Here is a bit a wrote for NSXCA NSX Driver.
NSX Insider Experience in Ohio to the rescue. At my stage of life, I look for more and more experiences! Jean and I signed up for the whole kit and caboodle and jumped a flight to Columbus in October. We checked in at the luxurious Le Méridian, The Joseph, to be surprised by a room of NSX décor. We then Ubered to Lindey’s Restaurant, a German Village staple with a relaxed attitude and delicious menu -- all the sophisticated nourishment we needed to prepare for day one.
Shannon McGuinness, our cheerful and energetic host picked us up promptly at 8AM, with a first stop at the Honda Heritage Center, a must for anyone with an affinity to Soichiro, the entrepreneur/inventor, and the company he and Takeo Fujisawa created. From the Cub to the Honda Jet there is something for everyone to see. (I did suggest adding an RC30 to fill the gap on Honda’s legendary V-4 performance motorcycles.)
I guess our eagerness showed as Shannon, grabbed the MDX to chauffeur us to the Performance Manufacturing Center. Jean and I recalled the day we stopped during NSXPO 2014 to photo the billboard proudly stating: “The Future Home of the NSX . . .”. Now we were going to the real deal. Shannon is a car enthusiast, an avid tracker and impressed us with her intimacy and knowledge of the NSX. We learned that she was a key figure in training (in and out of the NSX) many of the sales representatives across the US. Enroute we got a preview of some of her favorite parts of the NSX Insider Experience.
And then we arrived. I guess I now know what celebrities feel like. We were escorted to the “Owner’s Lounge” prominently bannered with our names. For those at NSXPO ’14, the amazing NSX Engine Table dominates the room. Here we were presented with the most amazing reveal of the PMC. Our lips are sealed to preserve this special presentation for those that follow.
We donned safety glasses before walking into the neatest, most uncluttered manufacturing floor I have ever experienced. At every station associates were eager to chat and answer any questions. Back to the celebrity comment, everyone knew who we were and that we were new 130R White NSX owners. We learned that each color represents a famous circuit corner. 130R is Suzuka’s most famous corner, a 130-meter-radius left-hander toward the end of the lap and one of the fastest corners in the world. It was re-profiled in 2003, but retained the name.
In every engagement associates were keen to know our experiences with the car and our option details. Their pride and eagerness to share was exhilarating. Jean and I even got to start the welding process for a couple of frames: We offer no warranty for our welding jobs! For the Michael Shank Racing fans, Katherine Legge’s frame was on the floor undergoing post-crash repair along with two new GTR frames.
Shannon kept us moving with a smile as we engaged eagerly with all the associates, admiring their attention to detail and perfection. One of the highlights was meeting Bryan and Rook. If you own an NC1, this dynamic duo installed your engine. And I can assure you they did it precisely. They designed their own technique to install an engine/motor/transmission unit that has only 3 – 4 mm clearance through the frame rails and it involves lasers, tape, cart stops, jokes, friendly banter, laughter and attention to detail.
Next was the Transportation Research Center. NSXPO ‘14 participants will remember the TRC and the fun it presented. Jean in a Nord Grey and me in a Casino White Pearl spent four hours spread across the Skid Pad, Vehicle Dynamic Area, Dynamic Handling Road Course and the 7.5-mile high-Speed Oval. Four glorious hours of sliding, drifting, launching, hot laps and high speed driving. All with the watchful eyes of TRC Professional Trainers Randy and Jason in the right seats. This experience really lets you know what the car is about, its capability and amazing engineering. With its dynamic options, it truly is four different vehicles: from a docile pleasantly calm commuter to controlled hostility and haste on the track. And yes, in Track Mode it will slide a bit without completely shutting off VSA. Both cars were fully fueled when we started and on fumes at the end. Saying we had fun is an embarrassing understatement. My face is permanently creased from smiling.
Day two, Shannon arrived at our hotel to transfer us to the Anna Engine Plant to see the folks that bring the NSX power plant into this world. As we drove through beautiful rolling farmland we passed an Amish Family in horse and buggy. Such a juxtaposition to the transportation technology we were here to see. We arrived at Anna and again received the most gracious welcome. Pictures of Soichiro are numerous here including the one with Aryton Sena that many of us are familiar with.
We opted for a swift tour of the Civic and CR-V engine production line, impressive in its own right, to have more time to see the Crown Jewel. Stepping into the NSX Engine production section is like walking into an operating room/multimedia center. Flat panels display beautiful images of the car along with visual assembly management details. All the engine components are jewel-like and each technician is masterfully assembling a unit from beginning to end and guarding tolerances (I’ll reveal no secrets). We got a group photo with the team and solo with Scott for his fine work assembling our unit. He assured us we can drive the “living day lights out of it”.
We stepped into another sterile room where associates Jeff and Shawn prep and bench run each engine through a carefully designed break-in routine. We peered through an insulated glass panel with an engine running at 4K rpm and could barely hear it! All broken-in cooled-down engines are rolled into the next room where the rear electric motor and transmission are attached before balance and vibration testing. After that the assembly is sent to Rook and Bryan at the PMC for some final touches before sliding into some happy owner’s frame. We had an enjoyable journey back to the PMC for a quick lunch, a revisit with some of the associates and then departed for the airport.
The NSX Insider Experience is special and It is made so by all the Honda/Acura associates that so warmly welcomed us, shared their enthusiasm and passion for what they do and joined in the excitement about our ownership experience. When you learn first-hand what has gone into the development of this car, what it takes to bring it together “right” and how it performs when pushed, you quickly realize how special it is and why the wait was so long. I have a new-found appreciation for how large the community and ecosystem was to bring this new product to life. In my opinion they hit a home run! And as for the Experience . . . we would do it again in a heartbeat!
