Hello all,
I had a few minutes and thought I would post an update on my long NSX ownership and the incredible NSX. After 17 years of wonderful, trouble free ownership of my Berlina Black 93, I sold it to a nice young man in the Seattle area. I trust he will care for it as passionately as I did. I had sworn I would never sell it.....that I wanted to be buried in it. So what happened? Well, maybe I got just a little bored and began looking at options. Maybe the "grass was greener" type thing. Maybe my needs changed a bit. I dunno for sure. In any case, I ended up with a C7 Corvette. It is the 1st American made car I have ever owned, and Corvettes in general never appealed to me. So, how does it compare? First off, it should be totally unfair to compare a new car to a nearly 25 year old design. That said, after putting a few miles on the C7 (some of them pretty aggressive), I can tell you the NSX actually deserves to be compared---a nearly unbelievable statement. My NSX was modified a bit. Full headers, exhaust, intake, and chip. Koni's, Eibachs and 17's all around. It was fast (for an NSX) and once came out in front on a head to head race with an V8/R8. It handled flat and was dieted to about 2850 LBS. Compared to the C7, the unassisted-steering NSX has superior road feel and provides a somewhat better "feel" for the road and what the car is doing. I should note the Corvette has incredibly precise steering and balance, and feels like it has a lateral grip far in excess of my NSX. The published lateral G's of 1.07 is certainly believable. It doesn't have the connection that the mid-engine NSX has to the road. While both of these cars are similar in the fact that they are both 2-seat, rear drive sports cars, the differences are obvious. Overall, the handling and power limits of the C7 exceed (my) NSX by a fair margin. Again, it's hardly fair to compare the two but, they do! I miss the shriek of that wonderful 8 grand VTEC.... but also enjoy the roar of the C7's V8. Power wise, there isn't much comparison. The C7 is a beast. It's a shame Honda neglected to develop the NSX engine through the years. It was never "slow" but, 400 HP would have been awesome. Some might argue that all I needed to do was supercharge the NSX to get that power. I dunno, I've driven some fast SC NSX's, I think I was after power AND the refinement afforded cars with newer technology. Another tribute to Honda'a ability to do it right the first time was the fact that the C7's seats (and general ergos) felt remarkable similar to the NSX. I think I preferred the cab-forward design of the NSX and the view out the front windshield, the C7's view is still pretty cool. The overall driver's visibility out of the car is slightly better in the NSX.
Looks. A really subjective topic. My personal 2 cents: The NSX design is timeless and better looking. Maybe not as mean looking but, I still don't think ANYTHING is as beautiful as an NSX.
Build quality: Surprisingly comparable. (Shocking for an American built car, I know)
Back to why I did it. In part, I wanted to streamline my life a bit. I wanted a daily driver and wanted to go from two cars to one daily driver. I sold an amazing BMW M6 also. I wanted some luxuries that a new car provides, like heated/cooled seats etc.....a paddle shifting automatic (don't laugh! The auto tranny in the C7 is very good). The C7 is truly a (194 MPH) velvet hammer. While the NSX always got commendable MPG, the C7 is nearly unbelievable in that regard.
So, I hope no one takes any of this as a "put-down" to the NSX. I know the C7 will never be the collectable that the NSX is. The fact that the NSX can even be talked about in the same conversation as a 2014 sports car is amazing in itself. The NSX never left me stranded or let me down. Reliability was phenomenal....I can only hope the Chevy does as well. It does feel good to buy an American made product and what is often referred to as a "world class sports car."
Honda's design and production of the NSX was a (possibly unsurpassed) accomplishment. It was so far ahead of its time.
One thing I also want to mention. The NSX community (and PRIME) is a huge asset and reason to own an NSX. I have made lifetime friends and wonderful memories.
Anyway, if you see a C7 coming at you, wave! And no, I haven't gone out and bought a gold necklace!
I had a few minutes and thought I would post an update on my long NSX ownership and the incredible NSX. After 17 years of wonderful, trouble free ownership of my Berlina Black 93, I sold it to a nice young man in the Seattle area. I trust he will care for it as passionately as I did. I had sworn I would never sell it.....that I wanted to be buried in it. So what happened? Well, maybe I got just a little bored and began looking at options. Maybe the "grass was greener" type thing. Maybe my needs changed a bit. I dunno for sure. In any case, I ended up with a C7 Corvette. It is the 1st American made car I have ever owned, and Corvettes in general never appealed to me. So, how does it compare? First off, it should be totally unfair to compare a new car to a nearly 25 year old design. That said, after putting a few miles on the C7 (some of them pretty aggressive), I can tell you the NSX actually deserves to be compared---a nearly unbelievable statement. My NSX was modified a bit. Full headers, exhaust, intake, and chip. Koni's, Eibachs and 17's all around. It was fast (for an NSX) and once came out in front on a head to head race with an V8/R8. It handled flat and was dieted to about 2850 LBS. Compared to the C7, the unassisted-steering NSX has superior road feel and provides a somewhat better "feel" for the road and what the car is doing. I should note the Corvette has incredibly precise steering and balance, and feels like it has a lateral grip far in excess of my NSX. The published lateral G's of 1.07 is certainly believable. It doesn't have the connection that the mid-engine NSX has to the road. While both of these cars are similar in the fact that they are both 2-seat, rear drive sports cars, the differences are obvious. Overall, the handling and power limits of the C7 exceed (my) NSX by a fair margin. Again, it's hardly fair to compare the two but, they do! I miss the shriek of that wonderful 8 grand VTEC.... but also enjoy the roar of the C7's V8. Power wise, there isn't much comparison. The C7 is a beast. It's a shame Honda neglected to develop the NSX engine through the years. It was never "slow" but, 400 HP would have been awesome. Some might argue that all I needed to do was supercharge the NSX to get that power. I dunno, I've driven some fast SC NSX's, I think I was after power AND the refinement afforded cars with newer technology. Another tribute to Honda'a ability to do it right the first time was the fact that the C7's seats (and general ergos) felt remarkable similar to the NSX. I think I preferred the cab-forward design of the NSX and the view out the front windshield, the C7's view is still pretty cool. The overall driver's visibility out of the car is slightly better in the NSX.
Looks. A really subjective topic. My personal 2 cents: The NSX design is timeless and better looking. Maybe not as mean looking but, I still don't think ANYTHING is as beautiful as an NSX.
Build quality: Surprisingly comparable. (Shocking for an American built car, I know)
Back to why I did it. In part, I wanted to streamline my life a bit. I wanted a daily driver and wanted to go from two cars to one daily driver. I sold an amazing BMW M6 also. I wanted some luxuries that a new car provides, like heated/cooled seats etc.....a paddle shifting automatic (don't laugh! The auto tranny in the C7 is very good). The C7 is truly a (194 MPH) velvet hammer. While the NSX always got commendable MPG, the C7 is nearly unbelievable in that regard.
So, I hope no one takes any of this as a "put-down" to the NSX. I know the C7 will never be the collectable that the NSX is. The fact that the NSX can even be talked about in the same conversation as a 2014 sports car is amazing in itself. The NSX never left me stranded or let me down. Reliability was phenomenal....I can only hope the Chevy does as well. It does feel good to buy an American made product and what is often referred to as a "world class sports car."
Honda's design and production of the NSX was a (possibly unsurpassed) accomplishment. It was so far ahead of its time.
One thing I also want to mention. The NSX community (and PRIME) is a huge asset and reason to own an NSX. I have made lifetime friends and wonderful memories.
Anyway, if you see a C7 coming at you, wave! And no, I haven't gone out and bought a gold necklace!
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