I was recently in Japan and visited with Azuma Miura of Macs, in Tokyo -- a concrete Jungle. Imagine my surprise as I walk into his store to shake hands, and sitting behind the many other NSXs for sale, I spot what looks like an NSX-R. "Hey, that looks like MY car!" We quickly get through hellos and he says, yes, that is a real NSX-R. A used 2004, 4000km. And, it's for sale. At today's rates, the yen price converts to $140K USD. Jeez, I'd love to own a real NSX-R, but I am already too far down my own LHD project to even consider buying and converting a RHD model. Many have been down this path before, and found that it's almost impossible to enjoy this car (legally) as an everyday driver in the US. But, this 2004 I sat in even smells new.
Anyway, attached are some quick photos from the only crappy point-and-shoot camera I was carrying at the time.
The crew at Macs. Anil, Azuma, Jun (English translator), and 4th from the left is Macs' NSX suprimo-technician. We spoke no common language whatsoever. But had no trouble communicating about the NSX-R. One thing we readily agreed on was that the Zanardi/Type-S shift handle offers superior shift action to the round R shifter ball. I recall the shift action on my Zanardi #14 as perfectly balanced as compared to the R ball I currently use.
Getting in from right side takes some skill...which I am missing
Making a mental checklist of R parts I already have
For sale "sticker"
"Used Car's" takes on a whole new meaning in Japan, LOL. Macs also has a second floor where I found a NA1 Type-S, white with orange-insert "S" seats.
Yes, that's my thumb in the upper left
I sat in this 2004 NSX-R, and took it all in. Wow, those R seats are really the single most comfortable seats I've ever sat in. Until this very moment, I only know that my regular NSX seats are the most comfortable seats in the world. Well folks, the R seats turned me around. And not because of the Red Mist of their exclusivity...but because they're really THAT good. And after my owning a few nice high-line rides with their own incredible seats, I can state unequivocally that Honda outdid Ferrari, Porsche, and BMW, once more. I (5'-10", 155lbs) sit upright just a tad bit more than my regular NSX seats, and I am held firmly in-place in the single piece shell...but Honda and Recaro padded the seats in exactly the right places. OMG. No pinching, I felt secure, and coddled, SO comfortable.
(Detlef, are you listening? Your very next Procar project should be to reproduce these seats for all us NSX guys, plus the tons of other Honda rides out there. Then you can retire a millionaire.)
In a detailed comparison to my own "Frankenstein-ish NSX-R conversion" (to quote mi amigo, Armando), I already had most of the real R parts installed on my car, though I was missing these incredible seats.
Until now.
Last year, another fellow NSXprime member kindly helped me acquire used NA2 seats, including all the correct electric slider hardware. Then I bought and am currently installing brand new, red, NA2 NSX-R seat covers. They cost a ton, and took forever. In the end I hope to have new (looking) seats in my R clone. Add to that what Jon Martin has already completed on my motor, and I think we'll end up with a NA2 NSX-R that is what Honda should have built in the first place. And all that for less than $140K...well maybe not a whole lot less
Anyway, attached are some quick photos from the only crappy point-and-shoot camera I was carrying at the time.
The crew at Macs. Anil, Azuma, Jun (English translator), and 4th from the left is Macs' NSX suprimo-technician. We spoke no common language whatsoever. But had no trouble communicating about the NSX-R. One thing we readily agreed on was that the Zanardi/Type-S shift handle offers superior shift action to the round R shifter ball. I recall the shift action on my Zanardi #14 as perfectly balanced as compared to the R ball I currently use.
Getting in from right side takes some skill...which I am missing
Making a mental checklist of R parts I already have
For sale "sticker"
"Used Car's" takes on a whole new meaning in Japan, LOL. Macs also has a second floor where I found a NA1 Type-S, white with orange-insert "S" seats.
Yes, that's my thumb in the upper left
I sat in this 2004 NSX-R, and took it all in. Wow, those R seats are really the single most comfortable seats I've ever sat in. Until this very moment, I only know that my regular NSX seats are the most comfortable seats in the world. Well folks, the R seats turned me around. And not because of the Red Mist of their exclusivity...but because they're really THAT good. And after my owning a few nice high-line rides with their own incredible seats, I can state unequivocally that Honda outdid Ferrari, Porsche, and BMW, once more. I (5'-10", 155lbs) sit upright just a tad bit more than my regular NSX seats, and I am held firmly in-place in the single piece shell...but Honda and Recaro padded the seats in exactly the right places. OMG. No pinching, I felt secure, and coddled, SO comfortable.
(Detlef, are you listening? Your very next Procar project should be to reproduce these seats for all us NSX guys, plus the tons of other Honda rides out there. Then you can retire a millionaire.)
In a detailed comparison to my own "Frankenstein-ish NSX-R conversion" (to quote mi amigo, Armando), I already had most of the real R parts installed on my car, though I was missing these incredible seats.
Until now.
Last year, another fellow NSXprime member kindly helped me acquire used NA2 seats, including all the correct electric slider hardware. Then I bought and am currently installing brand new, red, NA2 NSX-R seat covers. They cost a ton, and took forever. In the end I hope to have new (looking) seats in my R clone. Add to that what Jon Martin has already completed on my motor, and I think we'll end up with a NA2 NSX-R that is what Honda should have built in the first place. And all that for less than $140K...well maybe not a whole lot less
