RE: Honda NSX: Review

[vz-r_dave]

Terminator X said:

Vee12V said:

Just can't see its appeal without a meaningful electric range. Just what is its USP again? The 570S is a pure sports car with a carbon tub, the Turbo's the best allrounder and the R8 has got that fabulous n/a V10.

Leccy is boosting performance though?

TX.

And driving the front wheels independently!

[havoc]

vz-r_dave said:

They have done a good job making it sound like the old one

I thought it sounded quite good for a turbo V6 to start with...then as the video went on I realised how 1-dimensional the sound is - for me one of the great things about the original NSX (actually, most n/asp Type-Rs) is how broad a tonal range the engine has - depending on throttle-opening and rpm the engine can sound quite different, gives it a real character.

Anyway, they HAVE done a good job with the sound given it's turbocharged...but it's still not going to compete with a 458 or an R8...or even an AMG GT / F-Type V8.


Weight / dynamics - I'm torn - the hybrid tech really does appear to bring agility benefits and ever-present instant torque response, but is it worth the weight penalty - the powertrain may assist with rotation, but that weight will still be felt at turn-in, through the mid-corner balance, and on the brakes (suspect carbon-ceramics may become a must-have option on this...).

What I'm hoping (and I suspect WILL happen) is that Honda release different variants again - a Type-S may not be necessary given the multi-mode suspension/powertrain, but a non-hybrid Type-R with a tweaked ICE and track-focused suspension/tyres would be great to see...

[Turquoise]

Heavy.
Ugly.
It's a Honda.
Synthesised engine note.

Just don't see the appeal at all.

[tankplanker]

vz-r_dave said:

Someone else who has forgotten about the GTR.......

I hadn't, the GTR should benefit from a weight cut as well. The GTR is still an amazingly quick car but you'd have to be mad to suggest that cutting 200kg+ from a standard GTR wouldn't make a big difference to the way it performed. What the NSX has over the GTR is those electric motors to give instant acceleration, it should make it feel much faster coming out of a corner.

I'd be interested in seeing the new NSX against the GTR Nismo (and R8, 991 Turbo S, 570s) in a track battle, as I'd expect the NSX to be noticeably quicker over the track than the Nismo.

[Gandahar]

507bhp without the hybrid, what is the power to weight then, is it better? We get another 80bhp with extra weight though. Surely 500bhp is enough? The original had half that.

Forgetting that for the moment the gearbox is what is annoying me

"but with first for launch and ninth for cruising third, fourth and fifth give you all the options you need for most corners and make manual control via the paddles a natural choice."

So it only needs 5 speeds then. How do you instinctively know what gear you are in when on it and need to be in the right one? It's ok for a range rover that slurps along in auto, but for a sports car you need to know at all times what gear you are in at the moment and what gear you need to be shortly.

Is that possible with 9 gears? Never driven one so do not know. Sounds dodgy though, more for mpg than fun.

[Dan Trent]

Gandahar said:

How do you instinctively know what gear you are in when on it and need to be in the right one? It's ok for a range rover that slurps along in auto, but for a sports car you need to know at all times what gear you are in at the moment and what gear you need to be shortly.

Is that possible with 9 gears? Never driven one so do not know. Sounds dodgy though, more for mpg than fun.

That was my fear before I drove it on the track too and we were advised to drive in auto when accompanied on the track because they wanted to show off the calibration of the downshifting, etc... I later did a session in manual and, as per the story, it was actually pretty instinctive and the gears you needed were all grouped logically. Don't ask me exactly what they were but, as I said, third to fifth seemed to cover most of the corners and it was pretty easy to navigate. The power band is pretty big too and, unless you short shift, by the time you've revved it out you're unlikely to go beyond sixth on any track, unless it's got a really long straight.

Cheers,

Dan

[E65Ross]

vz-r_dave said:

drivingaddict said:

Stop living in the past people! Go buy a Lotus Exige if you want a non hybrid, low weight car, or a McLaren.

This car is exactly what the old NSX was: boring interior, unimpressive numbers for magazine racers, new tech unheard of for a mid range supercar (titanium connecting rods then, hybrid drivetrain now) etc.

The competition is much different today than back then, but it's still an amazing accomplishment.

Looks like it really flies in the corners though!

Where do you get the unimpressive numbers? Has this been tested against anything yet?

Well it was slower than the R8 V10 on top gear, and the McLaren will be faster than that.

[Gandahar]

Dan Trent said:

Gandahar said:

How do you instinctively know what gear you are in when on it and need to be in the right one? It's ok for a range rover that slurps along in auto, but for a sports car you need to know at all times what gear you are in at the moment and what gear you need to be shortly.

Is that possible with 9 gears? Never driven one so do not know. Sounds dodgy though, more for mpg than fun.

That was my fear before I drove it on the track too and we were advised to drive in auto when accompanied on the track because they wanted to show off the calibration of the downshifting, etc... I later did a session in manual and, as per the story, it was actually pretty instinctive and the gears you needed were all grouped logically. Don't ask me exactly what they were but, as I said, third to fifth seemed to cover most of the corners and it was pretty easy to navigate. The power band is pretty big too and, unless you short shift, by the time you've revved it out you're unlikely to go beyond sixth on any track, unless it's got a really long straight.

Cheers,

Dan

Thanks Dan for those extra thoughts. I still think if I had it on a B road I might get befuddled or just end up pulling the lever multiple times and hoping for the best. I do have hairy knuckles though. As does my charming wife who would also have to drive it.

[DMC2]

Turbo
4 wheel drive
Electric motors
Paddle shift
Assisted noise
Yawn.

I must be getting old but that has ZERO appeal.

[vz-r_dave]

E65Ross said:

vz-r_dave said:

drivingaddict said:

Stop living in the past people! Go buy a Lotus Exige if you want a non hybrid, low weight car, or a McLaren.

This car is exactly what the old NSX was: boring interior, unimpressive numbers for magazine racers, new tech unheard of for a mid range supercar (titanium connecting rods then, hybrid drivetrain now) etc.

The competition is much different today than back then, but it's still an amazing accomplishment.

Looks like it really flies in the corners though!

Where do you get the unimpressive numbers? Has this been tested against anything yet?

Well it was slower than the R8 V10 on top gear, and the McLaren will be faster than that.

Was that on the tiny top gear track or on something bigger?

[Dave Hedgehog]

driftingphil said:

This or an R8? I think I'd choose this.

Looks just right. not too overdone.

911R for me

[Gandahar]

Dave Hedgehog said:

driftingphil said:

This or an R8? I think I'd choose this.

Looks just right. not too overdone.

911R for me

You can't even drive those. Might have a stone chip on your blue chip, which will never do.

[swatches]

[AH33]

So nice.

How many MPGs?

[Dan Trent]

Gandahar said:

Thanks Dan for those extra thoughts. I still think if I had it on a B road I might get befuddled or just end up pulling the lever multiple times and hoping for the best. I do have hairy knuckles though. As does my charming wife who would also have to drive it.

Same applies really; on the rare bits of road where we got to let it off the leash a little third/fourth/fifth were really the only gears you used so it wasn't anything like the issue I'd feared. Again, it's the reach and (rev) range of the petrol engine that dominates so you can enjoy its full remit without the need for constant and confusing cog swapping. The noise helps you navigate where you are in the rev range too; I know it sounds a little flat on the vid but it really For a near two-tonne car it's really impressively chuckable along a twisty road and genuinely fun.

Cheers,

Dan

[JohnGoodridge]

Agree with Dan that they had to bring some USP in with the new NSX, and cut-price 918 is pretty clear.

That may or may not being your thing, but I'd wager there'll be enough who do for it to snag a decent amount of market share. IIRC exactly the same comments were made about the Porsche (how good would it be without the weight of the electrics), but it didn't stop them selling out. Despite Chris Harris' doomy prediction.

I'm torn though. I like the looks, the way the tech aids driving, the V6 sound and its seamless cleverness. But fear its weight and complexity.

[Martin_Hx]

Its a shame about the exhaust speaker jobbie but all in all i think its a cracking machine

[E65Ross]

vz-r_dave said:

E65Ross said:

vz-r_dave said:

drivingaddict said:

Stop living in the past people! Go buy a Lotus Exige if you want a non hybrid, low weight car, or a McLaren.

This car is exactly what the old NSX was: boring interior, unimpressive numbers for magazine racers, new tech unheard of for a mid range supercar (titanium connecting rods then, hybrid drivetrain now) etc.

The competition is much different today than back then, but it's still an amazing accomplishment.

Looks like it really flies in the corners though!

Where do you get the unimpressive numbers? Has this been tested against anything yet?

Well it was slower than the R8 V10 on top gear, and the McLaren will be faster than that.

Was that on the tiny top gear track or on something bigger?

I'm assuming your question isn't actually a question, because the fact I mentioned that it was on top gear automatically suggests it was on the too gear track.

It's not a big circuit, but that just means the gaps might be bigger on other circuits.

[dinkel]

How much is a 570 then?

Loving the looks and the way it goes - from what I can see on the clips.

So it's 2016 and supercars look like this. Pah. Great innit? Can't wait to see a cheeck-to-cheek with the R8, 570 and the likes on a decent track.


The NSX looks good, even in Jap white.

[Axionknight]

The whole package seems ace and if I had the means I would consider one, the only thing I would need to do is see one in the flesh, it looks a bit fussy to me, like they have tried to cram too many angles, shapes or details etc onto the body, maybe it's better in the flesh or very sensitive to the paint colour, on the surface of it though that's the only deal breaker for me.

Well played Honda