Other cars that tempted you when looking for an NSX

[goldtop]

As I while away the hours/days/weeks/(months?) waiting for an NSX to buy, I thought I'd mention some of the other indulgences that are tempting me.

#1: Strato's (replica)
http://www.targafloriocars.com/details.asp?StockID=5699
Similar power to NSX with the Alfa V6, but much lighter, no creature comforts, no driver aids (just a stiff roll cage!)

#2: W201 Evo II
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C317377
More practical, less quick, but just as focussed. Not a car to drive if you hate attention. Evo I is more in-budget and looks less Max Power. :)

#3: The AMG Hammer
http://www.avantgardecars.co.uk/viewcar/MERCEDES%20BENZ%20AMG%20HAMMER%205.0/251/HAM?emb=0
Very rare in RHD, and blows my budget. Chalk and cheese compared to the NSX, but I've always loved the big '80s Benzes. Perhaps best in a straight line.

Apart from the Strato's, none are comparable to the NSX. But some how I'm immune to the appeal of Porsche, Ferrari, Noble, etc.

Wondering what other cars you guys considered before choosing the NSX?

[nobby]

only cars i would consider over an NSX is either an AM DB7 or DB9 ... only concern was reliability and could not really afford a db9 when i bought the NSX ... beautiful cars ... i do hope to own an AM at some point.

tbh i really dont like any of your shortlist ... big merc's do nothing for me and you could not use the 1st one in any nice way albeit would be nice to own but pointless

save your cash based on that lot

[goldtop]

I used to see someone commute along the A14 in a Strato's replica! Must have been mad.

The W201 Evo I is not at all big. The original Baby Benz was 4.4m, same as the NSX, and actually weighs less (4 doors, steel and all!). Rated as one of the best RWD chassis ever. I've had two regular 16V 190s and they are fantastic cars (except for the onset of rust). The super-rare Evos are LHD only (I could wait for the Euro to collapse and then go and buy one in Germany...)

Interesting on the AMs - they're also not directly comparable to the NSX. I have a thing for the '70s-'80s Vantage, but more modern AMs don't float my boat somehow.

[Senninha]

Wondering what other cars you guys considered before choosing the NSX?

I do think the Stratos would be fun ...

Lotus was a prior ownership for me ... 135R ... too much fun for the road really and would like to try the later Evora but way to much for a Lotus

s2k was a great car too ..

I'm with you on the F-cars and Porsche ...

Keep the faith, the right NSX will come along ... took me best part of 8 months to find mine ... that was almost 6 yrs ago ...

[soddy]

I would agree with Andrew, an Aston Martin DB 9, hopefully one day for me as they are beautiful.
Would love a mazda cosmo 3 rotor, not the best looking of cars but a 3 rotor rotary engine : ) quite rare now.

[gumball]

Looked for a 348tb previous to the NSX, rust and saggy leather aside not as bad as some would have you believe.

[paulc]

Had a strong look at a Noble, still fancy one but not to replace my NSX. If I had the garage space and some spare cash I think I would have both.

[scottg]

Had several Kit cars and they can be great fun but there is always that little doubt in your head over how well they have been built. Best Iv'e owned was a factory built Ultima which gave more confidence and a CAV GT40 but that had ongoing problems despite being built by the local importer and they didn't give the back up service you would expect.

[flyingsniffer]

Funny (to me) that some here rate the DB9. To me, that's a bloated car that delivers in few departments other than a nice badge. The Vantage looks a closer match to the NSX ideal: strict 2 seater, engaging lines, more balanced drive.

Mind you, I had a Vantage Roadster for a while, so I'm probably biased. The other car I had that was maybe similar to the NSX in some ways was a Mazda RX7. Mind you, the fuel consumption was a killer.

[nobby]

i just have a love for Aston Martin ... i'd take a vantage, db9 etc all day long IF i could afford/live with it

i think their cars are simply stunning to look at ... hope to own one someday ... head is ruling over heart at this time

[scottg]

Funny (to me) that some here rate the DB9. To me, that's a bloated car that delivers in few departments other than a nice badge. The Vantage looks a closer match to the NSX ideal: strict 2 seater, engaging lines, more balanced drive.

Mind you, I had a Vantage Roadster for a while, so I'm probably biased. The other car I had that was maybe similar to the NSX in some ways was a Mazda RX7. Mind you, the fuel consumption was a killer.


The RX7 is a good shout, owned one when I was younger and it was incredible compairde to other cars such as a VW Scirocco at the time. I know that owners of the RX8 nowadays soon get scared off by the fuel consumption particularily when cold I've heard of single digits in the winter.

[328]

Had a strong look at a Noble, still fancy one but not to replace my NSX. If I had the garage space and some spare cash I think I would have both.

Definitely agree here.....was looking at buying a yellow M12 noble prior to the NSX but it was a little too much money at the time........no regrets now...but if I garage space I would definitely buy one :)

[gumball]

i just have a love for Aston Martin ... i'd take a vantage, db9 etc all day long IF i could afford/live with it

i think their cars are simply stunning to look at ... hope to own one someday ... head is ruling over heart at this time

Get a ford fusion, looks exactly the same, but cheaper to service.

[Nick Graves]

I drove one to see what all the hype was about a many years ago. That's usually a very bad mistake with iconic Hondas....

I kind of went through several circular arguments, initially with thoughts of a direct replacement for the S2000. The timing just wasn't right, with the first one I drove.

Then later on, it was sort of a choice between a 996/97 (I'm an accountant, but not THAT boooorrring) a Tuscan S (Russian roulette, after a Honda) or an NSX-T. The NSX-T sort of won, but the deal exploded rather spectacularly with the end of the economic cycle.

Kind of salutary lesson, because it made me realise I actually preferred the earlier coupe version to drive and that I should keep the S2000 as it's also simply irreplaceable.

This kind of kept happening & I test-drove an Evora & kept comparing it to the NSX as the benchmark. Some bright spark posted something to the effect of "Oh, FFS, why don't you just buy an NSX?" and so I did.

[goldtop]

Interesting replies, and quite a wide range of alternatives. I suppose I'm drawn to less-popular cars - rather like the Rowan Atkinson quote. (I even have a soft spot for the RR Camargue and Panther Deville!)

Maybe that's why the Porsche/Ferrari thing doesn't work for me (whereas oddities like the Lamborghini Silhouette and De Tomaso Pantera do).

Do sometimes wonder about going back to a well-sorted and unabused GT-R R33...

[scottg]

Interesting replies, and quite a wide range of alternatives. I suppose I'm drawn to less-popular cars - rather like the Rowan Atkinson quote. (I even have a soft spot for the RR Camargue and Panther Deville!)

Maybe that's why the Porsche/Ferrari thing doesn't work for me (whereas oddities like the Lamborghini Silhouette and De Tomaso Pantera do).

Do sometimes wonder about going back to a well-sorted and unabused GT-R R33...


Keep the faith Goldtop it will be worth the wait

[Nick Graves]

Interesting replies, and quite a wide range of alternatives. I suppose I'm drawn to less-popular cars - rather like the Rowan Atkinson quote. (I even have a soft spot for the RR Camargue and Panther Deville!)

Maybe that's why the Porsche/Ferrari thing doesn't work for me (whereas oddities like the Lamborghini Silhouette and De Tomaso Pantera do).

Do sometimes wonder about going back to a well-sorted and unabused GT-R R33...

IKWYM; Bristols, Borgwards; There is a lot of weird s hit out there that I rather admire...

[soddy]

The RX7 is a good shout, owned one when I was younger and it was incredible compairde to other cars such as a VW Scirocco at the time. I know that owners of the RX8 nowadays soon get scared off by the fuel consumption particularily when cold I've heard of single digits in the winter.

Which series rx7 did you own mate?
I own an rx8, but love the rx7 fb and rx7 fd.

Fuel consumption in a rotary is not great, a 1.3L engine, but classified on tax books as 2.6 but drinks it like a 4.0L lol
But my rx8 is not bad, combined city/open road driving i get 24-27mpg. They need to be revved to be kept right, some rx8 owners baby them and it ruins the engine, plus they need the oil as they're designed to use it to lubricate the apex seals on the rotors to maintain compression etc.

However some cheap example rx8's out there as due to the cost of fuel people cannot afford to run them etc, so good time to pick one up that's been looked after for a few grand.

Aston Martins are beautiful, I had thought of a vantage, but prefer the lines of the db9, they are starting to come down to around £40000 and less so it's a case of waiting a bit more lol.

[TheSebringOne]

DB9s must be one of the most beautiful cars out there and look like great value.

The only issues are maintenance & reliability?

[scottg]

Which series rx7 did you own mate?
I own an rx8, but love the rx7 fb and rx7 fd.

Fuel consumption in a rotary is not great, a 1.3L engine, but classified on tax books as 2.6 but drinks it like a 4.0L lol
But my rx8 is not bad, combined city/open road driving i get 24-27mpg. They need to be revved to be kept right, some rx8 owners baby them and it ruins the engine, plus they need the oil as they're designed to use it to lubricate the apex seals on the rotors to maintain compression etc.

However some cheap example rx8's out there as due to the cost of fuel people cannot afford to run them etc, so good time to pick one up that's been looked after for a few grand.

Aston Martins are beautiful, I had thought of a vantage, but prefer the lines of the db9, they are starting to come down to around £40000 and less so it's a case of waiting a bit more lol.

I had a series 1 1979 RX7 with about 20,000 miles and one owner from new. It was a superb car but the cost of maintenance scared me at the time so I didn't keep it.
A friend of mine recently bought a DB9 convertible for less than £34,000 with 60k miles, amazing value if you have the stomach for the servicing costs.

[Diesse 19]

Dont do it Mr Goldtop, there is a car out there somewhere with your name on it.

Ive had all sorts of daft cars over the last 35 , yes 35 years of driving but this Nsx is just fabulous!

Bide your time and the right one will find you!

[WhyOne?]

After 3 or 4 months of looking for an NSX, April arrived and I decided there was never going to be a better time to sell my S2000. I advertised it and much to my dismay it was sold within 48 hours...... suddenly I was car-less, not a happy state of affairs given this was my daily commuting car - I really hadn't thought this plan through very well!!!

After another 2 or 3 weeks of searching without luck, my eyes started to drift elsewhere - Noble, M3 and <<shudder>> 911. But none of these excited me....well, OK, the Noble did...but I decided I couldn't live with the kit-car interior.

Then I received a PM through NSXCB, a car had just come up for sale, I prepared myself for a trek across the UK to view it....but no, it was less than 2 miles from my place of work! 2 weeks Later, Y1 was sat on my drive.

Good luck with the search.

The message of this little tale - stick with it, a car will come along, an it will be worth the wait.

[kingsley]

As I while away the hours/days/weeks/(months?) waiting for an NSX to buy, I thought I'd mention some of the other indulgences that are tempting me.

#1: Strato's (replica)
http://www.targafloriocars.com/details.asp?StockID=5699
Similar power to NSX with the Alfa V6, but much lighter, no creature comforts, no driver aids (just a stiff roll cage!)

#2: W201 Evo II
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C317377
More practical, less quick, but just as focussed. Not a car to drive if you hate attention. Evo I is more in-budget and looks less Max Power. :)

#3: The AMG Hammer
http://www.avantgardecars.co.uk/viewcar/MERCEDES%20BENZ%20AMG%20HAMMER%205.0/251/HAM?emb=0
Very rare in RHD, and blows my budget. Chalk and cheese compared to the NSX, but I've always loved the big '80s Benzes. Perhaps best in a straight line.

Apart from the Strato's, none are comparable to the NSX. But some how I'm immune to the appeal of Porsche, Ferrari, Noble, etc.

Wondering what other cars you guys considered before choosing the NSX?

Hi Goldtop ..... 2 reasons I would not for the Hawk Stratos. 1. TopGear had one on and it was falling to peices going around the track. 2. Where its for sale........

I have had Escort Cosworth, RS Turbo's and Capri's in the past great cars and fast and cheap to run.... I have been out in a couple of Porsche Cayman S I really love these cars , so quick and go round corners like you are on rails. If I could afford another car it would be a Cayman . I have the NSX and a BMW Z4 the Cayman is much nicer to drive than BMW as it has M suspension and very hard.

Kingsley

[scottg]

Hi Goldtop ..... 2 reasons I would not for the Hawk Stratos. 1. TopGear had one on and it was falling to peices going around the track. 2. Where its for sale........

I have had Escort Cosworth, RS Turbo's and Capri's in the past great cars and fast and cheap to run.... I have been out in a couple of Porsche Cayman S I really love these cars , so quick and go round corners like you are on rails. If I could afford another car it would be a Cayman . I have the NSX and a BMW Z4 the Cayman is much nicer to drive than BMW as it has M suspension and very hard.

Kingsley

Love the looks of the Stratos but can't imagine using on a regular basis. Very different proposition to an NSX

[goldtop]

Well, the Stratos/kit-car thing is one of those can't-be-erased boyhood dreams. Of course, I don't rally so I don't need anything that's quite so 'raw'. I see it as a 'grown-up' X1/9 (had two and loved them as much as they loved to dissolve in the rain!) Probably have to wait a long time... but I'm not too fussed about Top Gear's hatchet job on the Hawk.

The Cayman or Boxster S was a more sensible option, probably more capable than the only other Porsche I like - the 911 Targa (1980s era). Again, that's one of the unfavoured 911s - maybe I'm just contrary by nature and that's why I'm drawn to the NSX?

And don't worry, I've not lost hope of finding one quite yet!

[britlude]

1. TopGear had one on and it was falling to pieces going around the track.

the top gear one isn't a fair example .. there was alot of discussion on the kit-car forums after that particular show, and the TG comments were unfair when you find the true back-story to the car they insisted on having!

had a good look around the Stratos club at Silverstone classic, and can be built with all the creature comforts if desired! fitting in shopping could be an issue tho!

[scottg]

Hi Goldtop ..... 2 reasons I would not for the Hawk Stratos. 1. TopGear had one on and it was falling to peices going around the track. 2. Where its for sale........

I have had Escort Cosworth, RS Turbo's and Capri's in the past great cars and fast and cheap to run.... I have been out in a couple of Porsche Cayman S I really love these cars , so quick and go round corners like you are on rails. If I could afford another car it would be a Cayman . I have the NSX and a BMW Z4 the Cayman is much nicer to drive than BMW as it has M suspension and very hard.

Kingsley


how about a Delorean Goldtop, that's got to be on the list of unloved cars

[NSX 2000]

Had use of a GT3 but what I wanted was one of these.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo330/philwaymouth/Nice%20Sports%20Cars/DSC02156.jpg

[scottg]

How about one of these if you can live with LHD
http://img.pistonheads.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Fullsize/alfa-romeo/sz/alfa-romeo-sz-S186069-3.jpg

[goldtop]

Well, that has a certain je ne c'est quoi. Which is French for WTF, I think. Menacing rather than good looking...

But now you've reminded me of the Montreal. Saw one at the Stanmore Alfa indie a few years ago. Was that ever rated as a driver's car?

[scottg]

Well, that has a certain je ne c'est quoi. Which is French for WTF, I think. Menacing rather than good looking...

But now you've reminded me of the Montreal. Saw one at the Stanmore Alfa indie a few years ago. Was that ever rated as a driver's car?

Fiat Dino?

[NSXGB]

Fiat Dino?

Good shout, the only Fiat I like.

[goldtop]

Good shout, the only Fiat I like.

! Ahem... how can you not like this:

11605

Had two; rust got them both! :(

[NSXGB]

Actually I did take an interest in them when I was smaller! Drove one with a Lancia 2.0 twin cam engine, that was sideways fun!



! Ahem... how can you not like this:

11605

Had two; rust got them both! :(

[paulc]

I had one in the early eighties, closed the door one day and the outside door panel fell off!!! Totally rusted through. Really loved it. Part exchanged it for a 2.4 911 Targe.

[NSX 2000]

Good shout, the only Fiat I like.

Don't let Steve here you say that. ;-)

[markc]

The first time I went looking really seriously for an NSX i.e. I had the money, after a few months I bought a 993 Carrera. A narrow body, 2wd, Coupe in Midnight blue. Great car but of course it made you a Porsche owner!

Having said that, a 996 GT3 is probably the only sensible money car that I'd consider if I to had assembled the budget but were unable to find a 3.2 Coupe NSX.

Cheers

Mark

[gumball]

Keeping a close eye on the 4c, so far it looks fantastic.

[Silver Surfer]

Always can't help but wonder if a Ghibli is any good....

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/maserati/ghibli/maserati-ghibli-auto-low-mileage/926999

SS

[Senninha]

Good call on the Ghibli, always liked those ...

A few other interesting ideas ...

Z3M Coupe
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/z3m-coupe/bmw-z-series-m-coupe-2002/924102

208
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ferrari/other/ferrari-208-gts-1989/924773

260Z
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/datsun/z-cars/datsun-260z--2-seater/956894

or simply take another S2k

regards, Paul

[scottg]

Good call on the Ghibli, always liked those ...

A few other interesting ideas ...

Z3M Coupe
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/z3m-coupe/bmw-z-series-m-coupe-2002/924102

208
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ferrari/other/ferrari-208-gts-1989/924773

260Z
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/datsun/z-cars/datsun-260z--2-seater/956894

or simply take another S2k

regards, Paul

Love the 260Z closest thing you can get to a Toyota 2000 GT for sensible figures.

[NSX-FAN]

Good call on the Ghibli, always liked those ...

A few other interesting ideas ...

Z3M Coupe
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/z3m-coupe/bmw-z-series-m-coupe-2002/924102


or simply take another S2k

regards, Paul

The Z3M Coupe is a very good call and extremely rare with that engine as it is the S54 unit from the E46 M3, most are equipped with the S50 from the E36 M3. I can see the Z3M Coupe reaching cult status in a few years time.

[goldtop]

Shame that the Z3M coupe was born in the Ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down! :)

Had never heard of the Ferrari 208 before. 2l V8!

[Senninha]

I'm sure you've heard of this one .... http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ferrari/308/308-gt4/705834

looks like values ar on the up like the NSX ...

[TheSebringOne]

I used to see a black Maser in the town centre used as a daily & thought think what a good looking
motor, but hate to live the reliability & high repair cost issues.

As for the Z3M, always like them as they looked so different from everything else out there & quirky.
Also like the NSX, its back to basics simple rwd with not too many computers controlling everything.

[markc]

Shame that the Z3M coupe was born in the Ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down! :)

Agreed... and it's a bit half-arsed on the design/engineering front. Rear suspension is compromised, only the older 5spd 'box would fit! The M3, even the e36, was a better car!

The Z4M Coupe on the other hand is IMHO rather lovely and is much better designed 8)