Driven: Acura NSX

Ask anyone who has opposed me in a few rounds of Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo; ask them about my weapon of choice. Solicit any of my foes for the name of that which wrought for them so much video game anguish; that four-wheeled harbinger of frustration, the implement with which I repeatedly vanquished anyone with lug nuts large enough to line up along side. Three letters, the mere whisper of which struck fear into the most devout e-racers back in college. Every year we would start the same Gran Turismo league, and every year, like lemmings with Alzheimer’s, my compatriots would run out and tune up Mustangs, Skylines, or Corvettes, and every year they would get dismantled by a Honda NSX. “An NSX?” you ask. Ah, of course, allow me to refresh your memory. Recall the Scene in Pulp Fiction, during “The Bonnie Situation” where The Wolf acknowledges Marsellus Wallace’s request to help Jules & Vincent with the line, “That’s 30 minutes away…I’ll be there in 10”…yeah, THAT car.

Built by Honda as demonstration of technical prowess following several years of Formula 1 Success while partnered with the McLaren team and driver Ayrton Senna, the NSX (for New Sports car eXperimental) first went on sale in 1990. Listed under the Acura badge in the U.S., it retailed new for around $80,000 and was, at the time, the most expensive Japanese car ever sold. Built almost entirely of aluminum, the NSX weighs in at a bantam 2800lbs, or about the same as the current Honda Civic EX sedan. The V-TEC equipped, and again aluminum, engine produces 270hp from its 3.0-liter displacement. Honda continually improved the NSX throughout its production run. Suspension revisions improved handling through the early ‘90s and a Targa version, with a removable roof panel, appeared in ’95. 1997 marked the first major update in the form of a 3.2-liter, 290hp engine accompanied by a 6-speed gearbox. The example which graces this page rolled off the line in 2000, and therefore has the later engine package. 2002 saw the first major styling change for the NSX before production finally ceased; the last cars rolling off the line in 2005.

Right, obligatory history lesson out of the way, let’s get on to the fun. Over the years, I had developed what many in the South might refer to as “a hankering” to drive an NSX. However, with this caliber car, such opportunities come few and far between. Firstly, I sought to eschew bothering private owners since I had no intention of buying the car on site. Only a recent college grad, and having neither a trust fund, nor a burgeoning “dot-com” that I can sell to Google for a billion dollars…I don’t exactly have piles of cash lying around to throw at a car. Secondly, most dealers won’t even talk to anyone under the age of 30 about cars like this. Fortunately, in this case, I can sound rather convincing over the phone. So with the amiable cooperation of Georgia Auto Mall, I arranged a drive in a 2000 NSX coupe.

Of course a test drive, in the context of your normal volume car dealership, involves a quick lap around the block while an under-trained, over-eager salesperson yaps in your ear about vanity mirrors, cup-holders, and how a clever fellow could give himself frostbite with the A/C. Mercifully, G.A.M.’s Idea of a test drive falls somewhat outside of this norm. The trip to Marietta took about 3 hours from Knoxville. When I arrived I found the gentleman with whom I had spoken, and we chatted for a minute while I engaged in a few “pre flight” checks on the engine compartment, tires, and body (which looks better in actual aluminum than in photos). Now, what happened next, actually surprised me. My gracious host hands me the keys, and says, with a mild middle-eastern accent, “You have my cell number, so if you run into any problems, just let me know, otherwise I only worry if I don’t see you in an hour. Hope you like it.” Oh dear…

As I alluded earlier, I have extensive experience with the NSX within the scope of electronic media. Unfortunately, most things tend to fall short of what one might witness on TV or observe in a film. For example, and not to burst anyone’s bubble, but Sly Stallone just isn’t that big, chugging a full bottle of Jack Daniels will actually kill you, and no, getting stuck in an elevator with a cheerleading squad will not always result in an orgy. However, action heroes, liquor, and porn aside, the NSX…No exaggeration, and I shan’t equivocate, this car is [expletive deleted] incredible. The tendon-wrenching acceleration, telepathic steering response, and socket-popping braking ability: all real. While I honestly didn’t thrash the car, I did give it enough stick to tell that Honda was not fooling around when they designed this car.

The NSX feels very intuitive to operate. All controls fall readily to hand, and everything works as one might think it should. The clutch is light, but not spongy, the gearshift action compares to that of a well oiled bold on a precision rifle, and the steering, even with no power assist, proves manageable and direct. The seats, which amount to leather clad, near-race style buckets, fit perfectly and provide more than adequate lateral support. After a scant five minutes, I began to feel as if I had driven the car daily for a month. The engine feels smooth, and revs freely. Oh, and the noise…dear God, the noise. The 3.2-liter V-6 in the NSX sounds moderately aggressive under heavy throttle up to about 6000rpm, but then the VTEC system swaps the cam lobes around and it goes from mildly antisocial, to full on psychopath. Of course, a civic with an exhaust can makes a good deal of noise, only with the NSX the noise doesn't lie. The performance really is bonkers. 290hp and 224lb/ft of torque yield instant acceleration from almost any rpm, the engine spins quickly to the redline before one must snap a shift through the precision 'box. No worries when it comes time to slow down either; one must exersise some restraint with the brake pedal to avoid spraining one's neck or dislodging a retina. I mentioned the steering earlier, which is very direct. I'm fairly certain that the steering wheel reads your mind. If Al Gore sat in this car, the wheels would instantly lock to the left. Speaking of Mr. Global Warming, this car might actually pass his inspection, providing all this performance while still returning 30mpg on the highway...or about 8 if you drive it like you're supposed to: really fast, on a track.