I just found this. It's a bit rich. and where did he get/check his facts? Looks like some of the prices are in A$ & some in USD...
Used Car Review
2002 Honda NSX
David Morley, The Age, December 10, 2008
Honda's first try at making a proper supercar fell a bit short, writes DAVID MORLEY.
2002 Honda NSX
The most notable claim about the GT-R is that it stands to be Japan's first true supercar.
Hmm, maybe. But if that's true, then perhaps we're forgetting the first Japanese car to make that claim, the Honda NSX.
Launched in the early 1990s, the $80,000-odd NSX was based on 1980s thinking that if you didn't have a supercar in your arsenal, you weren't trying as a car maker.
The NSX looked the part. The cab-forward styling was ahead of its time, yet in other ways it fell into the trap of being so overtly supercar-shaped that it risked becoming a bit of a parody of itself.
It wasn't alone. A quick look at the contemporary Lamborghinis, Ferraris and even the Jaguar XJ220 suggest that the whole industry was a tiny bit fixated on the dramatic wedge shape at the cost of all else.
So it looked dramatic but, inside, Honda's head ruled. The NSX's cabin was combination of sensible layout, good ergonomics and sober colours - hardly the sideshow that many supercar buyers looked for. When it came to the measure of a proper supercar, the Honda's mechanical specifications were a bit hit and miss.
It was mid-engined, which gave it remarkable balance and poise, but also meant that it was strictly a two-seater with limited luggage-carrying ability.
Its downfall was its cylinder count. Any supercar worth its salt had at least eight cylinders, and preferably 12, but the Honda had to battle on with just six.
The 3.2-litre V6's 206kilowatts of power was good for the time, but it didn't catapult the NSX into true exotica territory.
The automatic gearbox option - the question of why anyone would want the auto over the six-speed manual was always a mystery - made things worse.
To protect the engine, the four-speed automatic version used an engine that fell to 3.0litres in capacity and 188kilowatts in power.
Those numbers didn't really cut it in the hearts and minds of buyers, even if the Honda was still relatively quick.
But the shove in the back and the wailing exhaust note when you opened the throttle of the detuned engine wasn't there, and that was enough to turn the stockbrokers and surgeons right off.
The steering was nicely weighted and fast but could feel a little remote, and the rear end had good traction with big, sticky tyres and that moderated power delivery.
That was great if you were prepared to let the NSX's inherent good manners and grip show you up as a better driver than you were - in fact, the car was very good at flattering drivers.
But drill deep into the car's personality to find the best way to make it go fast and the Honda could come up a bit short and two-dimensional, described by some as a very fast version of a Honda Civic.
Again, depending on your point of view, that was either a compliment or the worst kind of faint praise.
Not that Honda stopped trying. In 2002, the car was revised. Fixed lenses replaced the pop-up headlights, the alloy wheels grew to 17inches, and new colours joined the options list. The later car was loaded with gear to help justify its $100,000-plus price tag. As well as sports seats and other racy bits, there was climate control air-conditioning, cruise control, central locking, leather trim and full electrics, including powered seats.
Safety included dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction control.
Seatbelt pretensioners were added in the 2002 update but by then it was too late, and in early 2005 the NSX was dropped, largely forgotten and, by then, largely irrelevant.
But modern-day car enthusiasts have begun to regard the Honda with a rosier tint, and prices
of even the early cars have held on well.
So, was the Honda NSX Japan's first proper supercar? Certainly it stretched the boundaries, but as a rule-breaker it pulled up short. So, ultimately, we'd have to say no.
What to pay
The fun starts about $55,000 to $60,000. There's a world of choice around $70,000, although a good later version with the fixed headlights will cost closer to $100,000. Be careful not to pay local delivery money for what should be a much cheaper grey import, as a few were shipped in privately.
The competition
Snap-to-fit competitors aren't thick on the ground because European exotica at the time was a lot pricier. And since the Honda has a different appeal, both then and now, it's hardly going to compete with those cars second-hand. The irony is that the Honda is probably a safer used-car bet compared with a tired Ferrari or Lamborghini, so maybe its more pedestrian specification and Japanese build quality are finally coming into their own.
Full Specifications
Prices and details correct at publication.
See the Article in original format at;
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=59576&vf=20
Used Car Review
2002 Honda NSX
David Morley, The Age, December 10, 2008
Honda's first try at making a proper supercar fell a bit short, writes DAVID MORLEY.
2002 Honda NSX
The most notable claim about the GT-R is that it stands to be Japan's first true supercar.
Hmm, maybe. But if that's true, then perhaps we're forgetting the first Japanese car to make that claim, the Honda NSX.
Launched in the early 1990s, the $80,000-odd NSX was based on 1980s thinking that if you didn't have a supercar in your arsenal, you weren't trying as a car maker.
The NSX looked the part. The cab-forward styling was ahead of its time, yet in other ways it fell into the trap of being so overtly supercar-shaped that it risked becoming a bit of a parody of itself.
It wasn't alone. A quick look at the contemporary Lamborghinis, Ferraris and even the Jaguar XJ220 suggest that the whole industry was a tiny bit fixated on the dramatic wedge shape at the cost of all else.
So it looked dramatic but, inside, Honda's head ruled. The NSX's cabin was combination of sensible layout, good ergonomics and sober colours - hardly the sideshow that many supercar buyers looked for. When it came to the measure of a proper supercar, the Honda's mechanical specifications were a bit hit and miss.
It was mid-engined, which gave it remarkable balance and poise, but also meant that it was strictly a two-seater with limited luggage-carrying ability.
Its downfall was its cylinder count. Any supercar worth its salt had at least eight cylinders, and preferably 12, but the Honda had to battle on with just six.
The 3.2-litre V6's 206kilowatts of power was good for the time, but it didn't catapult the NSX into true exotica territory.
The automatic gearbox option - the question of why anyone would want the auto over the six-speed manual was always a mystery - made things worse.
To protect the engine, the four-speed automatic version used an engine that fell to 3.0litres in capacity and 188kilowatts in power.
Those numbers didn't really cut it in the hearts and minds of buyers, even if the Honda was still relatively quick.
But the shove in the back and the wailing exhaust note when you opened the throttle of the detuned engine wasn't there, and that was enough to turn the stockbrokers and surgeons right off.
The steering was nicely weighted and fast but could feel a little remote, and the rear end had good traction with big, sticky tyres and that moderated power delivery.
That was great if you were prepared to let the NSX's inherent good manners and grip show you up as a better driver than you were - in fact, the car was very good at flattering drivers.
But drill deep into the car's personality to find the best way to make it go fast and the Honda could come up a bit short and two-dimensional, described by some as a very fast version of a Honda Civic.
Again, depending on your point of view, that was either a compliment or the worst kind of faint praise.
Not that Honda stopped trying. In 2002, the car was revised. Fixed lenses replaced the pop-up headlights, the alloy wheels grew to 17inches, and new colours joined the options list. The later car was loaded with gear to help justify its $100,000-plus price tag. As well as sports seats and other racy bits, there was climate control air-conditioning, cruise control, central locking, leather trim and full electrics, including powered seats.
Safety included dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction control.
Seatbelt pretensioners were added in the 2002 update but by then it was too late, and in early 2005 the NSX was dropped, largely forgotten and, by then, largely irrelevant.
But modern-day car enthusiasts have begun to regard the Honda with a rosier tint, and prices
of even the early cars have held on well.
So, was the Honda NSX Japan's first proper supercar? Certainly it stretched the boundaries, but as a rule-breaker it pulled up short. So, ultimately, we'd have to say no.
What to pay
The fun starts about $55,000 to $60,000. There's a world of choice around $70,000, although a good later version with the fixed headlights will cost closer to $100,000. Be careful not to pay local delivery money for what should be a much cheaper grey import, as a few were shipped in privately.
The competition
Snap-to-fit competitors aren't thick on the ground because European exotica at the time was a lot pricier. And since the Honda has a different appeal, both then and now, it's hardly going to compete with those cars second-hand. The irony is that the Honda is probably a safer used-car bet compared with a tired Ferrari or Lamborghini, so maybe its more pedestrian specification and Japanese build quality are finally coming into their own.
Full Specifications
Prices and details correct at publication.
See the Article in original format at;
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=59576&vf=20
