break down the engine. Replace the Pistons with low compression Arias pistons Crower Rods and Crank. Adjustable Cams gears and new Cam shafts with intense lift and duration for the intake and low lift and duration for exhaust to prevent back pressure. And would slap either a twin Gt2335 turbo setup or a single T04 turbo or a Vortech Supercharger or whatever suites you. New high volume fuel injectors, rail pressure regulator and pump. Oil cooler and a Front mount intercooler. and would be running 500 hp in the CRX wich weighs in at 1700-2k lbs or 1k hp's in the Corvette and would both be running 10's or 9's on drag radials. look what Im saying is you dumb f**ks that argue wich is a better car for the money are dumb. You could buy a used 95 RX7 twin turbo for 20k$ and put a new rotary and T-88 turbo build block and fuel system and all the engine mods for maybe 30grand and you would beat the SH** out of a Z06 vette. and they would both be at 50k$. The reason you like what you like is because you think the car looks cool and your to immature and Stupid to admit it. I personally love NSX's. I love the style and the smoothness. The seats and the NSX has the lowest rated road noise for any production car. because of the technologically advanced Design. The Chassis of a NSX only weighs in at 480 lbs also which just kicks serious ass. think of an NSX with a comptech SC or a HKS Turbo. NSX would be killer. Personally I beleive NSX is killer. Any car can be faster than any car with the right amount of Money patience and   (contributed by joe Shmoe)

• nsw. vs. ferrari 355- Hello I might as well drop my two cents in here. I will start off saying i own a 94 nsx and love the car. I have an uncle with a 355 ferrari. We had the big idea of of taking a trip cros countryfrom michigan to florida. my nsx has 72k the 355 has 7500 miles on her. I have had no problems with my nsx not even a hint of a problem. The 355 has already had major work done just one of those quirks you have to get used to. 6 thousand dollars is a mighty big quirk to get used to. The car has 7500 miles on it. well to make a long storie short he spent half hir time rideing in my nsx as his was being towed. all in all the car had to be towed 7 times for misc reasons. elect. overheating,oil leak,won't shift. lights stopp working. the only thing i had to do was put gas in my car.Well by time we were back he had put around 5 grand into his car. Why is that the name ferrari is so grand. i think i know why for all the grands it takes to maintane them. In my book the are junk. They might look nice in the driveway,that is the best place for them. I mean think about it my car performs better in every way. The nsx is the best all around exotic there is. Your lambo may be faster,but can drive mine for more than a thousand miles a year.   (contributed by chad nothanks)

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• Wohho.com- Wohho.com allow users from all over India to post the ads for sale, matrimonial sites, jobs, education, real estate, travel, services and much more. A mouse click is the only effort by you to get the desired results.post free classifieds   (contributed by Sapna Rawat)