My encounter with a C5 convertible

[Tetsuo]

this morning on my way to work...i doing around 75mph on the highway....blue c5 convertible pulls behind me then next to me...i down shifted to 3rd and it seems i got on the gas first....

from 80mph on i can see that he was gaining on me.....around 120mph - 140mph he completely passes me and pulls ahead...

the car looks competely stock....

i thought the convertibles were slower and the NSX should be better at top speed regardless....

I just couldn't believe he/she was that much faster...


93 NSX with B&B exhaust

p.s. it was very early in the morning and we were on a two lane straight highway with no one else but us. I don't race at high speeds normally but it is not too often i get a chance like this.

Tetsuo
Visit my Page http://home.att.net/~hondansx/Garage.html

 

[James Cruz]

Tetsuo,
Sorry to hear about your race. The C5 might be an American piece of &^%$#, but the car has plenty of nuts! Your 93 w/exhaust is not enough to keep up IMO. Maybe the Vette was modified.

I was at the track a few weeks back and Vettes were running low-mid 13's all night (with and without mods). The best time I could muster was 14.0 (without launching too hard) in my stock 94. Now when I turned the NOS on, I ran 13.0 and was smiling the rest of the night. Hopefully you'll get the next one.

 

[Jazz]

I wouldn't feel too bad about it. Those C-5's have plenty of guts stock and the race should be pretty close. A modified one version of either, however, is a different story

 

[NSEX]

I'm pretty sure the C5 has been modified. I've raced with a C5 coupe (which should be faster than the C5 converitable due to its lighter weight) and the C5 couldn't pass me on the bridge, but I couldn't get rid of him either. However, my NSX has been slightly modded I/H/E Catalyst converter. There are some members here actually beat the C5 with their NSX, I'm glad to hear from you guys

[This message has been edited by NSEX (edited 31 October 2000).]

 

[Tetsuo]

acutally the convertible is about 15 lbs lighter than the coupe...dunno why but i check the specs. What can i say i am a sore loser

I really though we would be pretty close and just really shocked that it was able to pass me by so much distance at such high speeds...

well i called RM racing to order my NOS kit today...but randy is out at the SEMA show..so i guess i'll wait till tuesday.

 

[Khuang]

A C5 will definitely beat a stock 93 NSX. At the drag strip, I see convertible ran 13.5@108mph. The 1/4 mi speed varies from 104-108mph. IF the C5 is driven properly, they are pretty fast. I only pulled a stock C5 slightly 3-4 mph(my 1/4 trap speed is 112-113mph). BTW, the Camaro SS is almost as fast as the Vette, so be careful.

My NSX dynoed 334 rwhp and I was dead even with a C5 coupe with exhaust and air intake from 40-140mph.



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turbokid

 

['98 NSX-T]

before getting into this too far I want to say the NSX is much more impressive in the turns than a straight line.......

with that said I had the opportunity to "race" a C5, belonging to my neighbor. we both got on it at the same time starting around 55 MPH. at around 120 MPH I was multiple (4-5) car lenghts ahead.

I own a '98 6 speed (obviously 3.2l) and at the time it was stone stock. my friends C5 is a stock automatic. while my neighbor is not the best driver, I doubt difference in skill is a factor here because all he had to do was press real hard with his right foot.

could the C5 be faster than a stock 3.0 but the 3.2 be a bit faster than the C5?

 

[Khuang]

That I can believe. You have way better gearing compare with a C5 automatic and the Automatic will have more driveline loss. There will be instances in which the NSX 3.2 beat the Vette due to variance in manufacturing. A normal C5 puts out 305 rwhp compare with the 3.2's 265-270 rwhp. They both weight about the same, math and experience tell me the C5 would be stronger most of the time but not always due to manufacturing variance.

Like you say the NSX driving experience is on another level plus it looks and feels better. I know many of us trade in faster (straight line) cars for the NSX, so straight line speed is definitely not the reason I own a NSX.

 

[8000RPM]

I once raced a C5 coupe from a rolling start at a stoplight. We went from about 10mph up to 80mph and to my pleasant surprise we were NECK and NECK the entire way!!!

At the next light he had a confused look on his face... I think he thought the C5 was going to walk away from the NSX. I sort of knew the guy and he told me that the NSX was his dream car but bought the C5 due to economic reasons.

My car is a '95 w/comptech exhaust only. To be frank I thought the C5 should've pulled on me but he didn't. Maybe he didn't know how to drive.

And another time, I went at it w/ another C5 on the highway from 80mph up to about 140mph (open road w/ no traffic). I was even w/ him but I can sort of sense that the C5 had more pull, even though the distance between us was kept relatively the same.

To conclude, I think the C5 is definitely faster than a pre'97 NSX, but given variations in the samples and driver ability, the NSX should hold its own out there...

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'95 NSX-T: comptech exhaust, eibachs, bilsteins, WW front spoiler, 17/18 Work Wheels
'95 M3
'99 A4