NSX vs 996 Turbo?

[Onetrackmind]

I own a 996tt and I'm the OP. My thoughts are that the 996 has it down in terms of practicality. The four seats, 4wd and great visibility and drivability of a 911 are probably superior. The torque of the mezger engine is pretty addictive and means you can really make use of the engine every trip. It's missing a decent exhaust and engine note. I'm not saying it sounds bad, just that it's probably not going to be as a nice as a screaming V6 VTEC. I previously owned both a 1991 2.2 VTEC Prelude and S2000 - both had great engines that sounded fantastic. Wringing out a high revving and great sounding petrol NA engine is always a pleasure. Both look great in their own way. The wide arch and vented turbo with the familiar 911 shape looks great, as does the low and wide NSX. The NSX has the Senna link, which makes it pretty special, wheras the TT has the pedigree and Mezger link.

In terms of price, I don't think they are miles apart. Comparing manual models, the 996 TT in the UK seems to be around £30k. There appear to be some japanese imported NSX's at around this price, many of which come with some nice aftermarket mods, such as, BBS wheels, exhaust, Recaro seats, decent aftermarket suspension etc.

[daveofedinburgh]

NSX all day.

Nowhere near the real-world pace of the 996 Turbo (which I suspect won't remain a bargain for long), but the NSX just has more kudos amongst 'car people', myself included. I bang on about 996s more than any other car on PH, but didn't even have to think about OPs question in this case.

Senna stuff aside, it simply is more of a classic/ icon than the 996 Turbo. If you must have/ are used to big horsepowers/ torques, the NSX will feel underpowered. I personally don't care about power if the rest of the car is sublime and usable more of the time. I'd have that skinny-tyred, Suzuki-engined Caterham that came out recently over the big, scary '500-whatever-it-was', for example- especially if I were paying!

I imagine it's alot easier to find a good 996 Turbo than an NSX too, particularly in the UK. Do NSXs with reasonable miles/ history and a manual box come up for sale any more at non-extortionate prices?

There was a time (many years ago) when I was still into Jap performance stuff and would see NSXs owned by young guys, often heavily modified. Wonder how many cars have been ruined/ devalued by these years of relative affordability/ availability? So much aftermarket temptation- unusual for something like the NSX which is (rightly or wrongly) regarded as a legitimate 'Supercar' by many.

Also have to wonder how many were snapped up when there were ~£12K examples, and subsequently not properly cared for... It's almost as easy to maintain as an Accord after all, isn't it?

Similar story to eg the mkiv Supra, but with fewer cars available.

I'd personally be quite satisfied with a modified (or even 100K+ miles) car were the owner able to demonstrate that it had been looked after.

A recent piece on /DRIVE comparing an FI converted/ NA tuned car showed that there is more than one way to build a great, usable NSX. Both cars were in North America obviously...

[Impasse]

Neither car would feature on my shopping list but that wasn't the question, I know. I just can't get excited about either. Chicken or beef?

[Pommygranite]

How good or bad is the Auto in an NSX?

I ask because although it really it should be a manual what about using an NSX as a daily driver and spending a lot of it in heavy traffic?

[RobM77]

Onetrackmind said:

There appear to be some japanese imported NSX's at around this price, many of which come with some nice aftermarket mods, such as, BBS wheels, exhaust, Recaro seats, decent aftermarket suspension etc.

So Senna tunes the suspension and people say "nah, I reckon I can do better"!

[SonicShadow]

RobM77 said:

o Senna tunes the suspension and people say "nah, I reckon I can do better"!

Stock suspension is always a compromise. A good suspension upgrade simply shifts that compromise in a different direction.

[macky17]

Derek Chevalier said:

Aren't all three approx. the same performance wise - 0-60 in around 5 secs, 170 top end?

996TT much quicker than that. I'd still have the NSX though.

[RobM77]

SonicShadow said:

RobM77 said:

o Senna tunes the suspension and people say "nah, I reckon I can do better"!

Stock suspension is always a compromise. A good suspension upgrade simply shifts that compromise in a different direction.

It's true that stock suspension is a compromise, but suspension isn't that easy to tune, you can't just chuck stiffer springs and dampers on a car to make it better suited to track driving or faster road driving. If the car rolls less then you'll need different camber settings, and that in turn might demand different toe and maybe castor settings. ARBs might change too, and you may also need different tyre pressures. You'll also be on a different part of the curve of camber vs toe change. I'm sure there's more I haven't thought of!

[e8_pack]

well i considered a lot of cars when i bought my 996, i always wanted to buy a GTR, however, when you have the cash to spend and you're out shopping, there's just something a bit more special about a Porsche which clinches it.

A Honda NSX outside of PH in the real world is a Honda. A very good, rare and one of the best Honda's, but still will always be 'just' a Honda. It just takes away the occasion. Same story with the Nissan and i've never been a badge snob, but when i was a kid, Porsche was one of my bedroom pinups, even if it wasn't actually - no one had posters of an NSX, at least no one i knew.

[g7jhp]

Derek Chevalier said:

Aren't all three approx. the same performance wise - 0-60 in around 5 secs, 170 top end?

These two aren't really a fair match. The Honda NSX was compared against the Porsche 964 in tests at launch.

The performance figures are:

Honda NSX - 0.60 in 5.5 and 168mph (196bhp per ton)
Porsche 996 turbo - 0.60 in 4.1 and 191mph (272bhp per ton)

I'd have the 996 turbo.....sorry I did buy the 996 turbo!

[Derek Chevalier]

g7jhp said:

Derek Chevalier said:

Aren't all three approx. the same performance wise - 0-60 in around 5 secs, 170 top end?

These two aren't really a fair match. The Honda NSX was compared against the Porsche 964 in tests at launch.

The performance figures are:

Honda NSX - 0.60 in 5.5 and 168mph (196bhp per ton)
Porsche 996 turbo - 0.60 in 4.1 and 191mph (272bhp per ton)

I'd have the 996 turbo.....sorry I did buy the 996 turbo!

I thought we were comparing the Boxster, NSX and NA 996? Certainly when the 996 and NSX were tested they were sub 5 second to 0 cars.

[anonymous-user]

Derek Chevalier said:

I thought we were comparing the Boxster, NSX and NA 996? Certainly when the 996 and NSX were tested they were sub 5 second to 0 cars.

Maybe the NSX-R but the 3.0 was not sub 5 secs. Even the 3.2 which I had wasn't ballistic, that was never the point of them though.

[Derek Chevalier]

yonex said:

Derek Chevalier said:

I thought we were comparing the Boxster, NSX and NA 996? Certainly when the 996 and NSX were tested they were sub 5 second to 0 cars.

Maybe the NSX-R but the 3.0 was not sub 5 secs. Even the 3.2 which I had wasn't ballistic, that was never the point of them though.

The 996 was 3.2 era.
As an aside, the 2002 NSX press car did 172 round the Millbrook bowl which equates to 180 on the flat - no way was it standard!!

[g7jhp]

Derek Chevalier said:

g7jhp said:

Derek Chevalier said:

Aren't all three approx. the same performance wise - 0-60 in around 5 secs, 170 top end?

These two aren't really a fair match. The Honda NSX was compared against the Porsche 964 in tests at launch.

The performance figures are:

Honda NSX - 0.60 in 5.5 and 168mph (196bhp per ton)
Porsche 996 turbo - 0.60 in 4.1 and 191mph (272bhp per ton)

I'd have the 996 turbo.....sorry I did buy the 996 turbo!

I thought we were comparing the Boxster, NSX and NA 996? Certainly when the 996 and NSX were tested they were sub 5 second to 0 cars.

The thread title is NSX vs 996 turbo?

[anonymous-user]

Derek Chevalier said:

The 996 was 3.2 era.
As an aside, the 2002 NSX press car did 172 round the Millbrook bowl which equates to 180 on the flat - no way was it standard!!

Not so sure. The NSX was very efficient, I know a couple which at a VMax thing did pretty well.

[AW111]

e8_pack said:

well i considered a lot of cars when i bought my 996, i always wanted to buy a GTR, however, when you have the cash to spend and you're out shopping, there's just something a bit more special about a Porsche which clinches it.

A Honda NSX outside of PH in the real world is a Honda. A very good, rare and one of the best Honda's, but still will always be 'just' a Honda. It just takes away the occasion. Same story with the Nissan and i've never been a badge snob, but when i was a kid, Porsche was one of my bedroom pinups, even if it wasn't actually - no one had posters of an NSX, at least no one i knew.

You have never been a badge snob, but the NSX is "just a Honda"

The 996 to me is "just a Porsche". A very good Porsche, but just a Porsche.

[Ten Four]

Ok thought I'd chime in...
NSX owner, reliability and daily usability = NSX if you can bear leaving it places and not worry about other people scratching / denting it etc. Its extremely comfortable, quiet and civilised unless you get on it (can't speak for stock exhaust as mine is aftermarket, I assume the same). But I've never driven or been in a 996.

After owning 2 R32 GTRs and 1 R33 GTR, power of the 996 wasn't something to be considered as it would've just been left far behind. I bought the NSX as it was a dream car that would be reliable and useable. (Nothing goes wrong..) The Honda nerdyness of it suits me perfect. They made the fastest car to the set requirement of 270HP (or there abouts). I didn't buy it for horsepower, I bought it because it just feels so special and well put together. The cockpit visibility is amazing and I adore the shape. It still makes me smile every time I drive it. I see countless porsches and they don't do a thing for me.

If the NSX deal hadn't gone through, I'd be talking right now from the owners point of a blue R34 GTR . The R35 doesn't even come into consideration if I'm paying for it.

Edited by Ten Four on Friday 10th July 06:59

[e8_pack]

AW111 said:

e8_pack said:

well i considered a lot of cars when i bought my 996, i always wanted to buy a GTR, however, when you have the cash to spend and you're out shopping, there's just something a bit more special about a Porsche which clinches it.

A Honda NSX outside of PH in the real world is a Honda. A very good, rare and one of the best Honda's, but still will always be 'just' a Honda. It just takes away the occasion. Same story with the Nissan and i've never been a badge snob, but when i was a kid, Porsche was one of my bedroom pinups, even if it wasn't actually - no one had posters of an NSX, at least no one i knew.

You have never been a badge snob, but the NSX is "just a Honda"

The 996 to me is "just a Porsche". A very good Porsche, but just a Porsche.

I used to love seeing every GTR smash the new 911 for half the price. Enjoyed watching some cossie rinse a Porsche up the strip, I would have bought a high performance supercar eating ricer in an instant over a Porsche. Until I actually went to buy one.

I see the above guy bought an NSX and considers 911's slow in comparison - I think a GTR would beat one 9/10, so he's right. But I still bought one and I could easily have bought a GTR but I didn't. I also considered the NSX but for me it looks very dated and way to slow in that price bracket. Besides I modify pretty much every car I own and the porker takes the mods very well.

[mat205125]

I really like the NSX concept, the "divine" drivers car stories (never driven one), and the fact that it is a true collectors car that is rare and will only grow in value and respect in future years. When the prices started in the high teens, and £25k would buy a good one, they could have been considered great value too. With the way that their prices have rocketed in recent years, as with E30 M3s and such like, I think that they are too expensive for what they give ........ that's obviously a personal opinion, as someone must be paying top coin for these cars for the prices to be where they're heading to, albeit I think it's sad that they are almost becoming museum treasures, rather than being used as the drivers tool (scalpel) that they were designed to be.

That's the crux of the matter for me! I don't want these cars to polish and cruise, and trailer about, and show at gatherings. To that end, I'd take like for like cash, and choose the 996 Turbo route from the pair of choices.

Maintain it fastidiously.
Tune it conservatively.
Use it and enjoy it regularly!!!!

Given where the NSX prices are rising towards, does a theoretical budget for a good example get close to where a V8 R8 has fallen to? In the best traditions of choosing a 3rd option that wasn't originally given, I'd have one of those please.

[EskimoArapaho]

e8_pack said:

well i considered a lot of cars when i bought my 996, i always wanted to buy a GTR, however, when you have the cash to spend and you're out shopping, there's just something a bit more special about a Porsche which clinches it.

A Honda NSX outside of PH in the real world is a Honda. A very good, rare and one of the best Honda's, but still will always be 'just' a Honda. It just takes away the occasion. Same story with the Nissan and i've never been a badge snob, but when i was a kid, Porsche was one of my bedroom pinups, even if it wasn't actually - no one had posters of an NSX, at least no one i knew.

Well, I was in the exact same situation, but for me a Porsche turbo is - as you might put it - 'just a Porsche'. That's to say it is an easy choice for those who want that badge (that's not all it has, of course, but we all know that it's what matters to most 911 owners).

Meanwhile, there was what semed to be an never-ending stream of car reviewers/writers who kept heaping praise on the NSX. These were people whose opinions and experience I trusted, from the early Autocar handling reviews to Setright. And every time I saw an NSX (perhaps 5 times over a 20 year period), the shape enthralled me. It managed to be both more elegant and more sensible than anything else I wanted.

It took me many years until my circumstances changed and I could afford to buy either. And somehow ... I bought two NSXs. One to keep stock and one to tweak (because, the chassis is definitely capable of more 270bhp/210lbft, even if it doesn't need it).