RE: Honda NSX

Author
Discussion

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

265 months

Wednesday 18th December 2002
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grahambell said:

S2 Giles said:Elise, what a wonderful car but so let down by a Rover engine ! 111S is getting there but still.


Don't know why people keep going on about the K-Series engine like it was a complete load of crap. Or maybe I do - it has a Rover badge and it's British so it must be crap. Just like everything with a German badge is brilliant...

The K-Series happens to be an award winning design and can provide a decent amount of power from what is a compact, lightweight unit, which makes it ideal for lightweight cars like the Elise and Caterham. VVC version in both 111S and TF160 seemed pretty good to me.

Guess Giles' S2 isn't the V8.


The 'problem' with the K series is that Honda make better engines. K series is OK, there are some nice design features (hence the awards) it's just not up there with the best. But then it was designed for the sort of budget that the Honda engineers wouldn't get out of bed for, so it is an acheivement to be proud of.

S2 Giles

2,870 posts

275 months

Wednesday 18th December 2002
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Hello.... Yes my S2 is only a V6 and i do love the Rover V8

But I have owned a K series Rover company car and from new, it broke down 3 times in 2 years with consistant engine problems.

I've also test driven 3 MGF's including VVC and found them gutless and dull.

My mother in law (against my advice) bought the last of the Metro's and had the engine replaced after 4000 miles !

You can see why my view may be tainted !

cheers

Newromancer

703 posts

262 months

Wednesday 18th December 2002
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Captain Muppet said:
The 'problem' with the K series is that Honda make better engines. K series is OK, there are some nice design features (hence the awards) it's just not up there with the best. But then it was designed for the sort of budget that the Honda engineers wouldn't get out of bed for, so it is an acheivement to be proud of.


That is a matter of taste! I'm owning a K-series engine and would never ever want to change it against a V-TEC. The K-series produces relatively much torque in low rev's and holds it up to the higher rev's where the engine gets shifty and the car starts to behave like a sportscar. So you can enjoy to crouse in low rev's around the corners or blast trough them in high rev's -> The engine loves both! ( So you get much power from less hourses ... that helps you save $$$ ).

The V-TEC at the other hand is much more like a bike engine. It needs brutal high revs to develop its true potential. It force you to shift alot to keep in the revs, or it will stuttler (try to let it run up hill in 3rd gear on idle gas! ... the K will do that easy.) ( A engine like that has a very high bhp point - a lot of bhp with less torque - over here you pay for HoursePower! )

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

265 months

Wednesday 18th December 2002
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Newromancer said:

Captain Muppet said:
The 'problem' with the K series is that Honda make better engines. K series is OK, there are some nice design features (hence the awards) it's just not up there with the best. But then it was designed for the sort of budget that the Honda engineers wouldn't get out of bed for, so it is an acheivement to be proud of.


That is a matter of taste! I'm owning a K-series engine and would never ever want to change it against a V-TEC. The K-series produces relatively much torque in low rev's and holds it up to the higher rev's where the engine gets shifty and the car starts to behave like a sportscar. So you can enjoy to crouse in low rev's around the corners or blast trough them in high rev's -> The engine loves both! ( So you get much power from less hourses ... that helps you save $$$ ).

The V-TEC at the other hand is much more like a bike engine. It needs brutal high revs to develop its true potential. It force you to shift alot to keep in the revs, or it will stuttler (try to let it run up hill in 3rd gear on idle gas! ... the K will do that easy.) ( A engine like that has a very high bhp point - a lot of bhp with less torque - over here you pay for HoursePower! )



Yes, the K series is less extreme than the high output Honda units. This is why people think it is boring. There is also the reliability aspect.

grahambell

2,718 posts

275 months

Wednesday 18th December 2002
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Hi Giles,

Er yes, I can see why you wouldn't be a fan. Does seem to happen with British cars that someone can have no end of problems while someone with exactly the same model can run one for years without any trouble.

Used to work with someone with a Metro GTa and the only problems he had with it were some overtaking arsehole clipping his door mirror and some other tosser breaking into it.

simonrockman

6,852 posts

255 months

Tuesday 21st January 2003
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The reason I'm shopping for an NSX is that they are so rare. I've probably only seen a dozen on the road. You see more 911s that than every time you go out for more than a couple of hours.
The biggest negative is the interior.

annsxman

295 posts

242 months

Wednesday 11th February 2004
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The NSX is a great car. People beef on about the interior but I wonder how many of them have actually sat in an NSX. It's certainly not exciting but everything is to hand and everything works, so why change it, although I admit it would be nice to be able to control the radio etc from the sterring wheel like I can on my Jeep and my Merc.

shadowninja

76,352 posts

282 months

Wednesday 11th February 2004
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Well, maybe this is insight from a layman... (well, laywoman)

Sister was thumbing through the Top Gear 2004 calendar, came across the NSX and said, 'Oh, that's a bit disappointing.'

WelshDragon

50 posts

250 months

Monday 16th February 2004
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Sorry All

I am selling my NSX and everybody who has driven it loves it.
The car will hold it's own on track or road and I will have another one better than a Ferrari because they are more reliable.

www.monsterevo.co.uk/NSX/Two%20Mills/nsx04.jpg


Dale
NSX 1

foggy

1,158 posts

282 months

Friday 20th February 2004
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Dale,

Have you sold the car already, or were you in Reading last night? I'm sure I saw your NSX round by the university last night about 11:15pm - the plate made it stand out.

WelshDragon

50 posts

250 months

Sunday 22nd February 2004
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Hi Foggy

Yes it has gone to someone in the Reading area.
It was a wonderful car and as you say it stands out

Dale

FestivAli

1,088 posts

238 months

Saturday 25th December 2004
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Podie said:
[quote]ninja_eli said: The pop up lights had to go due to high speed lift at the front, and trust me this does happen: 150MPH in my 355 at night proves it!


That may be a reason to get rid of them, but the actualy reason why pop-up lamps have gone is due to the pedestrian impact regs... note they went from everything... including diablo's...

[/quote]

They removed the pop up lights because the two electric motors in the front of the car that powered their operation weighed 80kgs - pretty heavy. I don't know about this high speed lift bollocks - could be true I suppose. Pedestrian regs seems more likely, plus I read about the weight thing.

FestivAli

1,088 posts

238 months

Saturday 8th January 2005
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I got that out of a MOTOR magazine article which compared the Honda NSX with the Porsche 911. They said 80kegs, so if it sounds funny (which it does, I suppose) blame the good fellas at that quality publication.

dinkel

26,941 posts

258 months

Monday 10th January 2005
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Fe is about 8x heavier than water . . . so a 20cm high iron midget weighs . . . about 40 kgs