Friday 16th January 2015

Honda NSX-R: Time For Tea?

Remind yourself how much the new car has to live up to with a very special 'ring lap

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Truth be told, this video has been Time For Tea? contention for a while. It's that good. Now with the new Honda NSX finally out in the open, when better to celebrate the original?

Moreover, this isn't just any old NSX, it's an NSX-R. At the Nurburgring. Lapping in less than eight minutes. Most wouldn't bat an eyelid at that today but a 7:56 back in 2004 was a notable achievement, particularly when you look at the spec. It's just 5hp up on the Megane Trophy-R (picked as an entirely random example...) and the weight advantage is only 27kg in the Honda's favour. The Megane has another 40lb ft of torque and we all know how far tyre technology has come in a decade too. That 7:56 lap still stands up as a great one.

Especially when you watch it. This video has the benefit of a foot and tacho cam so it's a really immersive experience. And the NSX looks an absolute joy. A tight, precise shift, perfectly placed pedals and an engine that just begs to be revved. And a steering wheel that's just a steering wheel. Our man behind it certainly knows what he's doing too.

I've lost count of the amount of times I've actually watched this. For me the best section is the two minutes from 5:25 that covers the corner before the Karussell to just past Pflanzgarten. It's fast, committed and just plain brilliant.

But the whole thing is great really, particularly if you have a penchant for NSXs. Let's see what the new one can do.

Watch the video here.

 

 

[Sampaio]

In my opinion the NSX and specially the Type R is one of the best cars ever made, and would certainly be present on my dream garage.

[Schermerhorn]

The original NSX competed with the Ferrari 348, F355 and 360 Mondena and in NSX-R form was a credible rival to the F430. It was THAT good.

And it had 'only' 280 BHP.

[MissChief]

Never sure if I should be happy or sad that a FWD 'hatchback' can beat this. I know which I would rather have. And it's not French. Or German in a Spanish frock either.

[240R]

Nice driving and very nicely balanced car. I'd almost go so far as to say he made that look quite easy!

[M@1975]

The old NSX is such a brilliant brilliant thing that it really makes you wonder what they were thinking wiht the overcomplication of the new one..

[rb26]

http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/HONDA/NSX... I'll just leave this here.......

Edited by rb26 on Friday 16th January 18:54

[TWPC]

Aah, isn't that just a great vid.
One thing that really struck me is how low the scuttle is and hwo fantastic the visibility...

[P4ROT]

Sampaio said:

In my opinion the NSX and specially the Type R is one of the best cars ever made, and would certainly be present on my dream garage.

So true, was far ahead of some of the much more exotic competition at the time (in the same sort of way the Mclaren F1 was).

[P4ROT]

rb26 said:

http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/php/search/summary... I'll just leave this here.......

Doesn't work for me - if it's a used NSX-R I'd be v interested to see.

[mp3manager]

Only 1,000km!

http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/HONDA/NSX...

Love the features list on that ad....Japlish at its best.

Edited by mp3manager on Friday 16th January 18:22

[mjames75]

Dream car. Love my Nsx.never really heard a video that truly shows the unique engine note from inside the cockpit....its amazing

[Sampaio]

Schermerhorn said:

The original NSX competed with the Ferrari 348, F355 and 360 Mondena and in NSX-R form was a credible rival to the F430. It was THAT good.

And it had 'only' 280 BHP.

It's a shame that when a new performance car shows up with anything less than 300bhp nowadays it's immediately considered slow and useless. The fastest car I've driven had the modest amount of 225bhp and it felt pretty good in terms of acceleration, could obviously cope with a little more, but I can only imagine that after a certain point (probably that 280-300bhp mark) things would get unnecessarily fast and dangerous, and I know I wouldn't be enjoying myself then.

Read any review of a car with more than 300bhp and it'll either be something like an RS6 - fast but too heavy and vague in feel; or a 911 GT3 / 458 Speciale - fast, agile, precise, but you can only exploit it on the track or a closed mountain road.

I guess the japanese weren't mad for setting that 280bhp limit in the 90's after all...

[rb26]

P4ROT said:

Doesn't work for me - if it's a used NSX-R I'd be v interested to see.

Edited to add a link with a car, if you go onto the main page:

1) click Honda
2) Select NSX (Press go)
3) Click grade/model type in the search bar and select Type-R or desired model)
4) Hey-presto

[Matthew Clarke]

I love that video sooooo much. Only car regret in life is not buying an NSX-R when I had opportunity. May have cost me my cahonees at the time but Im sure the last 10 years would have been immense and it would have been a stunning investment of my money.

Pure car porn and just shows that a classic doesnt have to have a horse on the badge to get the trouser department moving!

[soad]

Makes me want one, damn you PistonHeads.

[rob.e]

Sampaio said:

In my opinion the NSX and specially the Type R is one of the best cars ever made, and would certainly be present on my dream garage.

+1

Awesome

[TheFinners]

I'd honestly take one of these over almost any current super/hypercar, would absolutely love to own even a regular NSX but it is going to be a long time until I can afford one, if I ever will be able to...

[The Pits]

Fantastic, he spent most of the video north of 8000 rpm!

The driver is very committed and a sets very fast time for the full lap. Flat through fuchsrohre, no sign of a lift over flugplatz and various other places that I don't quite have the nerve to do with barriers merely a few feet away. The car doesn't look especially fast on the straights but he's carrying a lot of corner speed and is barely on the brakes, it must have had some serious anchors on it!

[mnx42]

Always fancied one of these ( in any form), pure automotive class.

[redroadster]

The value of these cars are going to rocket ,they really are fantastic.