RE: Honda NSX | Spotted
Discussion
I agree with the consensus - It's lovely but it's not worth that! I think I'd prefer this one for half the money:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 14th December 16:51
As an owner I thought I might chime in with a few comments. I've had mine 4 years now and have loved every minute.
The price of this one seems fairly sensible in light of where prices have been over the past 8 years that I've been watching - I very nearly bought a 1993 with 78,000 miles for £38,000 in 2015 but procrastinated and missed out. I then paid £55,000 for a 1993 with 56,000 miles in 2020. My car is now probably worth £90,000.
A big attraction of these is that the cost of running it is low, a main-dealer service is £240 and Honda have a number of NSX trained mechanics who they use (however the recent cost cutting and redundancies at Honda UK seem to have changed this). I had mine serviced at Mclaren Guildford last year and they charged me £290.
To drive they are just divine - they feel small and agile and you throw it around with a huge amount of confidence. You have to drive it on the rev counter and completely ignore the sound the engine makes - your brain wants to change up at about 4000 rpm as the engine starts wailing but you're not event half way to the red line. When my wife drives it I have to constantly shout at her "don't change up" as she keeps up-shfting at 3500 rpm thinking the engine is starting to strain.
From 4500 rpm to 6500 rpm the sound is just epic, it's all induction sound and your hear what the engine and gearbox are doing. It feels like you are driving on pure torque up to 4500 then you feel the power from revs come in. Above 6500 it screams at you.
The torque and power are both increadibly linear - I think this is why people who drive them often say "they're not fast, not very powerful"... etc, if you are used to a car that has a kick of power (from turbo, high revs etc) then the NSX feels very flat, but I think that is a big appeal if it, you don't have to worry about any spikes in power right through the revs.
Finally, it's interesting how NA and NC prices are now crossing over. The earliest 2017 NCs are now around £80,000 which is where NA1's are now.
The price of this one seems fairly sensible in light of where prices have been over the past 8 years that I've been watching - I very nearly bought a 1993 with 78,000 miles for £38,000 in 2015 but procrastinated and missed out. I then paid £55,000 for a 1993 with 56,000 miles in 2020. My car is now probably worth £90,000.
A big attraction of these is that the cost of running it is low, a main-dealer service is £240 and Honda have a number of NSX trained mechanics who they use (however the recent cost cutting and redundancies at Honda UK seem to have changed this). I had mine serviced at Mclaren Guildford last year and they charged me £290.
To drive they are just divine - they feel small and agile and you throw it around with a huge amount of confidence. You have to drive it on the rev counter and completely ignore the sound the engine makes - your brain wants to change up at about 4000 rpm as the engine starts wailing but you're not event half way to the red line. When my wife drives it I have to constantly shout at her "don't change up" as she keeps up-shfting at 3500 rpm thinking the engine is starting to strain.
From 4500 rpm to 6500 rpm the sound is just epic, it's all induction sound and your hear what the engine and gearbox are doing. It feels like you are driving on pure torque up to 4500 then you feel the power from revs come in. Above 6500 it screams at you.
The torque and power are both increadibly linear - I think this is why people who drive them often say "they're not fast, not very powerful"... etc, if you are used to a car that has a kick of power (from turbo, high revs etc) then the NSX feels very flat, but I think that is a big appeal if it, you don't have to worry about any spikes in power right through the revs.
Finally, it's interesting how NA and NC prices are now crossing over. The earliest 2017 NCs are now around £80,000 which is where NA1's are now.
Edited by Matt_T on Thursday 14th December 17:38
shibby! said:
£145k ouch.
£65kish in Japan is more like it (unless my maths is very wrong), but then you have VAT and Duty to get it here.
I get too excited on the Japanese equivalent of autotrader thinking i can buy and R34 GTR or NSX Type R half price, but then the reality of getting it here means its not the bargain i thought it was.
https://www.carsensor.net/usedcar/detail/AU0445251... - 78k Type R
yeah dude that's not an type r£65kish in Japan is more like it (unless my maths is very wrong), but then you have VAT and Duty to get it here.
I get too excited on the Japanese equivalent of autotrader thinking i can buy and R34 GTR or NSX Type R half price, but then the reality of getting it here means its not the bargain i thought it was.
https://www.carsensor.net/usedcar/detail/AU0445251... - 78k Type R
Edited by shibby! on Thursday 14th December 14:44
anything that isn't a normal nsx (any "type ...." or "R") is at least 150k even in japan, before vat duty shipping etc
an NSX-R is (as opposed to the NA1 type r) is about a quarter of million :S
hell, come to think about it, any NA2 is getting close to 100k
MyV10BarksAndBites said:
Best NA engine ??? 
okay…
I think I read that wrong… lol… Yes a F430 is a wayyyyy better choice with a wayyyy better engine
i agree that "best" is somewhat hyperbolic, but contrary to popular belief, they aren't merely a tarted up accord engine. They have some pretty exotic parts and engineering behind it (magnesium, titanium, monel, forged aluminium). Its interesting to read up on the design history and look at one in a disassembled state. Honda, however did too good a job with marketing the reliability aspect (understandable, given the time) everyone seems to forget that the engineering and construction is one of its most appealing features (to me at least). okay… I think I read that wrong… lol… Yes a F430 is a wayyyyy better choice with a wayyyy better engine
Edited by MyV10BarksAndBites on Thursday 14th December 15:33
Whilst I agree the F430 is "better", I would make the argument it wasn't as special, as a piece of design its par for the course in terms of a Ferrari (which still results in an epic car) but I don't find it as interesting as a piece of engineering. Although in fairness, that might just be my ignorance.
as to the OP, i cant say whether its worth it or not, having never driven one, but what i can say is ive seen less go for more (nsx wise) :/ although that's on the global market rather than UK specific.
Edited by hkz286 on Thursday 14th December 16:53
kambites said:
I agree with the consensus - It's lovely but it's not worth that! I think I'd prefer this one for half the money:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
Wierdly that one has been for sale for a little while despite it looking good value. Maybe being a left hand drive, import and targa all combine to limit it's appeal? https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 14th December 16:51
This was designed to be driven, beit on a track like Senna, or on the road like, errr Senna. I note it's covered 17,300 miles in almost 20yrs. That equates to 865 miles per year. Not great return in regard to fun versus expenditure. Here's hoping the next owner gets there moneys worth lol.
kambites said:
I agree with the consensus - It's lovely but it's not worth that! I think I'd prefer this one for half the money:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
No comparison for me, that one looks a mess. What's going on with front end? And if those wheels were Honda equipment, someone shoukd have got their jotters. I've not seen an NSX I don't like up to now!! https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 14th December 16:51
biggbn said:
kambites said:
I agree with the consensus - It's lovely but it's not worth that! I think I'd prefer this one for half the money:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
No comparison for me, that one looks a mess. What's going on with front end? And if those wheels were Honda equipment, someone shoukd have got their jotters. I've not seen an NSX I don't like up to now!! https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13835442
ETA: Oh it appears to be left-hand drive. Still the point stands - you can get a nice manual mk1 for well under £100k.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 14th December 16:51
Edited by Matt_T on Thursday 14th December 17:37
I like the retro aspect of an earlier NSX... hell.... any early JDM car like that was either in a Gran Turismo game or an episode of Best Motoring. However, as has been commented, I think it looks pretty under-wheeled and I personally the facelift was just perfection. The facelift gave it a chiselled front and a great set of wheels.
My car is similar to the one posted; I've gone for an OEM+ look with some coilovers set a little lower, and some spacers to fill the arches. I've also got a set of carbon Recaros and a lightweight flywheel with shortened final drive for more of an NSX-R experience. Again, it seems people are unaware that an NSX-R is a £400k car. Why buy a more expensive, far more common Ferrari F40 when Jethro Bovingdon said the NSX-R is the car he'd chose over one?
The facelift NSX is a rare thing in any form, hence the strong price. It is rarer than just about any Porsche GT model in recent years, by quite a margin. It also has the best induction noise this side of a GT4 RS!
Does make me laugh how people judge 1) A car they've never driven and then 2) Compare it with another car they've never driven!
I have a manual Ferrari 360 with carbon seats. Is it great? Yes! Is it better than NSX? No! It's also built laugh out loud badly compared to the Honda, which of course is part of the draw of the NSX - it's engineering story; it's world's firsts; it's dedicated factory; it's success in motorsport.
At the sort of mileage this one is at, £150k is not an unreasonable sum. People need to stop with the "I'd rather a..", because it's likely the eventual owner probably has the other cars you are comparing it to already. Otherwise, I get it - it's not for you - but that doesn't mean you need to deride the price just because you don't understand it.
My car is similar to the one posted; I've gone for an OEM+ look with some coilovers set a little lower, and some spacers to fill the arches. I've also got a set of carbon Recaros and a lightweight flywheel with shortened final drive for more of an NSX-R experience. Again, it seems people are unaware that an NSX-R is a £400k car. Why buy a more expensive, far more common Ferrari F40 when Jethro Bovingdon said the NSX-R is the car he'd chose over one?
The facelift NSX is a rare thing in any form, hence the strong price. It is rarer than just about any Porsche GT model in recent years, by quite a margin. It also has the best induction noise this side of a GT4 RS!
Does make me laugh how people judge 1) A car they've never driven and then 2) Compare it with another car they've never driven!
I have a manual Ferrari 360 with carbon seats. Is it great? Yes! Is it better than NSX? No! It's also built laugh out loud badly compared to the Honda, which of course is part of the draw of the NSX - it's engineering story; it's world's firsts; it's dedicated factory; it's success in motorsport.
At the sort of mileage this one is at, £150k is not an unreasonable sum. People need to stop with the "I'd rather a..", because it's likely the eventual owner probably has the other cars you are comparing it to already. Otherwise, I get it - it's not for you - but that doesn't mean you need to deride the price just because you don't understand it.
A car that’s still wonderful to drive, can actually be driven hard without fear of it melting / detonating, and can be parked for > week sans charger knowing it won’t throw a fault-code hissy fit – yes please.
Cabin is too bland? It’s amazing how a Type-R Momo can funk up the overall vibe.
Betcha by mid-Feb it’ll have dropped to c. £125k – ‘ave it!
Cabin is too bland? It’s amazing how a Type-R Momo can funk up the overall vibe.
Betcha by mid-Feb it’ll have dropped to c. £125k – ‘ave it!
Matt_T said:
As an owner I thought I might chime in with a few comments. I've had mine 4 years now and have loved every minute.
The price of this one seems fairly sensible in light of where prices have been over the past 8 years that I've been watching - I very nearly bought a 1993 with 78,000 miles for £38,000 in 2015 but procrastinated and missed out. I then paid £55,000 for a 1993 with 56,000 miles in 2020. My car is now probably worth £90,000.
A big attraction of these is that the cost of running it is low, a main-dealer service is £240 and Honda have a number of NSX trained mechanics who they use (however the recent cost cutting and redundancies at Honda UK seem to have changed this). I had mine serviced at Mclaren Guildford last year and they charged me £290.
To drive they are just divine - they feel small and agile and you throw it around with a huge amount of confidence. You have to drive it on the rev counter and completely ignore the sound the engine makes - your brain wants to change up at about 4000 rpm as the engine starts wailing but you're not event half way to the red line. When my wife drives it I have to constantly shout at her "don't change up" as she keeps up-shfting at 3500 rpm thinking the engine is starting to strain.
From 4500 rpm to 6500 rpm the sound is just epic, it's all induction sound and your hear what the engine and gearbox are doing. It feels like you are driving on pure torque up to 4500 then you feel the power from revs come in. Above 6500 it screams at you.
The torque and power are both increadibly linear - I think this is why people who drive them often say "they're not fast, not very powerful"... etc, if you are used to a car that has a kick of power (from turbo, high revs etc) then the NSX feels very flat, but I think that is a big appeal if it, you don't have to worry about any spikes in power right through the revs.
Finally, it's interesting how NA and NC prices are now crossing over. The earliest 2017 NCs are now around £80,000 which is where NA1's are now.
They are super cool cars and look great. I think when they were £40k the above sounds spot on but as these go over £100k its hard not to wince at the main appeals being cheap servicing and vtec. You can get what you describe in any vtec Honda.The price of this one seems fairly sensible in light of where prices have been over the past 8 years that I've been watching - I very nearly bought a 1993 with 78,000 miles for £38,000 in 2015 but procrastinated and missed out. I then paid £55,000 for a 1993 with 56,000 miles in 2020. My car is now probably worth £90,000.
A big attraction of these is that the cost of running it is low, a main-dealer service is £240 and Honda have a number of NSX trained mechanics who they use (however the recent cost cutting and redundancies at Honda UK seem to have changed this). I had mine serviced at Mclaren Guildford last year and they charged me £290.
To drive they are just divine - they feel small and agile and you throw it around with a huge amount of confidence. You have to drive it on the rev counter and completely ignore the sound the engine makes - your brain wants to change up at about 4000 rpm as the engine starts wailing but you're not event half way to the red line. When my wife drives it I have to constantly shout at her "don't change up" as she keeps up-shfting at 3500 rpm thinking the engine is starting to strain.
From 4500 rpm to 6500 rpm the sound is just epic, it's all induction sound and your hear what the engine and gearbox are doing. It feels like you are driving on pure torque up to 4500 then you feel the power from revs come in. Above 6500 it screams at you.
The torque and power are both increadibly linear - I think this is why people who drive them often say "they're not fast, not very powerful"... etc, if you are used to a car that has a kick of power (from turbo, high revs etc) then the NSX feels very flat, but I think that is a big appeal if it, you don't have to worry about any spikes in power right through the revs.
Finally, it's interesting how NA and NC prices are now crossing over. The earliest 2017 NCs are now around £80,000 which is where NA1's are now.
Edited by Matt_T on Thursday 14th December 17:38
Matt_T said:
As an owner I thought I might chime in with a few comments. I've had mine 4 years now and have loved every minute.
The price of this one seems fairly sensible in light of where prices have been over the past 8 years that I've been watching - I very nearly bought a 1993 with 78,000 miles for £38,000 in 2015 but procrastinated and missed out. I then paid £55,000 for a 1993 with 56,000 miles in 2020. My car is now probably worth £90,000.
A big attraction of these is that the cost of running it is low, a main-dealer service is £240 and Honda have a number of NSX trained mechanics who they use (however the recent cost cutting and redundancies at Honda UK seem to have changed this). I had mine serviced at Mclaren Guildford last year and they charged me £290.
To drive they are just divine - they feel small and agile and you throw it around with a huge amount of confidence. You have to drive it on the rev counter and completely ignore the sound the engine makes - your brain wants to change up at about 4000 rpm as the engine starts wailing but you're not event half way to the red line. When my wife drives it I have to constantly shout at her "don't change up" as she keeps up-shfting at 3500 rpm thinking the engine is starting to strain.
From 4500 rpm to 6500 rpm the sound is just epic, it's all induction sound and your hear what the engine and gearbox are doing. It feels like you are driving on pure torque up to 4500 then you feel the power from revs come in. Above 6500 it screams at you.
The torque and power are both increadibly linear - I think this is why people who drive them often say "they're not fast, not very powerful"... etc, if you are used to a car that has a kick of power (from turbo, high revs etc) then the NSX feels very flat, but I think that is a big appeal if it, you don't have to worry about any spikes in power right through the revs.
Finally, it's interesting how NA and NC prices are now crossing over. The earliest 2017 NCs are now around £80,000 which is where NA1's are now.
Thanks for this man, just makes me want one more. The price of this one seems fairly sensible in light of where prices have been over the past 8 years that I've been watching - I very nearly bought a 1993 with 78,000 miles for £38,000 in 2015 but procrastinated and missed out. I then paid £55,000 for a 1993 with 56,000 miles in 2020. My car is now probably worth £90,000.
A big attraction of these is that the cost of running it is low, a main-dealer service is £240 and Honda have a number of NSX trained mechanics who they use (however the recent cost cutting and redundancies at Honda UK seem to have changed this). I had mine serviced at Mclaren Guildford last year and they charged me £290.
To drive they are just divine - they feel small and agile and you throw it around with a huge amount of confidence. You have to drive it on the rev counter and completely ignore the sound the engine makes - your brain wants to change up at about 4000 rpm as the engine starts wailing but you're not event half way to the red line. When my wife drives it I have to constantly shout at her "don't change up" as she keeps up-shfting at 3500 rpm thinking the engine is starting to strain.
From 4500 rpm to 6500 rpm the sound is just epic, it's all induction sound and your hear what the engine and gearbox are doing. It feels like you are driving on pure torque up to 4500 then you feel the power from revs come in. Above 6500 it screams at you.
The torque and power are both increadibly linear - I think this is why people who drive them often say "they're not fast, not very powerful"... etc, if you are used to a car that has a kick of power (from turbo, high revs etc) then the NSX feels very flat, but I think that is a big appeal if it, you don't have to worry about any spikes in power right through the revs.
Finally, it's interesting how NA and NC prices are now crossing over. The earliest 2017 NCs are now around £80,000 which is where NA1's are now.
Edited by Matt_T on Thursday 14th December 17:38
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