I just wanted to let all you NSX fans know that last Saturday, at Acura of Memphis in Memphis Tennessee, we got a new 2002 NSX in silver, six speed. It's awesome. The owner's wife gets to drive it (lucky ***). Oh well, maybe i'll get to drive it around the parking lot for a minute.

 

Same as the old one

 

are 96-97 and 98-01 Integras really that different?

 

Mr Miagi says:

Different but same.

 

Yeah, styling is a little different, no pop-up headlights. I liked the old design better, but supposedly, this new one has a better c/d and allows for a top-speed of 174mph... not bad.

 

Actually, there were some tweaks to the suspension tuning, and of course the bigger wheels/tires.

I doubt it feels substantially different for normal street driving, though.

-Mike

 

Also, the headlights are now HID for 2002.

 

Isn't the big NSX change happening in 2004?

 

I saw a yellow one down toward Baltimore and didn't like the headlights. I like how they redid the back, the new exhaust tips, larger wheels and tires, and the new exterior and interior colors are cool, but the front bumper cover and healights don't look as good as on the '01. My friend just bought a '01 NSX because he didn't like the redesign either. The one I saw had the yellow interior, I could only imagine how hard it would be to keep that clean, the carpeting will be dirty in no time, but the seats are very nice. Bring on the next generation NSX already!

 

That's the rumor.

The ivory interior on my '91 stays clean just fine. The floor mats get dirty from time to time, but that's what floor mats are for.

 

The interior is a bit different too. Takes a close eye but looks nicer.

 

All in all it is still a piece of fine art! Now how many exotic cars that you know of that is around $100 that can be daily driven and have Honda reliability?

 

NSX's were awesome when they first came out. Great looks (back in the day), MR layout, all-aluminum body, fast, great handling, top-notch interior, and to top it off, good reliability. The price was only like $65k too.

Now, it's three biggest problems are it looks outdated (interior & exterior), it doesn't have enough power, and it costs freakin $90k. It's definitely time for an overhaul. Think about it - it's had the exact same design for more than 10 years and it's power has only increased by 20hp over that time period. In 91, it was an awesome deal. In 97, it was still a fun exotic, but here in 2002, it's underpowered and outclassed.

 

Oh goodie, another interloper who comes into a forum just to diss the car there.

It's not even worth trying to argue with someone who's just looking for a flamefest...

 

Stop jumping to assumptions. I didn't come here to flame - I came to state my opinion. And where would I go to discuss the NSX? The NSX forum obviously. If you look at the title of the thread, it says "new NSX". The post I responded to was one man's opinion of it. I wrote mine.

If you want to clutter this thread with meaningless posts that aren't related to the NSX in any way, it would be better to PM me. If you want to flame me for writing stating my opinion, don't bother to PM me. If you want to state your opinion of the car, then hit the reply button and go right ahead.

 

I still think the 91-01 NSX is one of the best looking cars ever, and really don't think it's out-dated. It's got a timeless sort of appeal, much like the tie fighters and x-wings and the millenium falcon. They were designed 25 years ago, but still look futuristic. Of course, I've always thought the back end was just not quite right, but the 2002 refresh didn't really help that.

I hope the DualNote concept car doesn't turn out to be the 2004 NSX, because I really didn't like its looks. I also don't like what they did with the front of the 2002.

And I think complaints about lack of power are also fully valid, to a point. The NSX has enough power to get people who don't know how to drive in trouble, but not enough to really satisfy people who know how to drive and want a really fast car. And I also fully agree on the price.... The NSX is just plain not worth $90k, unless you've got way more money than I'll ever see.

-Mike

 

Many of the cars that have more power than the NSX also weigh more and as a result aren't any faster. It can't be that underpowered when there are only a handful of cars that (stock) are significantly faster (Viper, 911 Turbo, Ferrari, Vette Z06).

As for cost, these faster cars all cost roughly the same or more as the NSX, with the exception of the Vette. That's always been true; the Vette cost much less than the NSX even when the NSX first came out in 1990. And this is not to take anything away from the Vette - it's a great value, to be sure (despite continuing reports of quality issues).

If you are looking only for bang for the buck, then go for the Vette Z06. Or, for even more bang for the buck, you can get a 227 hp WRX. It may not go as fast as the Vette or the NSX, but you can get two of them for the price of the Vette, or three for the price of the NSX. So you can use the WRX to make the same argument and claim that the Vette Z06 is way overpriced at $50K. OTOH, you can get a moderate-mileage '91-92 NSX for low thirties, which is a damn good value if you ask me.

The NSX does offer many things that the Vette does not. You don't see them everywhere you go, and they still turn heads everywhere (which proves that the styling can hardly be called dated). They're very reliable and it's pretty uncommon to hear of an NSX that has a lot of problems (except for Mike's). Their approach to driving is totally different - scalpel-sharp handling vs brute force power. Try driving both cars on a track and you will understand just what you are getting for your money.

There are a lot of very good cars out there these days. Each is better at some things than others - price, performance, styling, etc. No one car is the best at everything, and no one car is the worst at everything, either - not even the Pontiac Aztek. If you feel that one car is not worth buying for you, then the answer is easy - don't buy it. But that car may fit someone else's needs perfectly.



[Modified by nsxtcjr, 11:31 PM 1/25/2002]

 

I'm tired of hearing that the NSX looks outdated. Try driving one and see how many looks you get! Only a topless Liz Hurley would get more head turns. And the interior ergonomics are absolutely perfect.

And despite it's 10 year old age - still only a handfull of stock cars are quicker in 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. I don't think anybody in their right mind calls that underpowered in comparison. Only 20 more horses now and still competitive with the best the world has to offer. Hmmm. . .hardly outclassed. And if a current or prospective NSX owner wants more power there are more than a few options out there.

Give credit where credit is due. If you don't like the looks - that's one thing, purely subjective - but the overall package was awesome in '91 and awesome now.

 

Especially the '91 red/ivory.

 

I agree with grippgoat out of those three opinions, except about styling. The NSX still looks good, but it looks old. There's a difference between those two terms... ie, the Ferrari Testarosa looks good, but still looks old too. That's not important though, because it's all subjective. About the minor changes for 2002, I don't like the redesign of the front end either...

About power, perhaps only a handful of cars can outaccelerate the NSX, but it only has a few competitors in its class.... and pretty much everything in that mentioned class outperforms it. The Vette is on par with it, Z06 beats it, Viper, 911 Turbo, GT2, even the Carrera's now, new M3, Ferrari 360... and sadly, the list goes on. While most of the NSX's competitors have undergone large changes since their introduction, the NSX has basically remained the same. Perhaps you want to say that it's a testiment to a good design, but you can flip the coin and say it's past due for an overhaul.

Seriously though, I think most NSX owners get too defensive when people say it's time for an overhaul. If you think about it, are you trying to say the current NSX doesn't need a redesign and is still competitive with the new generation of supercars/exotics?... and at a price of $90k? I think an overhaul is good - if Honda can climb to the top of that class with a redesigned NSX, I say do it. Seriously, there's no reason to get defensive - you bought a great car, and even though new cars are coming out, that doesn't change what your NSX is.

 

Of course, ESPECIALLY a '91 NSX Red/Ivory.

Right, the NSX is about mid-pack w/ 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. I don't think a whole lot of people buy one solely b/c of those two attributes. Obviously, I'm sure you've heard it before, where the NSX shines is out on the road course, in reliability, and driving ease. Seriously, if you think about it, what it lacks in power it makes up for in handling, brakes, and driveability. Sadly, it's competition suffers reliabiltiy issues. I'm sure if Honda wanted a pure acceleration car they would have built it differently. And if an NSX owner wants more HP for corner exits and straights they can always add an SC or a turbo.

I do think the NSX needs an overhaul. Probably a couple years overdue. I think the 2002 update was way overdue. But I say that from a sales point of view. The '02 isn't going to substantially change sales figures. I don't think the current NSX reflects the cutting edge of Honda - certainly they've advanced technically. If they can get 240hp out of 2 liters, how sweet would it be if they got 360 out of my 3 liter? But still, I don't think the NSX gets enough credit for what a good car it is. Instead, most of what is heard is "average" acceleration times and "no character" labels. Sadly, if someone wants 12 second quarter mile times and inferior reliability they should look elsewhere. Seriously, if that sounds defensive - it sounds defensive. I'm cool with that.

 

Also, most magazines only measure quarter mile times and 0-60. In that area, the NSX *is* really fast an competitive. But where it feels more lacking is at much higher speeds where drag and horsepower play more of a role than car weight, so even though an M5 weighs 4000+ lbs, I wouldn't be surprised if it could school and NSX from 100 to 150 (although maybe its extra drag from being square would offset the horsepower difference). Same with a Z06.

But it's all good. That's why Mark Basch made a supercharger kit.

-Mike

 

Actually, I would expect the exact opposite - that the NSX will show its superiority to an even greater degree at higher speeds like 100-150. In fact, that's where it often pulls away from some other cars that are pretty close at lower speeds (such as the M5 and its stablemate, the M3).

As for the Z06, it has lots more power and approximately the same weight as the NSX - an unbeatable combination.

 

Actually that's where the NSX is strongest and one of the characteristics of it's engine. I'll have to dig it up, but I remember an R&T article where from 50-150 only the Viper ACR was quicker. The article is a couple of years old but the point is still valid.

The ZO6 is just plain badass. . .but there are a few local owners who've had to completely replace blown engines, all under 15,000 miles. It's under warranty but still that can't be good.

So (Grippgoat) are you on the list for the supercharger?

 

Bro, You read my mind word by word !!! Peace to all NSX'ers here !!