Back in the fold (2)...

[gunner2010]

I feel like i'm having deja vu having written a similar thread a couple of years ago but I was lucky enough to take delivery of the 55 plate low mileage red/black NSX referred to in a slightly earlier thread this week.I have wanted to get back into NSX ownership pretty much ever since I sold my last car and had ummed and aahed over a couple of recent late,low mileage examples which I'd seen for sale only to miss them (I'm sure you guys know the cars) to export so when this came up i didn't mess about.

I must say that red wasn't my preferred colour but it looks the absolute business,I was very pleasantly surprised, and seems to be in perfect nick,as one would hope for such a car.

Anyway,my point is basically this.I have been very fortunate to have owned many great cars over the years and nothing in hits the spot like an NSX.I really mean it,I recently had a gen 2 GT3 for a while and while it's obviously an unbelievably competent and exciting car I swear the NSX is a more satisfying road car imo.It rides better,the gear change is better,the noise is better,it's far more accessible and,dare I say it,far cooler and more original.I know my comments are subjective,and would no doubt be ridiculed elsewhere,but it's my honest opinion.Certainly,why anyone would have something like a Cayman or a Z4 or whatever over a nice NSX is beyond me.

So Happy New Year.It's great to be back in the NSX fold and I'll keep you all posted.I may get the wheels painted,but not yet.By the way,if the chap who bought my black/red car a couple of years ago is still on here I'd love to know how you're getting on.

All the best.

[AR]

Welcome back. :) Just went out for a tunnel run with South Wales PH and the NSX looks/sounds IMHO soo much better than anything else...Except the HSV-10!

[eclipse1501]

Happy New Year and welcome back. Bouncing down with rain over here right now but first chance i get i will be out driving - remind myself why i got one!

[TheSebringOne]

Welcome back and Happy New Year to everybody!

Was your old car a black, with red interior and one of the final 12? If it is, then its now owned by NSX2000 (Paul)?

[JQD84983]

I have been very fortunate to have owned many great cars over the years and nothing in hits the spot like an NSX.I really mean it,I recently had a gen 2 GT3 for a while and while it's obviously an unbelievably competent and exciting car I swear the NSX is a more satisfying road car imo.

Certainly,why anyone would have something like a Cayman or a Z4 or whatever over a nice NSX is beyond me.



Couldn't agree more and welcome!

[Nick Graves]

I can certainly understand the appeal of the Cayman S, but it lacks the advancement and the sheer 'class' of the NSX, somehow. It's like a steel-bodied, mass-produced copy, although it is one of the few moderns I'd even consider.

As for the Z4, I've got Eddie Murphy in my head now! Actually, I believe the new model's a lot better, TBF.

Congratulations on that beautiful 55-plate NSX! I've been sort of musing about it all weekend and didn't realise it had gone so very quick. I guess the good ones will.

[TheSebringOne]

Gunner, is it the same one on PH? Its just that its not sold yet on the site? May be its a little slow.

[Hairy_Potr]

Happy new year, and welcome back to NSX ownership!

Like you, I can personally attest to there being something really special about the NSX, even though plenty of more $$ cars will blow its doors off performance-wise. You hop into the sleek, no-nonsense cockpit and it just feels like "home" -- as cheesy as that sounds. No drama, exceptional reliability, exclusivity, fun and beauty that doesn't age with time. It's like the perfect wife! :laugh: Plenty of nice Italian mistresses out there to play with on the weekends, though! :D

[Ewan]

Gunner, is it the same one on PH? Its just that its not sold yet on the site? May be its a little slow.

It's still listed on AutoTrader, but not on the dealer's website...

[Papalazarou]

I can certainly understand the appeal of the Cayman S, but it lacks the advancement and the sheer 'class' of the NSX, somehow. It's like a steel-bodied, mass-produced copy, although it is one of the few moderns I'd even consider.
.


I drove a Cayman S before I bought the C2 and was really impressed. However, the key criticism is true, they are under-powered and the chassis could easily cope with more.
The most frustrating about mainstream Porsches is the way they make power; reasonable bottom end, great mid range........just getting going then....damn I've hit the RLimiter.

My C2S has a great surge of power from 6K then you've literally got a couple of seconds before you've got to change up. Although the mid range is much improved, I really miss the top end of the Honda.

I guess the answer is to go the Ary and Modarr route and fit a supercharger. Having ridden in Ary's car it really does complete the car.

Cheers,

James.

[markc]

I drove a Cayman S before I bought the C2 and was really impressed. However, the key criticism is true, they are under-powered and the chassis could easily cope with more.

A criticism often leveled at the NSX.


My C2S has a great surge of power from 6K then you've literally got a couple of seconds before you've got to change up. Although the mid range is much improved, I really miss the top end of the Honda.

GT3's rev to 8,400 :)


I guess the answer is to go the Ary and Modarr route and fit a supercharger. Having ridden in Ary's car it really does complete the car.

But will rather overwhelm the standard chassis and brakes. Both AR and Mo attended to this before bolting on the extra 100hp of straight line shove.

Cheers

Mark

[Nick Graves]

I drove a Cayman S before I bought the C2 and was really impressed. However, the key criticism is true, they are under-powered and the chassis could easily cope with more.
The most frustrating about mainstream Porsches is the way they make power; reasonable bottom end, great mid range........just getting going then....damn I've hit the RLimiter.

My C2S has a great surge of power from 6K then you've literally got a couple of seconds before you've got to change up. Although the mid range is much improved, I really miss the top end of the Honda.

I guess the answer is to go the Ary and Modarr route and fit a supercharger. Having ridden in Ary's car it really does complete the car.

Cheers,

James.

My Red Top Prelude does that, too! VTEC @ 4,500 and then a ballistic bit at 6K!

I drove a Carrera 4 which was more tame, but a sort of similar delivery. It was very tidy through dry roundabouts, but I bet its arse could become a handful when it's slippery. Actually, I found the C4 too good and it was only not like a M-B when you're ringing its neck, which means one is going a tad fast. An NSX is more fun when you're wringing its neck, but like the other Hondas, it feels more 'alive' at tamer speeds too. The steering's less numb and the whole thing just feels lighter, more delicate.

The only car that felt even more like a 'big S2000' was the Tuscan S. That was fast (not just pretend fast, like most supercars are. it's bike fast!) but I couldn't cope with the lack of Honda engineering...

The NSX is not much, but is usefully faster than an S2000.

But like all good Hondas, it feels like that 5.0 V8 version they developed would have been quite useful after all...

[havoc]

The NSX is not much, but is usefully faster than an S2000.

Would agree with that. Wrung-out, an S2000 would keep a 3.0 honest but would slowly lose ground. But get caught outside of VTEC in the S2000 (or even at a roadspeed where dropping a cog would take you to ~8,000rpm so not really viable), and the NSX will take yards out of the S2000 before it can recover - I am truly LOVING the C30!!! :)

I do need to learn the car more though - right now it only seems to properly 'make sense' through 3rd-gear sweepers, rather than the tighter turns typical of a UK B-road...

[Nick Graves]

They do; they're a bit more drivey-relaxed than the S2000 and those really tight bends reveal the bulk. Satisfying through roundabouts and 'big' B roads though.

Partially because you're sitting so much ahead of the rear axle.

You could always set the rear toe-in toward its minimum value and the caster too, for a more 'darty' car. They run a lot of caster, to give that impressive stability. That's what I've done with the S, since the whole of Herts seems to be an airfield day, with its tatty B & C roads!

[AR]

Would agree with that. Wrung-out, an S2000 would keep a 3.0 honest but would slowly lose ground. But get caught outside of VTEC in the S2000 (or even at a roadspeed where dropping a cog would take you to ~8,000rpm so not really viable), and the NSX will take yards out of the S2000 before it can recover - I am truly LOVING the C30!!! :)

I do need to learn the car more though - right now it only seems to properly 'make sense' through 3rd-gear sweepers, rather than the tighter turns typical of a UK B-road...

Don't know if you have them but the NSX-R Chassis Bars help a lot, also a nice Mugen or OS Giken LSD will slingshot the NSX out of the bends!

[gunner2010]

Thank you guys for all your kind words.Despite the weather I am totally loving being back in the NSX and I feel fortunate to have found another lovely example given that they seem to be becoming increasingly rare.I saw the car was still advertised but is indeed in my possession.Does anyone know if it's one of the last 12?Am I right in thinking that the silver/blue and v low miles LBB car that were both for sale in the last six months or so have now gone from these shores?

Having driven/owned alot of the current Porsche range I have to say I like the new Cayman very much.At 50K or so for a new,well specced Cayman S it is totally overpriced though but no doubt as more come to market there will be some real value in the used section.The point with the NSX is that it has always been under appreciated which is a total blessing in disguise because it's avoided ubiquity unlike so much else out there.

Did Honda UK keep the yellow car?I think it looks sensational,as does the pearl white car,gorgeous.Finally can I ask how the gen 2 type R is doing if anyone knows?Such a shame they never came to the UK.I looked at importing one a while back but it seemed pretty impossible to achieve so guessing the one that's here remains unique.

All the best and thanks again for the nice comments,this really is a forum full of quality people.

[TheSebringOne]

Some of final 12 had unique one off colours, did the final 12 have a commerative plaques? So unless your car was handed over by Nick Fry & Anthony Davidson at the special collection day, then I'm not sure?

A member called Nigel or Charlie:One owns the lovely pearl white.

With regards to the only 02+ Type R, it was previously or still owned by another member here, Fusilov or maybe his brother? Can anyone verify its whereabouts?

[dan the man]

Don't know if you have them but the NSX-R Chassis Bars help a lot, also a nice Mugen or OS Giken LSD will slingshot the NSX out of the bends!



'Cough' NSX-R bars installed on his car. :)

thank me later....

[Nick Graves]

The S2000 has a bad reputation without the chassis braces and handles perfectly with them.

The NSX handles pretty tidily without them. It must be pretty damned good with them!

[Senninha]

The NSX handles pretty tidily without them. It must be pretty damned good with them!

Front chassis bars, matched to Front ARB all from the NSX-R sorted the front fully but left the rear a little loose. I've also added the Type S rear ARB and for me this has retained all the original balance of the NSX, but elevated the whole package.

regards, Paul

[Papalazarou]

Front chassis bars, matched to Front ARB all from the NSX-R sorted the front fully but left the rear a little loose. I've also added the Type S rear ARB and for me this has retained all the original balance of the NSX, but elevated the whole package.

regards, Paul

When I offload this piece of German.....engineering (really not my thing) and get another NSX (Can't believe how much I'm missing my old car). I'd get the chassis bars but leave the front ARB standard. I can't speak for targas but the coupe was worse on the road with the uprated one fitted; less fluid and less planted at speed on bumpier roads which is most of the UK really.
It did afford better turn-in, but not considerably. However I guess it depends on the kind of driving you do. track all the way but a backward step IMO for the road. But like I said, Targas probably react differently.

Mark, I know the rev limit's higher on the GT3, but so is the price. 997 GT3's are a load of money still and the 996 would be a proper world of pain my favourite roads.

I'm glad that I'm trying something else for a while but will be glad to get back in an NSX.



Cheers,


James.

[markc]

I'd get the chassis bars but leave the front ARB standard. I can't speak for targas but the coupe was worse on the road with the uprated one fitted; less fluid and less planted at speed on bumpier roads which is most of the UK really.
It did afford better turn-in, but not considerably. However I guess it depends on the kind of driving you do. track all the way but a backward step IMO for the road. But like I said, Targas probably react differently.

I have to say that fitting the front chassis bars made little or no difference to my car. Remember my Type S has considerably firmer suspension and stiffer rollbars. Personally I'm not sure that the NSX chassis needs it (the chassis bars) unless you have superstiff NSX-R suspension as the chassis is already very stiff. Targa's may react differantly to them.


Mark, I know the rev limit's higher on the GT3, but so is the price. 997 GT3's are a load of money still and the 996 would be a proper world of pain my favourite roads.

True about the purchase price but GT3's hold their value much better, so over a couple of years you may be better off? Of course that doesn't help if you can't put up with the hard ride.

Cheers

Mark

[Papalazarou]

True about the purchase price but GT3's hold their value much better, so over a couple of years you may be better off? Of course that doesn't help if you can't put up with the hard ride.

Cheers

Mark


When I was younger, it wouldn't have worried me at all. But on roads where pretty much every aspect is changing continuously over-firm suspension just ties the car up in knots.
The standard set-up on the NSX just deals with it whereas the GT3's I tested (996) felt unpredictable and skittish. The 997 C2s is more neutral, easier to live with on those kind of roads, but still pretty firm. I guess there's no getting away from those 19" wheels and that weight distribution.


Cheers,



James.