NSX 2000
01-06-2009, 02:28 PM
This may have been posted before but from EVO in feb 2002. Paul.
Honda NSX
Rating:*****
The oft-overlooked usable supercar gets some subtle but surprisingly worthwhile tweaks
By Peter Lyon
February 2002
A surprising mid-engined V6 supercar sent shock waves through the hallowed halls of Ferrari headquarters when it broke cover back in September 1990. A Japanese contender that looked the part, handled superbly, was easier to drive and far better built than anything Maranello had ever produced.
Honda's NSX could rightfully claim to be Japan's first ever supercar when it went on sale worldwide in 1991. Now, 11 years down the track, Japan's most stylish car-maker has revised its hi-tech aluminium show-pony for one last fling before a new generation of supercars hit showrooms, starting in 2003.
And the modifications are immediately apparent because every section of the car's exterior has been subtly redesigned. Gone are the retractable headlights, replaced by fixed HID units with bulbous covers. The new housings also incorporate the indicators, which has allowed the front bumper and spoiler to be completely re-designed, unfettered by awkward light housings. And the bonnet, sills and tail-lights are all brand new.
What many were expecting from Honda with this first major facelift was something akin to the type of progression we saw when Ferrari turned the 512TR into the F512M. What we've got instead is a car with more than a passing resemblance to the Mitsubishi 3000GT. But there is method in the madness.
While the new bodywork has come under criticism from some quarters, the bottom line is that the revisions have improved aerodynamics, dropping the Cd from 0.32 to 0.30. Lift coefficients have also been considerably reduced (front from 0.073 to 0.055, rear from 0.042 to 0.020) making the car more stable at high speeds and under braking. Thanks to the more slippery body, Honda claims top speed is up from 162mph to 168mph.
While the 3.2-litre V6 VTEC engine still produces the same 276bhp at 7300rpm and 224lb ft of torque at 5300rpm, the whole feel of the car has changed.
The new headlight design is 10.4kg lighter and that loss of front-end weight has led to more responsive turn-in, helped by a choice of grippier rubber. You can pick from newly offered Dunlop SP Sports 8070s, Yokohama Advan A046s or Potenza RE040s, although the latter are only available on the Type T targa model. Whichever tyres you choose, their size is up on the old NSX with 215/40R17s on the front and 255/40R17s on the rear.
Inside, Honda has given its flagship a cosmetic fettling. The dials, the centre console, and the audio and air-con switches are all new, as is the colour co-ordinated seat design. Customers now have a wider choice of interior hues and can mix and match their own exterior and interior colour combinations.
Honda's decision not to lift power and torque numbers may seem odd. And the lack of any major suspension or chassis upgrades may lead you to think that the revamped NSX handles no better than the old model. But amazingly it does.
At our test drive around Honda's Twin Ring Motegi East course, north of Tokyo, you could feel the difference merely entering the first corner at 55mph. Turn- in is quicker, mid-corner stability better and exit speed higher.
The improved aerodynamics and better rubber enable higher cornering speeds and more stable braking from the limit. And even when you do overcook it entering a corner and the high grip levels are overcome, the tail is easier to catch, with just a flick of opposite lock.
All the time, of course, you have that strong, smooth V6 just waiting for a dose of right boot. And when those second cam cut in at 6000rpm, you've got Japan's best exhaust note before you slam in the next gear of the NSX's awesome, short- throw six-speed 'box. Unlike the exterior, none of this hardware is new, but who cares? When you're onto a good thing why start messing with it?
The on-road experience still makes the NSX one of the best and most rewarding supercars on the planet. And anyway, once you're behind the wheel you can't really see those dubious new headlights.
Honda NSX
Rating:*****
The oft-overlooked usable supercar gets some subtle but surprisingly worthwhile tweaks
By Peter Lyon
February 2002
A surprising mid-engined V6 supercar sent shock waves through the hallowed halls of Ferrari headquarters when it broke cover back in September 1990. A Japanese contender that looked the part, handled superbly, was easier to drive and far better built than anything Maranello had ever produced.
Honda's NSX could rightfully claim to be Japan's first ever supercar when it went on sale worldwide in 1991. Now, 11 years down the track, Japan's most stylish car-maker has revised its hi-tech aluminium show-pony for one last fling before a new generation of supercars hit showrooms, starting in 2003.
And the modifications are immediately apparent because every section of the car's exterior has been subtly redesigned. Gone are the retractable headlights, replaced by fixed HID units with bulbous covers. The new housings also incorporate the indicators, which has allowed the front bumper and spoiler to be completely re-designed, unfettered by awkward light housings. And the bonnet, sills and tail-lights are all brand new.
What many were expecting from Honda with this first major facelift was something akin to the type of progression we saw when Ferrari turned the 512TR into the F512M. What we've got instead is a car with more than a passing resemblance to the Mitsubishi 3000GT. But there is method in the madness.
While the new bodywork has come under criticism from some quarters, the bottom line is that the revisions have improved aerodynamics, dropping the Cd from 0.32 to 0.30. Lift coefficients have also been considerably reduced (front from 0.073 to 0.055, rear from 0.042 to 0.020) making the car more stable at high speeds and under braking. Thanks to the more slippery body, Honda claims top speed is up from 162mph to 168mph.
While the 3.2-litre V6 VTEC engine still produces the same 276bhp at 7300rpm and 224lb ft of torque at 5300rpm, the whole feel of the car has changed.
The new headlight design is 10.4kg lighter and that loss of front-end weight has led to more responsive turn-in, helped by a choice of grippier rubber. You can pick from newly offered Dunlop SP Sports 8070s, Yokohama Advan A046s or Potenza RE040s, although the latter are only available on the Type T targa model. Whichever tyres you choose, their size is up on the old NSX with 215/40R17s on the front and 255/40R17s on the rear.
Inside, Honda has given its flagship a cosmetic fettling. The dials, the centre console, and the audio and air-con switches are all new, as is the colour co-ordinated seat design. Customers now have a wider choice of interior hues and can mix and match their own exterior and interior colour combinations.
Honda's decision not to lift power and torque numbers may seem odd. And the lack of any major suspension or chassis upgrades may lead you to think that the revamped NSX handles no better than the old model. But amazingly it does.
At our test drive around Honda's Twin Ring Motegi East course, north of Tokyo, you could feel the difference merely entering the first corner at 55mph. Turn- in is quicker, mid-corner stability better and exit speed higher.
The improved aerodynamics and better rubber enable higher cornering speeds and more stable braking from the limit. And even when you do overcook it entering a corner and the high grip levels are overcome, the tail is easier to catch, with just a flick of opposite lock.
All the time, of course, you have that strong, smooth V6 just waiting for a dose of right boot. And when those second cam cut in at 6000rpm, you've got Japan's best exhaust note before you slam in the next gear of the NSX's awesome, short- throw six-speed 'box. Unlike the exterior, none of this hardware is new, but who cares? When you're onto a good thing why start messing with it?
The on-road experience still makes the NSX one of the best and most rewarding supercars on the planet. And anyway, once you're behind the wheel you can't really see those dubious new headlights.