How DIY-able is an Acura NSX?

dculberson wrote:

ZOO wrote: I don't know that I've ever actually seen an NSX used for anything other than cruising or posing. There is a supercharged one that shows up at some track events I attend -- but it seems to simply stay in the parking lot. Is there any type of competition pedigree with these cars? Does anyone actually DRIVE them as they were intended?

You're joking, right? Just in case you're not, yes, they are (or at least were) raced quite a bit. But like any expensive car, you have a lot of people that buy them for the image. But driving them exclusively on the street is not the same as posing.

Sadly I am not. I've been autoxing since 1986, and been attending HPDE events since 1992, and I've never, ever in my life seen an NSX in either type of venue. I don't watch a ton of racing but I honestly cannot recall any NSX in any type of showroom stock or similar event, either.

This is in distinct contrast to many other interesting and cool cars -- from Porsches to Corvettes to BMWs to other late 20th Century Japanese sports cars.

I am not making any judgments -- just an observation. I hear how fantastic these cars are, but have no empirical evidence that they are indeed as magnificent as people claim.

They were raced extensively in Japan, but even here in the US they were certainly used in competition.

The first one that came to mind is the Realtime Racing NSX, which ran in the Speedvision World Challenge

And a quick google search finds plenty used in HPDE, here is one example:

They were raced in World Challenge, I think PD Cunningham won a title or two in one. I love NSX's. I didn't so much until I drove one, and everything was just so "right". It's a very well thought out car and easily balanced on the limit. Well, at least the one I drove was. I'd love to have one.

While I always liked the NSX, and appreciated the engineering behind it, I was disappointed that Honda did what Honda does best.... nothing. They build this fantastic super car in 1990. Then do nothing with it until they discontinue it in 2002. When it came out in 1990, it destroyed the competition. It was lighter, faster, handled better etc. But by the mid to late 90's it was falling behind, fast.

By the time it was discontinued, it was outclassed in just about every way and Honda still wanted $80k for it. By 2002 you could get a Z06 for $50k, and spend the other $30k on track time, tires and brakes.

I still love the lines on these cars. This would have been on my wall as a kid, if they had been out. Right beside the Countach, and Ferrari Testarossa.

there might not be as many being "raced" as you might like ... but there are quite a few that are used for their intended purpose ...

that purpose didn't exclude DD ...

we have one that a-x's regularly ( won the class championship this yr ... I think) and also TT's it with NASA (finished 2 last weekend at CMP TTB)

I've seen a few at track days here in Cali

Performance wise vs a 911 Carrera they might be the same. A 964 is probably a better performing car.

Nowadays Camry's make more power than an NSX.

Don't get me wrong, I still want one, but they're no longer all that and a bag of chips.

If a Camry was a low 13/high 12 second mid-engined car, that oozed liquid sex, I could see the comparison.

I still want one in the worst way, but if it came time to pull the trigger, I might be swayed to buy an Elise and a supercharger.

I understand there are faster, newer cars out there for the money, but nobody breaks their neck to look at a vette going down the road.

Well said poop. Well said.

poopshovel wrote: I still want one in the worst way, but if it came time to pull the trigger, I might be swayed to buy an Elise and a supercharger.

The latest Elise has the Camry V6 in it you know...

poopshovel wrote: If a Camry was a low 13/high 12 second mid-engined car, that oozed liquid sex, I could see the comparison. I still want one in the worst way, but if it came time to pull the trigger, I might be swayed to buy an Elise and a supercharger. I understand there are faster, newer cars out there for the money, but nobody breaks their neck to look at a vette going down the road.

I'm pretty sure the NSX's ran mid 14 second 1/4 mile times when they were released. I remember them being slower than a C4 Corvette.

They are still killer cars, especially for the money these days----- not so much when new.

We had an 02 around the office when I first came on board. It was one of the final editions with the non-pop-up headlights. I remember the sticker being $96K

ZOO wrote:

dculberson wrote:

ZOO wrote: I don't know that I've ever actually seen an NSX used for anything other than cruising or posing. There is a supercharged one that shows up at some track events I attend -- but it seems to simply stay in the parking lot. Is there any type of competition pedigree with these cars? Does anyone actually DRIVE them as they were intended?

You're joking, right? Just in case you're not, yes, they are (or at least were) raced quite a bit. But like any expensive car, you have a lot of people that buy them for the image. But driving them exclusively on the street is not the same as posing.

Sadly I am not. I've been autoxing since 1986, and been attending HPDE events since 1992, and I've never, ever in my life seen an NSX in either type of venue. I don't watch a ton of racing but I honestly cannot recall any NSX in any type of showroom stock or similar event, either. This is in distinct contrast to many other interesting and cool cars -- from Porsches to Corvettes to BMWs to other late 20th Century Japanese sports cars. I am not making any judgments -- just an observation. I hear how fantastic these cars are, but have no empirical evidence that they are indeed as magnificent as people claim.

Did they sell more than a 1/2 dozen in Canada?

I think I have seen one once or twice tops.

Wiki has the NSX doing a 13.3 quarter and a 5.2 0-60.

Family sedans do that now.

Undoubtedly the NSX is far sexier and desirable, but in terms of todays performance, they're not particularly impressive.

In reply to docwyte:

yeah but that can be said of most super/hyper cars of old, doesn't make them less cool. I mean a Ferrari F40 can be eclipsed by a Z06 or a GTR yet I dare you to say it's not impressive, which you can only do once you take it out of context (when it was built, for what purpose it was built)...

docwyte wrote: Wiki has the NSX doing a 13.3 quarter and a 5.2 0-60. Family sedans do that now. Undoubtedly the NSX is far sexier and desirable, but in terms of todays performance, they're not particularly impressive.

FWIW Those were the very last (and fastest) NSX. The early ones were more like 14.3 or 14.4 through the 1/4

http://www.exoticcarsite.com/0-60-quarter-mile-times.htm

http://www.mopar1.us/times.html

Regardless, the NSX is one of those cars that is better than the sum of it's parts. The numbers aren't very impressive, but the car is.

docwyte wrote: Wiki has the NSX doing a 13.3 quarter and a 5.2 0-60. Family sedans do that now.

The only "family sedans" (less than $55K) currently on sale (2012-2013 models) capable of a 5.2 0-60 time are as follows:

• Audi S4
• Cadillac CTS
• Chrysler 300C SRT8
• Dodge Charger SRT8
• Ford Taurus SHO
• Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec
• Infiniti G37

Not exactly "family sedans", and not exactly a lot of them. Note some significant cars that don't cut the mustard (WRX, STi, EVO, 300C/Charger 5.7 HEMI, Audi A4, etc, etc, etc...).

Um. Recent iterations of both the WRX and STI are under 5 sec 0-60 and run low 13's stock. Also - BMW 335i sedan and coupe.

njansenv wrote: Um. Recent iterations of both the WRX and STI are under 5 sec 0-60 and run low 13's stock. Also - BMW 335i sedan and coupe.

Not according to Edmund's (where I pulled the data). The current STi is 5.4 0-60. Same story on the BMW 335i.

docwyte wrote: Wiki has the NSX doing a 13.3 quarter and a 5.2 0-60. Family sedans do that now. Undoubtedly the NSX is far sexier and desirable, but in terms of todays performance, they're not particularly impressive.

Maybe not impressive numbers. But a Z06 will depreciate indefinitely, whereas a nice NSX will not lose value.

Statements like the ones in this thread are how you know a car has crossed over into vintage territory.

A Jag XKE will get the snot beat out of it on track by any given Miata, but there's no question which one has more swagger.

Well, an NSX won't lose any more value than it already has. It's at the bottom of its depreciation curve.

I've been trying to convince my Dad to buy one for years now...

docwyte wrote: Wiki has the NSX doing a 13.3 quarter and a 5.2 0-60. Family sedans do that now. Undoubtedly the NSX is far sexier and desirable, but in terms of todays performance, they're not particularly impressive.

Lots of things are faster than an NSX in a straight line, but once some turns are thrown in to the equasion it's a different story.

Plus there are the intangible things, like driving feel. But hey if you want to go with the numbers game I guess Miatas and the BRZ/FRS is slow, crappy, and lame too.

Funny I wouldn't have expected the bench racing numbers arguing mentality on this board, especially with Miata always being the answer.

ZOO wrote:

dculberson wrote:

ZOO wrote: I don't know that I've ever actually seen an NSX used for anything other than cruising or posing. There is a supercharged one that shows up at some track events I attend -- but it seems to simply stay in the parking lot. Is there any type of competition pedigree with these cars? Does anyone actually DRIVE them as they were intended?

You're joking, right? Just in case you're not, yes, they are (or at least were) raced quite a bit. But like any expensive car, you have a lot of people that buy them for the image. But driving them exclusively on the street is not the same as posing.

Sadly I am not. I've been autoxing since 1986, and been attending HPDE events since 1992, and I've never, ever in my life seen an NSX in either type of venue. I don't watch a ton of racing but I honestly cannot recall any NSX in any type of showroom stock or similar event, either. This is in distinct contrast to many other interesting and cool cars -- from Porsches to Corvettes to BMWs to other late 20th Century Japanese sports cars. I am not making any judgments -- just an observation. I hear how fantastic these cars are, but have no empirical evidence that they are indeed as magnificent as people claim.

not that it means anything, but I've seen at least 4 or 5 different NSX's at autocrosses around here over the years. I see them every so often on the street. But in this area there are few rare/exotic cars that you DON'T see on the street on a regular basis, especially since my neighborhood is across from a $$$$$$$$$ neighborhood.....so when I drive the e30 around on Sundays I see quite a few rare/cool cars.

A guys 2 blocks over from me had an NSX for a couple years. It wasn't stock, and he daily drove it (owns a landscaping company, oddly). I've seen him out there working on his brother's 2009 WRX, as well as their Cherokee, but I never saw him wrenching on the NSX, and it seemed to come and go on a daily basis.

docwyte wrote: Nowadays Camry's make more power than an NSX.

Camrys also make more power than an e30 M3, Ferrari Testarossa (right?), and plenty of other very cool cars that most of us would love to own. How many of us "would love" to own a Camry for sunday driving and trackdays?

A Versa, perhaps the worst car in history, makes more power than a Triumph Spitfire, one of the most-raced cars in history....

But is "more power" really the point?

Javelin wrote:

njansenv wrote: Um. Recent iterations of both the WRX and STI are under 5 sec 0-60 and run low 13's stock. Also - BMW 335i sedan and coupe.

Not according to Edmund's (where I pulled the data). The current STi is 5.4 0-60. Same story on the BMW 335i.

Go to the subie forums and you can find dozens of timeslips of stock 09+ WRXs and STIs running low 13s and even a couple high 12s in the 1/4. Edmunds must use Captain Slow as their test-driver :)