23109VC

I have never driven one, and have always wondered how quick the NSX really is. The car magazines always said great things about them, but the hp numbers never really seemed that drastic... I'm sure the car was more on par with the competition when it was in production, and power numbers have kept rising...so by "today's" standards, it's not THAT impresive, but maybe an NSX would run with and keep up with modern / new sports cars...

i'm just curious. i wonder if a new 370Z, EVO X, etc would just outrun / blow away a early model NSX...maybe not...

i also know how much fun a car is to drive does NOT necessarily directly correlate to how fast it is in a straight line (my 2000 boxster is a perfect example - it's NOT that fast, maybe low 14s in teh 1/4, but WOW is it fun to drive!) - so maybe the true "appeal" of owning/driving an NSX in today's market is not that it is super "fast" but just the fun factor of driving it...maybe they are actually super quick...

i still see them for sale and some of them are REALLY expensive and I wonder how they stack up the newer cars that one could buy for the same money..

anyone here own one, or have substantial seat time in one, AND have other cars they can compare it to? compared to a Boxster, Cayman, 911, Z, Vette, M3, etc......

I'm guessing a stock late model NSX is a high 13s, low 14s car... which is pelnty quick, but not blazing fast by todays standards. maybe in the handling/cornering dept they do great?

do they hold up well long term and are they reasonable to maintain? i know my Boxster, despite being the "cheapest" POrsche is FAR from cheap to maintain!

Costco

my friend has one and I also looked at one in one of my auto classes. I've ridden in two different 91's and an '02 and both of them are pretty fast, but it's not force you into your seat fast. They're pretty fast in the 1/4 mile but that's deceiving because the mid-engine placement grants them a lot of grip from a standstill.

There's just incredible grip in turns, IIRC my friend was going 60mph on a cloverleaf off-ramp and the tires were barely making any noise. and there's just something really charming about hearing an engine wind up right behind you, like in an MR2 or an NSX.

Evo Xs are pretty slow from the factory for what they are, but you can make one a lot faster for pretty cheap, at which point I think the Evo will probably beat the NSX in terms of comfort, handling, acceleration, practicality, and bang for your buck. But you then have to weigh your priorities, and whether or not you like the styling or if you really need a sedan.

ck123

compare 1/4 times. nsx is in the mid 13's. very respectable considering their output.
nsx-r runs 12's with < 300hp. talk about engineering..........

Mar48

iTrader: (1)

in terms of all out performance for the money, you could do better nowadays. BUT, you will not find a better looking car for the money, it also handles amazing, is a reliable supercar, and is rare. Also, I rode in one and it was very very fun, driving would be even more fun. You won't find that kind of fun factor in almost anything (one exception that comes to mind - Lotus Elise) nowadays with all the electronics and how heavy cars are now.

PAUL5150

It really depends on how you define "fast." If you are talking about a 1/4 mile car, then no, the NSX is not that fast compared to today's HP beasts. A lightly modded coupe like mine (which were the lightest variant sold in the US) will run in the low-mid 13's on stock power. As noted above, the 2003 NSX-R (which is almost 200 lbs lighter than stock) consistenly runs in the mid-12's. With that said, the NSX is not really a drag car. It is not geared for it and the suspension is not designed for it. Instead, it is designed to be fast on a road course.

Looking at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, which could be considered to be the ultimate road course, the NSX routinely beats cars with much higher power levels. For example, a 2003 NSX-R with 290 hp lapped the ring in 7:56, which is the same time as a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale with an advertised 420 hp. Even a bone-stock 1991 NSX with the original skinny tires did a 8:16. I would consider that to be very fast. In fact, it's a great example of why comparing horsepower numbers in magazines is not a great way to determine the performance level of a car. Actually driving the car on a course gives you a much better frame of reference. I've driven all of the cars on your list (except the Cayman) and the only one that feels much faster than my NSX is the Z06 Vette. Still, I prefer the NSX.

Early model NSX's are just starting to show their age in terms of performance, but a few mods can easily correct it. They are still very competitive on the track. Late model variants with the 3.2 and 6-speed do very well against newer sports cars and only start to struggle when the Z06/GT-R/Viper folks hit the track (and even then, only on the straights). Generally, the 370Z, Evo X and similar cars are not in the same performance class as the NSX. At the stoplight maybe, but not on a road course.

yellownsx

The things that turn me on about the NSX most are appearance, the ability to take a corner at 70 mph, and reliability. I asked alot of questions before buying an NSX. I asked what was going to break, and when. The answer I got was Clutches and tires....That's what your going to buy! On the price sticker of the car ( if you were lucky / rich enough to get it new ) It warns you that you will not get 10,000 miles out of a set of tires. ( the actual number of miles is closer to 6k ). I have just a bit more than 40k on my car and it is not costly to own ( other than the fore mentioned parts ) Incidently, The clutch parts ( from dealer ) are around a grand. Outside of that you do an oil change every two weeks and buy gas every 15 minutes. ( okay, maybe not quite that often ). Bought brakes once, Battery once.
The car gets noticed! ( mines yellow, and thats worse ) even by the police, no, wait, ESPECIALLY by the POLICE! Even when you are stone cold legal!
The car speeds effortlessly, I drove the car from Penn to Chicago. I had just bought the car and was trying to be good. The engine "sings" a little diddy after a particular RPM, Thats the only way I can describe it. I was on the road listening to it sing it's little song when I saw a car coming up behind me, HARD! I looked down at the speedo and to my horror saw that I was doing 90mph! He was still a ways behind me when I saw him and I knew I couldn't get him to believe that I was legal, But maybe I could get him to believe I was closer to 70mph. I locked in the cruise at 70 and hoped for the best..... He must have bought it because he sat in my blind spot for about a minute ( felt like 20 min) And then just went on by. Probably just wanted a good look at the car.
The car is quick, but not fast. ( if you want fast, buy a Supra, put the biggest turbo you can find in it and pump it up, people out there are getting as much as 1400 HP out of them ). As reliable as any honda, and not bad on gas. What more do you want out of your supercar?
P.S. Stock to still does 172mph

Meeyatch1

I agree with most of what has been said. I have had a few NSXs, and still have my 1994 Grand Prix White one. I love the car, and drive it every day, and I have piled on a ton of miles. Currently I am almost at 169,000 miles and have never had to put a clutch or significant repair into the car, and that is with the car seeing track duty in addition to daily driving. I have done all maintenance, including timing belt, water pump, accessory belts, and change all fluids regularly. The car is a pleasure to own, but not the choice for you if you want 'HOLY *%#$ THIS CAR IS FAST' types of speed. If you want that, you need something with more power or turbos, plain and simple. That being said, I still have this car. The handling is a dream, the engine sound is amazing on full acceleration, and I love driving it. I am comfortable in the car, and everything is where I like it to be. It is like the car was designed for me. Just like anything, get what you like, and tell everyone else to kiss off!!

turbo2go

Yeah you called it in that most people mistake "fast" for "fun". What they seek in a car is actually fun, but they try to determine the fun factor by its 0-60 time or its lateral acceleration.

I have always loved the Boxster, my ex had an 07 Boxster S and I almost bought a Cayman S.

But few cars are as FUN as the NSX, and the majority of that is due to its driving position and ergonomics. The view of the road and the smoothness of the controls make this car VERY fun.

It is underpowered compared to modern cars, but not slow. I recently was on a Nissan GTR kick. When I drove my supercharged NSX to the dealer, the only cars the mechanics and the salesmen were interested in, was mine. After a 30 minute test drive, I felt the GTR was very fast, although not blindingly fast because I suppose I was used to the supercharger in mine. Overall, I hate to say this, but... I was bored. It was a sunny day, I left the paddle shifters, the muted exhaust, the sedan-like driving position, and got into my NSX with the top off, the 6 speed, the fantastic exhaust note of my aftermarket exhaust and the low low low seating to the ground and I was like "yeah... this is more fun".

As far as how "fast" it is.... if you mean in a straight line, not all that fast. On a racetrack it is a different story. I have no issues keeping up with R8's, F430's, 997's and Z06's with my car. When I race with the ferrari club, most Ferrari owners are interested in talking to me about MY car.... it is more rare than some Ferraris.

CGP CL9

stock for stock.
rx7 is faster than an nsx (in circuit road racing, which is closest to real world driving conditions).
so... yes there are better performance/handling cars that you could buy for the money, but i would still pick an nsx over a 370z, 350z, m3, evo 9 or 10 any day.
but then again... im the type of person who would find a way have a road legal r34 before i bought any ferrari or lambo regardless of how much money i had.

turbo2go

I'm not sure about that. The 1995 RX7 in its last year was light and very quick on a track, but I am not sure it is faster than a 3.2 6 speed NSX, let alone the 3.0 5 speed.

turbo2go

Sorry I meant to say "or" the 5 speed NA1 cars.