RE: Time for Tea? Why the Honda NSX is brilliant...

[MG CHRIS]

Ive only ever seen 1 nsx followed it through my home town blackwood(south wales) and stopped at the petrol station, it sounded amazing everybody was looking at it, the reg was something like H8 NSX. Would love to drive one but would rather own a ferrari 355.

[roland82]

Solarius said:

Video really makes me think of the early 'Gran Turismo' game's... - From about 4 min 10...

The computer simulation was made by Polyphony Digital, Gran Turismo developers.

[Dave Hedgehog]

dont get this sudden fawning over the NSX

I had a deposit down on a new one about 10 years ago, subject to test drive, it handled well, performance was OK but slow for how it looks imo but i found it drove like a civic, to easy to drive, got my deposit back

id like to drive the R

Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Monday 6th February 20:49

[hondansx]

OdramaSwimLaden said:

Anyone got any ideas of any NSX specialists in the UK??

There's only two cars on PH and the same on Autotrader!!

You just have to be patient, i'm afraid. And put wanted ads up, as most are 'keepers' but you never know, some owners may be persuaded. Sadly though, the best have been going to Hong Kong due to the exchange rate.

Here is our one, complete with new Super GT style scoop



Have to say, contemporary road tests bemoaned a lack of character (read, competence). Completely untrue, especially compared to the ever more synthesized modern sports cars.

[ZesPak]

Is it me or does this really gives Lambo a run for it's money in the looks department?

[Dave Hedgehog]

ZesPak said:

Is it me or does this really gives Lambo a run for it's money in the looks department?

its you

looks like a power ranger toy from the 80s

its begging for a giant wing on the back

[tgr]

wheels a bit bling?

[ZesPak]

Dave Hedgehog said:

its you

looks like a power ranger toy from the 80s

its begging for a giant wing on the back

I thought both were a requirement for a lambo?

[Grovsie26]

TomTVR500 said:

They are fantastic cars, the only one I have ever seen on the road was filling the mirrors of my 182 on the motorway last year, being followed by an E46 M3 CS or CSL. It looked and sounded brilliant.
I would love one if they weren't so expensive and you can't find the 2002- Type R's anywhere.

Probly cus they cost well over 100k to import at the time, and more now lol.

[havoc]

Flying machine said:

It's certainly a striking looking car and I'd love to be able to have a drive in one, but this is going to fly in the face of PH received wisdom, I've never 'got' the NSX - as in I've never felt any desire for one - especially at the price they are now. How many people here have actually had one? I'm sure they're great, but for those few who have experience, can you describe why you chose it and what it's like to live with. Not a dig at it, just very curious

I understand what you mean...there's a lot of history and hype, does it live up to it all? Mostly, I'd say.

I bought mine as I'd wanted one for years (car history might give away why... ). Because of the hype, to a degree, but also BECAUSE of the accessibility - I'm not a hairy-chested Troy Queef, I know I'm an average (enthusiast) driver, and I'm not an expert mechanic. So something easy to drive AND reliable, yet still a supercar?!? What's not to like? And because, for the image/performance/ability/reliability equation, it's still ridiculously cheap to buy (and run, with caveats!).


Image - it's the ultimate Japanese performance car (GTR's notwithstanding). It's no high-fashion style-machine, but it's definitely dated well, although as standard she's got a big arse. In yellow it looks stunning...turns way more heads than almost any Porsche!

Performance - enough for the road (E46 M3 territory) - more than enough - most of my fun B-road and A-road drives see me in licence-losing territory, why do I want a 500bhp fire-breathing turbo-nutter-mobile...

Ability - ...especially as the NSX delivers it's performance with a ride better than most hot-hatches, with precision (steering may be 4-turns but it's responsive and the car is really easy to place), with fluidity, with poise that even Porsche would be proud of. It really is easy to drive...but with a depth that normal 'easy' cars don't have - I still know this car is better than me, I still know I've got stuff to learn before I really push HARD, but I also know it's going to give me a warning, a safety-net that the equivalent Ferrari, Porsche or TVR wouldn't do.

...and with a soundtrack that is only bettered by the GT3s, Tubi'd 355's and TVRs...and even then they're all exhaust, the NSX is all induction, all the way past 8k...YOU get the pleasure of it without scaring people in the next village! A CSL sounds better from the cabin, an AMG or a TVR V8 does too...but not a lot else this side of £100k!

Reliability - it's an older car now, it needs maintenance and refurb work. But it still starts first time, it's still built in a very 'Germanic' Japanese way, and feels like it'll do another 100k quite happily. Repair parts are pricey vs an M3, say. But no more so than a Porsche, and servicing is normal Honda prices - for an NSX!!!


The only way to persuade you is to get you to drive one - it feels delightfully organic, analogue in a very 1990s way, and so beautifully balanced and precisely engineered. Last words from a couple of petrolheads I know about my 100k mile 96 car - one ex-996 owner "that's the best car I've ever driven"; and one retired driver-of-all-sorts, who said the engine was "fantastic - among the best-sounding I've heard - didn't expect it to be so good" (he's good friends with a 355 owner and a Viper owner)


In some ways I'd like a less special weekend car - something like my old S2000, where I could go and be a hooligan in the wet and not worry. But every time I park up I have to look back at the car, even after 2.5 years and 12k miles.

Edited by havoc on Monday 6th February 21:52

[Dave Hedgehog]

ZesPak said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

its you

looks like a power ranger toy from the 80s

its begging for a giant wing on the back

I thought both were a requirement for a lambo?

ahh but lambos are decepticons thats an autofagbot

[Flying machine]

StevieB said:

TO answer the previous respondant, why the NSX is significant is that it was the first supercar your granny could drive, that could be serviced as easily as a Civic, was reliable, functional, could be driven on the limit without trouble and yet had all the usual supercar benefits. It was the car that made Ferrari actually try hard with the sublime 355 and influenced Gordon Murray with the F1. What more can you say?

Certainly sounds good! Have you ever owned one? If so, was it easy to live with? i.e. parts etc

[benzito]

I think the NSX has always looked fabulous (supercar looks) and I'm sure it handles really well. However it was underpowered IMO and this has always surprised me. Nevermind supercar acceleration - i reckon it would struggle to keep up even with everyday sports cars like old M3's/s4's

[TomTVR500]

Dave Hedgehog said:

ZesPak said:

Is it me or does this really gives Lambo a run for it's money in the looks department?

its you

looks like a power ranger toy from the 80s

its begging for a giant wing on the back

I tend to agree. I am not keen on the looks at all. I think the 2002- NSX looked a lot better. I also prefer the look of the original concept car:

http://px6.streetfire.net/0001/60/13/1000631_600.j...

[TomTVR500]

Grovsie26 said:

Probly cus they cost well over 100k to import at the time, and more now lol.

Very good point, it is still a shame though

[drophead]

roland82 said:

Solarius said:

Video really makes me think of the early 'Gran Turismo' game's... - From about 4 min 10...

The computer simulation was made by Polyphony Digital, Gran Turismo developers.

Definitely looked like one of the intro vids they produce for a car if it's significant enough, i.e. Toyota GT86, Ferrari California etc. Wouldn't be surprised if that video was going to go directly into the game!

[jtopps]

drophead said:

roland82 said:

Solarius said:

Video really makes me think of the early 'Gran Turismo' game's... - From about 4 min 10...

The computer simulation was made by Polyphony Digital, Gran Turismo developers.

Definitely looked like one of the intro vids they produce for a car if it's significant enough, i.e. Toyota GT86, Ferrari California etc. Wouldn't be surprised if that video was going to go directly into the game!

The video is definitely made with by Polyphony and Gran Turismo, it has the logo at the end for a start and also if you're a geek like me you will have recognised the virtual new NSX was racing around the "High Speed Ring" and "Cape Ring" tracks as well as some others. Quite a cool video, definitely stirs up some nostalgia for me as the first game came out when I was 8 so I can't help but get excited by Gran Turismo especially with cars like the NSX which have been in the games since the start. As for the new NSX I think it looks stunning and I've always dreamt of driving/owning one of the originals because of how good the car has been in Gran Turismo since day one. This car is gonna be awesome. I just know it.

[Dave Hedgehog]

TomTVR500 said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

ZesPak said:

Is it me or does this really gives Lambo a run for it's money in the looks department?

its you

looks like a power ranger toy from the 80s

its begging for a giant wing on the back

I tend to agree. I am not keen on the looks at all. I think the 2002- NSX looked a lot better. I also prefer the look of the original concept car:

http://px6.streetfire.net/0001/60/13/1000631_600.j...

that looks amazing, modern jap cars are just to fussy and over designed for my liking, cars like this tend to age very quickly and badly

[FestivAli]

I'd never realised how good they sound until this morning, when I saw one on my way to work (prev only seen them parked - this one was moving, in a tunnel - silver with black roof - noice). Heard it through my helmet! - metallicky and shrieky, but seems to work.

do hope they offer a manual version. Very much doubt they will, and it will very unlikely be in my budget (unless I get a real job in the next 3 years) but I am loving this whole Japanese sportscar resurgence.

Ali.

[BanzaiMan]

BOBBY G said:

Baryonyx said:

These have long been my favourite 'sports car'. Everything is just so right about them. Most admirable, perhaps, is their relatively low power meaning they can be enjoyed on the road.

How about an elise?...........everything is even more so right

Engine in different ballpark. Refinement.