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Which is faster; a NA1 3,0 l. coupe or NA2 3,2 l. Targa?

|Adeel said:
Just wondering, thought crossed my mind...
Having test drove both.

The NA3.2L is faster. The perceived difference will be quite big in 2nd gear. Its a lot more fun than 5spd.

There is no huge rpm drop in 2nd + shorter 2nd gear in 6spd. 5spd reach 81mph in 2nd, 6spd reach 72mph in 2nd. You will reach redline in 2nd a lot faster, a lot smoother. It will put a :smile: in your face.
 
nsxsupra said:
Having test drove both.

The NA3.2L is faster in both seat of pants dyno and magazine road tests. The perceived difference will be quite big in 2nd. Its more fun than 5spd.

There is no huge rpm drop in 2nd + shorter 2nd gear in 6spd. 5spd~81mph in sec, 6spd 72mph in 2nd. You will reach redline in 2nd a lot faster. It will put a :smile: in your face.



Okey, thanks for the information :) Due to the lack of 3,2 litres in Norway - I haven't got a chance to drive one. I wanted a 1997 3,2 l. coupe, but those are extremely rare and maybe I just have to be happy with a NA2 NSX-T...
The only thing I don't want if I buy a 3,2 l. NSX-T is that car to be slower than my current 1991 NA1!

Because of the prices dropping on the earliest NSXs and many NSXs being imported, I thought upgrading to a 1997 NA2 might be a good step to stand out from the rest of the crowd. I am starting to like the idea of a NSX-T too...


The added weight in a NSX-T doesen't make THAT much difference in the driving experience right?
 
Assuming "faster" refers to straight-line acceleration... typical magazine test times were 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and 1/4 mile in 13.8 for the 3.0-liter NSX Coupe with 5-speed, 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and 1/4 mile in 13.3 for the 3.2-liter NSX-T with 6-speed.
 
Why don't you get the short gears on the 5-speed? 1-2-3 are the same as the 6-speed then and it doesn't cost a fortune. You only need someone to install it but this can be difficult. Adding even the final drive 4.23 gives you a little 'fun'-advantage over the 6-speed.
 
goldNSX said:
Why don't you get the short gears on the 5-speed? 1-2-3 are the same as the 6-speed then and it doesn't cost a fortune. You only need someone to install it but this can be difficult. Adding even the final drive 4.23 gives you a little 'fun'-advantage over the 6-speed.
There are more cost-effective ways to improve acceleration than gearing changes...
 
goldNSX said:
Why don't you get the short gears on the 5-speed? 1-2-3 are the same as the 6-speed then and it doesn't cost a fortune. You only need someone to install it but this can be difficult. Adding even the final drive 4.23 gives you a little 'fun'-advantage over the 6-speed.


I want a newer NSX, only seeing 1991 models here. Want something a little more different and going NA2 and NSX-T seems like a good direction for standing out :D
 
nsxtasy said:
Assuming "faster" refers to straight-line acceleration... typical magazine test times were 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and 1/4 mile in 13.8 for the 3.0-liter NSX Coupe with 5-speed, 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and 1/4 mile in 13.3 for the 3.2-liter NSX-T with 6-speed.


Nice :) :) :D
 
nsxtasy said:
There are more cost-effective ways to improve acceleration than gearing changes...
Agree with you as far as performance in seconds is the question but please have a look at my post again. :) That's what I was referring to 'fun'-advantage. It's not much faster but much more fun to drive than with the damn-long 2nd gear. :)
 
|Adeel said:
I want a newer NSX, only seeing 1991 models here. Want something a little more different and going NA2 and NSX-T seems like a good direction for standing out :D

? Is your 91 not enough for you anymore? :tongue: :) We have only very few 97+ here, most are 91.
 
Last edited:
So the more reasonable question is:

Which is faster? The NA1 coupe w/ NA2 tranny OR the NA2 targa?
 
That's the 'fun-factor' nsxsupra is talking about. :) It's a completely different story on the track or on the acceleration times in seconds. The car is much more fun to drive. Just a question of preferrences.
 
FrEsHaZzBuRu said:
So the more reasonable question is:

Which is faster? The NA1 coupe w/ NA2 tranny OR the NA2 targa?
The '97-01 NSX-T is faster. Most of the difference in acceleration between a '91-94 coupe and a '97-01 NSX-T is due to the additional engine power, not the gearing. Putting a six-speed transmission into a '91-94 coupe lowers its 1/4 mile time by 0.11 second, and 0-60 by 0.22 second.

nsxsupra said:
The reviews in the faq section speaks for themselves
That's because the shorter gearing gives the perception of improved acceleration, far beyond the much smaller actual gains in acceleration. That's because shorter gearing means a lot less time to reach redline in each gear, so you think you're accelerating much faster. However, you are reaching redline at a significantly lower road speed, so you're not really accelerating all that much faster.

If you like the idea of shorter gears or the six-speed, by all means try driving an NSX with them and get them if you like. But don't expect huge gains in actual acceleration times.
 
ibDursty said:
Didn't they change the gearing on 95/96's so it's not quite as bad as the 91-94's?
Yes, they shortened second gear. The difference between the '95-96 and the '91-94 second gear is about one third of the difference between the '91-94 USIM and the '91-94 JDM second gear.
 
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