Danny, Ghillie:
Seriously how much do you guys think a nice 91 manual with 120,000km is worth - what would you be prepared to pay? And is that based on performance comparisons to contemporary, mass-produced cars like the 350Z? Because with a car like this, pricing is not so much about the performance etc, it's about how the car is percieved, and I think that the perceptions of younger buyers in the Aussie market (me included) are way different to those of the Aussie sellers (who typically do not seem to be in their 20s).
What I mean is that with the insane Aussie sticker price and consequent very limited numbers sold here, the sellers are probably perceiving their NSXs to be in the same company as truly rare exotics such as the F355 to a far greater extent than you would find in the US market. I mean if you bought one for $190,000 in 1994 dollars, would you want to be selling it for $40,000 in 2007 dollars when it's still good as new and has another 200,000km and 20 years in it?
As for them being for sale for over a year... I think this is common for fairly rare cars. As a 2nd or 3rd (or 9th) car, the sale simply isn't urgent, and economics dictates that if pricing is steady and is determined by supply and demand only, at the market value, there will be an even number of buyers and sellers. But there's always fools with money too, and would you want to sell your $500,000 (opportunity cost) car for more than market value? Worth a shot right?
Alternatively maybe there's a secret society conspiring to keep the Aussie prices high for sellers. I haven't been let in on it yet but that's probably because mine's not for sale!
I paid $60,000 for mine last July, pre-modded (and done right) and almost immaculate with 27,000km (JDM manual). +$10,000 stamp duty, insurance, coilovers, fixing a/c, and I'm still driving around thinking I got a bargain.
Here's why I think that:
* It's got presence. It's wide, low, and nevermind what other people think, when YOU return to it in the car park, you think "wow" - and that's really cool. Camry man ain't thinking that and he's probably copping more depreciation too.
* It sounds absolutely unreal and it's not just because the engine's behind you (that helps, but doesn't save my MR2). Some people think there's no better sound than a wound-out normally aspirated V6 and the NSX still arguably has the best of those ever put in production car. It also sounds "expensive" (until you put in the AIS) and that's always cool too.
* Look after it and it's good for 30 years and 300,000km. I mean you can actually enjoy driving this car daily for decades. Not many exotics can offer that.
* Running costs are relatively low. Parts readily available compared to other cars in it's original market like the Ferrari 348, Lotus Espirt etc.
* It's easy to drive quickly yet remaining totally confident in control, comfortable over long distances etc. Some comparable cars aren't either of those things, limiting their ability to be enjoyed.
* Australian insurance is a bargain considering repair cost and value of the car.
* The fact that it's built by Honda (abliet by hand etc) reduces the poser value. I don't want to be a poser, so I'm glad I'm not paying extra for the poser value associated with Ferrari etc.
What do you guys think? For the $60,000 asking price on that Red 91 (and all the other red 91s)... is there another car you'd rather buy? If so, what is it, and if not, do you simply not want to spend $60,000 on a car?
I mean no offense - honestly - I'm just curious as to how you guys, as potential buyers, perceive the NSX. Above is what I think, above that is what the Red 91 sellers think
- what do YOU think?
Damn. Neo could have got 100 posts out of the above's worth of typing :biggrin: I'll never catch up.
