2002 Acura NSX, Supercharged

[VTEC_Inside]

The time finally came for me to drive my buddies NSX. We had been up in Alliston for a tour of the Honda plant(s) with the local NSX club.

I got to drive for the 1hr30min or so trip home.

I thought it was a bad idea to "ruin" the car with the supercharger. I had driven his '92 5spd, and it really didn't feel all that quick unless you were wringing it out, but still plenty for public roads.

It was a short drive to the highway where we would spend the majority of the trip. Other than a quick blast past a Fit before a 2-1 lane merge I took my time getting comfortable with everything. Its pretty brain dead to drive it like a normal car, other than the urgency I noticed when tipping into the throttle just a wee bit more...

I let it rip once more to pass a gravel truck before entering the highway... That was my first holy shit moment...

As for the highway itself, I can only describe the power as savage. I realize there are faster cars, but flooring it in 6th netted a 100-150 stint lasting less than 5s, probably 4 or so. The couple times I did downshift to 4th or even 3rd I ended up at almost 170kph in about the same time.

The blower whine is a hoot and much easier to hear from the drivers side.

The shifter is a lot better than the '92 was, tighter and a closer together. I still found the horizontal spacing between 3-4 and 5-6 a bit odd, thinking that I had selected 4th once when I had grabbed 6th again.

Never really got a chance to do any cornering with it, but the couple off/on ramps we went on felt about the same as a straight road through the wheel. Ride is ok, a little off as he has lowering springs on stock suspension. A little bounce here and there, nothing horrible, but not as nice as his '92 which was on coil overs all around.

He also has a Stoptech big brake kit on it which felt pretty amazing. Pedal is incredibly firm and very little effort is needed to scrub off a lot of speed quickly. That said I never really needed to push all that hard while I was driving so I can't really say how much more it really had.

The only way I can summarize it is to say savage and useless. That's not to say I didn't enjoy every moment of it, but I drove my CSX again today and dropped to 3rd at 100kph and floored it for a full 5s and made it to 140kph.... There is something oddly enjoyable in flooring a car period IMO, and that's just not something you can do in that NSX for more than 5s period without going seriously fast.

Similarly the handling and the braking, they are on levels MUCH higher than necessary for a regular road and thus it ends up feeling pretty boring as you are never pushing the car. I had the same sort of revelation when I got my RSX-S after driving the Accord all those years so maybe it would wear off in time, but we are talking a much larger performance jump here so...

[Cookie Monster]

Wow. That car looks so sexy, and I don't even like the 02+ fixed light versions as much as the popup version.

An NSX has been, and always will be, on my bucket list of cars to drive.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

So basically:

"Honda fan drives fast car, does not like it. Prefers much slower car that is more "rewarding" to drive"

I pretty much always assumed that was true for most of you guys.

[MexicoCityM3]

That's a very nice NSX!

Of course it had limits that go beyond what you need on the road. It should be fantastic on track.

So basically:

"Honda fan drives fast car, does not like it. Prefers much slower car that is more "rewarding" to drive"

I pretty much always assumed that was true for most of you guys.

Out here Civic > 350Z. And.....VW > BMW.

[VTEC_Inside]

So basically:

"Honda fan drives fast car, does not like it. Prefers much slower car that is more "rewarding" to drive"

I pretty much always assumed that was true for most of you guys.

Oh, I liked it. I would have liked it a lot more without speed limits and other sub 300hp traffic...

[MX793]

So basically:

"Honda fan drives fast car, does not like it. Prefers much slower car that is more "rewarding" to drive"

I pretty much always assumed that was true for most of you guys.

Torque ruins the Honda experience.

[68_427]

That's gorgeous.

[12,000 RPM]

NSX is probably my favorite chassis out of Japan. Just needed more motor or shorter gearing

[VTEC_Inside]

NSX is probably my favorite chassis out of Japan. Just needed more motor or shorter gearing

Having been in the '92 5spd, I was satisified that the 6spd (and the bump to 3.2L) balanced it out nicely. With the supercharger, power estimates are around the 400 mark. Really couldnt catch it off guard anywhere.

[VTEC_Inside]

Torque ruins the Honda experience.

Only if its there before 5000rpm.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

So basically:

"Honda fan drives fast car, does not like it. Prefers much slower car that is more "rewarding" to drive"

I pretty much always assumed that was true for most of you guys.

Sounds more like a Miata fan to me.......

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Sounds more like a Miata fan to me.......

Nope, notice i put rewarding in quotes. Rwd + better balance makes the miata an elevated experience over 99% of hondas.

[VTEC_Inside]

Day 1, Stock as a rock:


Pre-blower:

[SVT666]

I've always loved the NSX.

[mzziaz]

+1. Beautiful car.

[12,000 RPM]

They are even more beautiful in person. Most pics of em are at hip height, you dont get any sense of how low it is. It really looks like an old fighter jet.

And yea, when the performance becomes a hindrance or annoyance because of speed limits, it's not a good thing. NSX winds out to 80 MPH in 2nd... with more HP that is still not ideal. OG engine geared sanely is much better

[VTEC_Inside]

Serious face is serious...

[AutobahnSHO]

Gorgeous car!!! Love that color.

[giant_mtb]

Yeah, that's a nice color. Don't see too many orange vehicles.

[AutobahnSHO]

Yeah, that's a nice color. Don't see too many orange vehicles.

There was a yellow orange mustang, now a very reddish orange. And the Dart comes in a strong orange. Neither is as sweet as this color!

[SVT666]

The F-Type comes in a copper orange. In fact I saw one today and I nearly rear ended someone because of it. LOL

[CALL_911]

There isn't one thing I don't love about the NSX. I shall own one one day

[Submariner]

They are even more beautiful in person. Most pics of em are at hip height, you dont get any sense of how low it is. It really looks like an old fighter jet.

And yea, when the performance becomes a hindrance or annoyance because of speed limits, it's not a good thing. NSX winds out to 80 MPH in 2nd... with more HP that is still not ideal. OG engine geared sanely is much better

There is one that frequently parks across from my office.  I've seen numerous super are parked in front and behind and most of them look to be at least six inches taller than the NSX.

[giant_mtb]

Well, looking at the pictures, those wheels are what, 19s or 20s?  The entire car doesn't look to be much over a couple wheels high.

[MX793]

Well, looking at the pictures, those wheels are what, 19s or 20s?  The entire car doesn't look to be much over a couple wheels high.

Listed factory height was 46.1".

[FlatBlackCaddy]

There isn't one thing I don't love about the NSX. I shall own one one day

Their prices on the used market is the only issue I have with them. Makes a supra look like a bargain.

[giant_mtb]

Listed factory height was 46.1".

*gets out tape measure*

Wowwww.  Never seen one in the flesh.

[MX793]

*gets out tape measure*

Wowwww.  Never seen one in the flesh.

Yeah, they're pretty low.  But cars in general were lower in the late 80s to early 90s than today, in some cases a lot lower.  C4 Corvettes were 46.7 (new C7 is 48.6, down from 49 for the C6).  Ferrari 308/328 were 44.4 and the 348 was 46.1 (488GTB is 47.8).  An early/mid 90s Taurus was 54.1 and the Fusion is 58.1 (and the new Taurus is over 60").

[giant_mtb]

True.  Newer cars are a lot taller than the ones I grew up with in the 90s.  Those new Tauruses........holy shit are they tall. 

[SVT666]

True.  Newer cars are a lot taller than the ones I grew up with in the 90s.  Those new Tauruses........holy shit are they tall.

60"