anyone in central WI willing to show me their NSX?

[d.v.]

hello everyone, i'm located in central WI in the Wausau area. I've always had a love for the NSX and has always been a childhood dream to one day own one to see what it truly feels like to have an NSX, let alone drive one. it's been a while now since I can finally afford to have one and the time to act on it seems to be lingering a lot closer now than ever. as I get closer to actually pulling the trigger, my mind starts thinking more and more whether or not I truly want one now. 10 years ago, even 5 years ago, this would have been a no-brainer but car technology has come such a far way in the past 5-10 years that i'm starting to wonder if I should just forsake the NSX and move onto something else more current along with more/better technology.

I currently drive a 04 Audi S4 B6. Most definitely a blast to drive, very comfortable, handles well, fun, and with lotsa luxury amenities. of course, the AWD is a great plus although it hibernates during the winter. the car itself has only seen 3 winters and that's prior to my ownership. before that, 91 300ZX Twin Turbo. that car was my high school dream car; timeless design, fun to drive, turbos, quick and fast, RWD. if it's not obvious from these two, i'm somewhat of a torque-whore. the S4 has a NA V8 and the 300ZX has a TT V6. i'm somewhat concerned that the NSX will lack this as I don't want to be revving to the upper range of RPMs to feel this. no pun against the NSX, it's just an "old" car now.

I've considered C5 Z06, C6 Z06, SL600, SL55 AMG, RS4, S8, Esprit V8 (i know, i know, another discussion, another childhood dream car), and even SRT10. I've even considered surrendering to all and getting a GTR (and be done with it all).

now before we all get into a debate of apples and oranges, and then get all bias about NSXs because we're NSX-loves here, i'm just considering all my options. my budget is $30-35k which will cover all of the above minus the GTR. so why even mention the GTR when it's out of my budget? well... if i go with one of the above, i can pay cash for it, if i go with a GTR, it's cash down payment and payments (which i want to avoid). if i go the GTR route, then i'll just save another year or so and pay cash plus at that time the GTR prices would have dropped a little bit more.

so what am i asking? i would like to know if anyone who owns an NSX who is near me would give me the time of day to show me their NSX. there is a red NSX in my town but i do not know who owns it. I've only seen it a few times going in the opposite direction. due to the rarity of the NSX in the towns I've lived in, I've never got the chance to spend some quality time with one. i would like the chance without a seller or dealership lingering over my shoulder. i just want to look at one up close and see if the hunger for an NSX is really still there or has it faded down to a "what if" feeling (in which case i'm better off just dropping $1k and go rent one for a few days to get it out of my system, anyone want to rent out their NSX to me?). plus, i want to know if it gives me the drive-feeling i get from my S4/300ZX.

I've spoken to one individual who owns an RS4 and an NSX and he has stated that although he loves his NSX, it is definitely showing it's age compared to cars of nowadays and isn't up to par with his RS4 in terms of power but an "NSX is an NSX" as he puts it.

right now, i'm steering towards a modified C6 Z06. for $35-40k, i can get a low-mid mileage, modified, 500whp+ monster that will certainly quench my thirst for torque and rush. yes, it's $5k more than my budget but i can save that up by next spring or so and then hunt for a clean Z06.

there is a lot of love from me for an NSX and i think it will always have a spot in my heart whether or not i end up with one.

so... anyone out there?

 

[Jeff@Carbon6]

I am in Appleton but I'm not sure my NSX would be a good one to introduce you to an NSX. lol

 

[blue_myriddn]

I don't live the that area, but a friend of mine owns a S4 and I took it for a spirited run. The S4 is certainly faster and more capable. You can accelerate faster and take corners faster. Most importantly the car encourages you to drive faster because it inspires so much more confidence. It throws you back in your seat and the NSX does not do that without a supercharger.

With that said, it isn't anywhere near as much fun. You feel less in touch with the drive and much less engaged. The speed feels slower. The NSX delivers the go-kart experience in a way that a sport sedan never will. Cornering is just that much more of a thrill in an NSX than in the S4. To me, it is the difference between a sedan that was tuned to be a sports car and a true sports car.

 

[d.v.]

I don't live the that area, but a friend of mine owns a S4 and I took it for a spirited run. The S4 is certainly faster and more capable. You can accelerate faster and take corners faster. Most importantly the car encourages you to drive faster because it inspires so much more confidence. It throws you back in your seat and the NSX does not do that without a supercharger.

With that said, it isn't anywhere near as much fun. You feel less in touch with the drive and much less engaged. The speed feels slower. The NSX delivers the go-kart experience in a way that a sport sedan never will. Cornering is just that much more of a thrill in an NSX than in the S4. To me, it is the difference between a sedan that was tuned to be a sports car and a true sports car.

this is what i fear. granted my S4 should not be compared to an NSX directly but there are just some aspects of a "car" that every owner wants regardless. for me, it's torque and more torque. my budget certainly will not allow for a SC or turbos in an NSX so i'm left with the NA V6. i won't judget until i actually get to spend some quality time with an NSX. there must be someone in the area.

 

[jwmelvin]

If your thing is torque and more torque, I wouldn't bother with an NSX. I love them and I am happy with my supercharged current car but torque is not the point or a strength of the factory car. The only car I have driven with a comparable feel of connectedness is an Exige. (And an F430 but wasn't allowed to drive fast in that one.) The NSX is a handling car not a torque car.

 

[d.v.]

If your thing is torque and more torque, I wouldn't bother with an NSX. I love them and I am happy with my supercharged current car but torque is not the point or a strength of the factory car. The only car I have driven with a comparable feel of connectedness is an Exige. (And an F430 but wasn't allowed to drive fast in that one.) The NSX is a handling car not a torque car.

thank you for your feedback. this is why i need to spend some "quality" time with the NSX. i wouldn't even need to drive one, i'd be happy to sit in the driver seat. keep in mind, the NSX is a childhood dream and i'm so curious to make it reality. i just don't want to be disappointed in the long run. i don't jump from car to car. i like to keep my cars (because they drop in value too much to be bouncing around).

perhaps time has outgrown and outlived the NSX for me, plus lack of affordability has also desensitized me from the NSX as now i'm favoring higher-torque cars (and there's many to be had out there for my budget but not as good looking as an NSX). it's an internal struggle i deal with each time i think "i should go buy an NSX" while i stare at my S4.

maybe, just maybe, i need to go to the GTR forums and ask the same thing. i'm sure the GTR will feed the torque hunger and handle amazingly well albeit not as pretty, but then i'd have to keep saving for another year or so.

 

[d.v.]

hey everyone, thanks for all the feedback and PMs. this past weekend i got invited to a car gathering by a good friend and got a chance to meet all my prospects. i got to spend some quality time and even drive a stock '95 NSX-T, a mildly modified '06 C6 Z06, and a stock '10 GTR. The NSX was BEAUTIFUL, the more time i spent staring and walking around it, the more prettier it became. it sure brought back childhood memories and my younger years of yearning for this car. it was quite nostalgic. the Z06 was just plain mean looking. low and wide is about all i can say. always been a fan of the corvette since the C6 Z06 came out with wider body panels and just overall more aggressive look. finally, the GTR... well, it's a freakin' GTR. not the best looking car from the front in my opinion but sexy as hell from all the other angles.

i drove the NSX first so i wouldn't be biased by the power of the Z06 or GTR. visibility is great, feels nimble and revs incredibly well. it certainly does not pull like my S4 though which i was expecting but it kinda left me empty in that aspect. the power came on in a linear fashion. the Z06 was amazing in the power category. give it gas and it responded. it behaves just like my S4 but in a more raw and aggressive way. i didn't drive it like a madman but i did push it a little here and there and let me tell you, every time i put the gas to the floor, i SMILED! the Z06 was not a disappointment in my expectations at all. finally, the GTR... to be honest i was so afraid of accidentally damaging it that i didn't really get to enjoy it as much as i should. i was more being careful with it than just driving it. the owner had to reassure me that i could punch it all day long and it would still be okay. driving the GTR is surreal. i've never driven anything like this car. it goes and goes and goes... and launch control is SO MUCH FUNNN!!

so what does this all mean... sadly, i'm gonna leave my childhood dream where it started, as a dream. as i mentioned before, i will always have a place in my heart for this car but i know now that i've not necessarily out-growned the NSX but my heart and head have moved on. it's like that hot chick in high school that you never had the nerve to ask out and years later after graduating from college you meet her again to feel all the emotions rushing back but life has already given you different hopes and dreams to follow and going back just doesn't feel "fulfilling" anymore. i need to save another $10k or so by next spring/summer and hunt for a modified C6 Z06 as the power in that thing makes me smile non-stop, just like my S4 does (only the smiles in my S4 isn't as big). the plan is to pay cash for a Z06 but i will also keep my eye out for a GTR. we'll have to see where the prices of GTRs are by next year. if i can find a '09 or '10 in the $55k range with decent mileage, i may take out a small loan and cash the rest. the GTR is my new NSX-dream-car; only i think this dream will possibly become reality within a year or two unlike the NSX which has followed me for just about all my driving life.

again, thanks for everyone's input and kind respects. the NSX is a beautiful car and it sure does turn heads everywhere it goes. unfortunately, my path is no longer aligning with it.