Senna and the NSX

[Papalazarou]

since I've been posting on NSXCB there's always been this strong Senna/NSX connection. It's taken for granted by anyone who's heard of the NSX that Ayrton Senna had a significant hand in the cars development.
So, is this true? How much actual input did he actually have? Is there proper documented evidence to back it up or is it an urban myth and did he just do a few test laps round a circuit for the press launch?


Cheers,


James.

[simonprelude]

There's the stories of Senna's input on tyres and threatening to walk away from the project if they didn't use the tyres he advised, besides that the only other thing I know is the famous press drive showing him wearing some lovely Hugo Boss slip ons and White Socks ;)

[gumball]

I think the chassis was stiffened from his recommendation, not a massive input just some pointers.

[Ewan]

There are a few mentions of Senna in Brian Long's book, but only fleeting (like he helped test the car...). The only reference I could find about Senna's involvement was via Wikipedia (so there's always doubt about its provenance) - I would guess that Kaz will know more than most?

The article that was published in Octance last year, said:

The great driver was a Suzuka regular, and so when a McLaren testing session coincided with one of Honda’s in February ’89 the road car engineers were keen to get him behind the wheel and see what he thought. After a few laps in the 250bhp Legend-engined prototype, he came back with the feedback: ‘I'm not sure I can really give you appropriate advice on a mass-production car, but I feel it’s a little fragile.’

By that, he meant that the torsional rigidity of the body wasn’t up to par, and although Honda had built a shell as stiff as Ferrari and Porsche’s it still needed beefing-up. Honda went back to the drawing board and re-engineered the hull, making it 50% stiffer – even at this late stage in the NSX’s development Senna had made the difference. Impressed by his input, Honda invited him back to dial-in chassis improvements in the run-up to full production.
So it's possible that Senna's input stopped the early NSX being a wallowy Yank tank but who knows how much input he had in anything regarding the philosophy or the handling of the car? Still: good that Honda listened to him...

[AR]

I've seen a video of him driving an early red prototype.

[Sagacitas]

I have heard, although I don't remember where, that he asked them to make the NSX longer so as to be more stable and that they did.

[Senninha]

There you go James,

The items we discussed on the phone have popped up in almost the same order ... myth or fact we may never know, but I'm inclined to trust my sources of the information :)

Catch up soon

Paul

[NSXGB]

I thought they made it longer to incorporate a boot to fit the golf clubs in?

[Greybloke]

Time to start some more "myths" :-)

[jaytip]

I thought they made it longer to incorporate a boot to fit the golf clubs in?
I thought/read/heard the same thing.

[Kaz-kzukNA1]

I have heard, although I don't remember where, that he asked them to make the NSX longer so as to be more stable and that they did.

I thought they made it longer to incorporate a boot to fit the golf clubs in?

I thought/read/heard the same thing.

It was made longer beacuse of engine design change. SOHC --> DOHC.

Kaz

[TheSebringOne]

I think theres an article in the performance portfolio showing he actually made Honda lengthen the chassis in bewteen the wheels, hence increase the wheelbase.

[Rob_Fenn]

They did make the boot bigger too though, the motorshow car was different to the final production one (shown in the Brian Long book).

[AR]

Here is the one with the proto car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izaWlKxVo1A

[AR]

Another little part:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E09fPXK0XE

[Ewan]

Time to start some more "myths" :-)

What, like there's a lock of Senna's hair woven into the steering wheel of every NSX, but when they ran out of the stock they had, Honda had to stop making it in deference? ;)

[gumball]

I heard Ayrton preferred 911s. :D

[Nick Graves]

The controversial Citroenesque control pods were based upon Mr. Senna's ears...

[JQD84983]

Here is him driving the Type R

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UARCEqmEZk4

I remember reading he was very well thought of by the Honda management and consulted him on numerous occasions.

[simonprelude]

Here is the one with the proto car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izaWlKxVo1A

The DVD that is from is amazing :)

[gumball]

What, like there's a lock of Senna's hair woven into the steering wheel of every NSX, but when they ran out of the stock they had, Honda had to stop making it in deference? ;)

Partially true, they ran out of head hair in 1998..