C8 Corvette visual comparison vs. my '91 Acura NSX

[JRitt]

Hellow Gents,

I just did a photo shoot with a customer's C8 and my '91 Acura NSX. It's pretty cool to see how the mid-engine layout has developed over the past 30 years! Click the link below to see a bunch of comparison pics on the Essex Blog.

Acura NSX vs. Chevy Corvette C8 Visual Comparison

 

[I_M_Legend]

nice! makes me appreciate the nsx even more

 

[hondasash]

Very cool comperison

nice! makes me appreciate the nsx even more

 

[wagyshag]

Very well detailed, written comparison.
Personally I like the C8. I think chevy did very well with the design, mid-engine layout, performance etc......

With that said however, the comparison you provided certainly emphasizes how elegant and timeless the NSX is and will forever be.
The simple, clean lines, in my opinion, are very pronounced with this comparison.

Thank you for taking the time to put this together. Very well done!

 

[natcc99]

That was a neat comparison. Thank for sharing.

The sharp triangles gives a modern and aggressive look. I am curious to see how it ages over time.

The optional spoiler looks annoying to load things into the truck (especially the roof).

I am surprise how tall the front is. Without the engine, one would think they could have a more slippery and lower profile. Maybe they wanted to maximize the radiators based on learnings from the C7?

It still looks like a fun car. I wouldn't mind a test drive.

 

[91 X]

Good stuff!!

I got to be one of the first in US to see the C8 up close and personal and wanted one ever since.....

Gonna be interesting to see what happens to the sports car market in the couple of months.....if I make it out of this shitshow were are in right now I hope to have one some day soon


God help us all

 

[sca037]

Most cool, thanks for posting this

 

[The Kid]

The C8 is the best supercar to come out since the original NSX in my opinion. I love the performance but aesthetically the side profile, interior and other minor tidbits just don’t win me over.

 

[Black NSX F1]

Definitely a game changer, looks, performance, and price. I bet you this was the same attention it got back in 1991 when the nsx debuted. I’ve seen some c8 videos and the people that bought it said GM estimated about 30k unit is being produce for the year. Either way, now SUPERCARS must definitely step their game up. Especially for the looks. If a c8 looks that good, then Ferrari and Lamborghini has to get something that sets it apart from other cars since that’s what they are known for, crazy low spaceship looking cars. Good job GM

 

[Floyd]

Thanks for sharing this. I know you said the C8 seems cramped compared to the NSX. Any impressions on actual room for the drive? I'm 6'5" (more leg than torso) and fit in the NSX with a lower seat cushion. I like the C8, but worry I won't fit. Ultimately I need to try it out, but I'm super curious.

 

[red-nsx]

Jeff, car looking good. Like your new wheels. Hope all is well. Nice comparison pics. Still rarer to see the NSX than the C8 which are starting to show up now.

 

[neuronbob]

It’s amazing how small the gen 1 NSX is compared to the C8.

 

[emac]

Thanks for sharing. I love both cars. The simple elegant design of the NSX and the roofline of the C8 is spot on. Different cars from different eras. I think the c8 will be a game changer just like the nsx was.

 

[nsx1164]

Thanks for sharing. Good review of two outstanding vehicles, the price/performance of the C8 quite impressive. Stay safe everyone!

 

[rileydawgg]

Thanks for this. I have a deposit down for a black/black convertible WITHOUT the spoiler... and was super curious how they compare to each other. Who knows when the factory goes back online to finish the coupe orders and the verts start, but it's really neat to see the comparison. I saw a couple red ones in person at the local dealer, but they just look too busy to me in any color but the black and gray. I really really wish they shrunk the trunk and made the back end smaller... that's my big gripe with it. Congrats to you for getting one though.

 

[docjohn]

getting some early reports that the Z06 planned for early 21 will be an NA beast....:wink:

 

[Valkyrie Pilot]

Hellow Gents,

I just did a photo shoot with a customer's C8 and my '91 Acura NSX. It's pretty cool to see how the mid-engine layout has developed over the past 30 years! Click the link below to see a bunch of comparison pics on the Essex Blog.

Acura NSX vs. Chevy Corvette C8 Visual Comparison

View attachment 164153

Nice.

I like the long tail of the C8.

Much more reminiscent of the NA1/NA2 and more balanced than the short rear overhang on the NC1!

First Honda shows Chevy how to build a mid-engine supercar for the masses.

Then Chevy shows Honda how to update it.

Annoying.

 

[JLCoolman]

Thanks for sharing the comparison! Great pictures.

Trunk accessibility does look to be problematic with that spoiler there, though.


You've got a good looking NSX.

 

[Timeless1]

Very well detailed, written comparison.
Personally I like the C8. I think chevy did very well with the design, mid-engine layout, performance etc......

With that said however, the comparison you provided certainly emphasizes how elegant and timeless the NSX is and will forever be.
The simple, clean lines, in my opinion, are very pronounced with this comparison.

Thank you for taking the time to put this together. Very well done!

NSX will always be Timeless indeed!

 

[JRitt]

Hello Gents,

Thanks for all the nice comments! It was really fun lining these cars up and seeing them next to each other. We had the C8 back in our shop again the other week to test fit the prototype AP Racing brake system, so I finally got to drive it. I didn't do anything close to what I would call performance driving. I only drove it gently on the highway to return it to the owner. I have to say, I was completely underwhelmed. It's a gorgeous car, but it was incredibly sterile feeling to me. The descriptors I would use for around town driving are quiet, comfortable, compliant, and sedate. It didn't feel terribly fast. Steering feel was okay. This one has the top-tier seat option (GT2), and those things killed my arse and I only have a 33" waist. The bottom cushions dig into your rump. It has a million buttons and is dripping with technology...felt like a spaceship. It seems extremely capable, but it left me feeling totally flat. In summary, it felt pretty much the same as just about every other new car I drive these days...a bit detached. I'm sure it would be a different story if I got to drive it on a track, but puttering around on the street it feels like a new Accord, a minivan, or ___insert your favorite daily driver here___. No matter how hard I try, I also still vastly prefer a proper manual tranny. The flappy paddles just don't work for me on the street. They bore me to tears. It's a great transmission if your primary motivation is shifting quickly and effortlessly or leaving it in auto mode. It's just not very fun IMO. As a fun weekend toy for ripping around back roads, I'd much rather have an older car I can really feel and hear.

Speaking of...I bought a 987 Boxster last fall. Now THAT is a fun car! Mine is not even an S. It's just a base with a 5 speed and the Porsche sports exhaust (PSE). It is soooo much fun on the back roads! It's actually one of my favorite driving cars for the road that I've ever owned (up there with my 92 NA Miata).

• Just like the NSX, it has enough power to be fun, but it's not terribly fast. The little 2.7 doesn't have a ton of grunt, but it spins up nicely and has that great flat six wail. It has all the great mechanical noises you know and love...valves clattering away behind your head...very mechanical sound, and a nicely building surge of power.
• At the risk of being crucified here , I believe it handles better than the NA NSX. That shouldn't be surprising given how much newer the chassis design is. It's not as unique as the NSX driving experience, but I think it handles better out of the box. The thing just pivots under you so nicely, and initial turn-in is killer. The Boxster chassis just feels stiffer to me and I sense zero twist at turn in.
• The brakes are far better than the NSX...again, probably not a surprise.
• The shifter is good but isn't quite up to Honda's finest. The gates on mine at 60k miles are a little sloppy when you pull it back to neutral. I'm likely going to upgrade my shifter.
• Steering feel is fantastic.
• My Boxster scaled at about 100 lbs. heavier than my NSX, but it feels every bit as nimble.
• Gearing on the Boxster is way better than the standard USDM NSX gear set with the tall second. You're forced to shift more often in the Boxster on the back roads, which is a good bit of fun.

Frankly, I'm a bit smitten with the Boxster. I owned an S2000 for a couple years, and I much prefer the Boxster. That's coming from a guy who has owned lots and lots of Honda products over the years. As a tall guy, I fit in it better and can find a superior driving position than I can in the S2000. The engine has so much more torque than the S2000, and I enjoy it more during casual drives around town, and on back road drives.

If you've ever thought about a 987 Boxster or Cayman, revisit the idea. Prices have really come down on them. They are just wonderful driving machines. People who think a real Porsche must have the engine behind the rear axle are totally missing the boat.

 

[JRitt]

Jeff, car looking good. Like your new wheels. Hope all is well. Nice comparison pics. Still rarer to see the NSX than the C8 which are starting to show up now.

Thanks! The car has been great. I hope you're still loving that orange beauty of yours!

 

[2slow2speed]

Speaking of...I bought a 987 Boxster last fall. Now THAT is a fun car! Mine is not even an S. It's just a base with a 5 speed and the Porsche sports exhaust (PSE). It is soooo much fun on the back roads! It's actually one of my favorite driving cars for the road that I've ever owned (up there with my 92 NA Miata).

• Just like the NSX, it has enough power to be fun, but it's not terribly fast. The little 2.7 doesn't have a ton of grunt, but it spins up nicely and has that great flat six wail. It has all the great mechanical noises you know and love...valves clattering away behind your head...very mechanical sound, and a nicely building surge of power.
• At the risk of being crucified here , I believe it handles better than the NA NSX. That shouldn't be surprising given how much newer the chassis design is. It's not as unique as the NSX driving experience, but I think it handles better out of the box. The thing just pivots under you so nicely, and initial turn-in is killer. The Boxster chassis just feels stiffer to me and I sense zero twist at turn in.
• The brakes are far better than the NSX...again, probably not a surprise.
• The shifter is good but isn't quite up to Honda's finest. The gates on mine at 60k miles are a little sloppy when you pull it back to neutral. I'm likely going to upgrade my shifter.
• Steering feel is fantastic.
• My Boxster scaled at about 100 lbs. heavier than my NSX, but it feels every bit as nimble.
• Gearing on the Boxster is way better than the standard USDM NSX gear set with the tall second. You're forced to shift more often in the Boxster on the back roads, which is a good bit of fun.

Frankly, I'm a bit smitten with the Boxster. I owned an S2000 for a couple years, and I much prefer the Boxster. That's coming from a guy who has owned lots and lots of Honda products over the years. As a tall guy, I fit in it better and can find a superior driving position than I can in the S2000. The engine has so much more torque than the S2000, and I enjoy it more during casual drives around town, and on back road drives.

If you've ever thought about a 987 Boxster or Cayman, revisit the idea. Prices have really come down on them. They are just wonderful driving machines. People who think a real Porsche must have the engine behind the rear axle are totally missing the boat.

FWIW, have owned multiple 987 bought new from the P car dealers, 2006 Boxster S, 2008 Cayman S Sport, 2012 Cayman R.

The 987 has better brakes than the NSX from the factory, it also has a lot of wheel/tire clearance under the front and rear fenders.

The DFI Engines on the 987.2 are relatively bulletproof (9A1). The foldable GT2 seats on the 987.1/987.2 provided great support and were super comfortable. (About as comfortable as the NSX Type-S seats that I had on my NA2)

The gearing on my NA2 was great IMHO, not sure about the NA1 given that I never drove one with stock gearing (only got to drive one with the shorter gears).

The 987.1 (M96/M97) engines suffered from possible IMS issues as well as oil starvation, Air Oil Separator Issues, Power Steering Pump Issues, dreaded Ice mode corner case for ABS where the pedal became firm and braking was severely compromised when using high grip tires.

Overall I agree that the 987 handles better in stock form, but once you start pushing you run into limitations, also the strut based suspension is prone to bump steer and the lack of a LSD from the factory was an issue putting power down properly (resolved that on my Cayman S sport by installing a Quaife TBD, the Cayman R had a LSD from the factory).

My ideal canyon carver would be either a 987.2 Spyder/981 Spyder or a 718 Spyder

I have been on a waiting list for a GT4RS for the past 4 years, I also have a deposit for a 2021 C8/Z51 that I might end up moving to a C8 Z06 depending on timing. Either car will be PDK/DCT, love driving manual transmission cars but got tired with shifting issues with both the NSX as well as the 987 cars when the cars were running hot and under lateral loads at the track.

 

[JRitt]

FWIW, have owned multiple 987 bought new from the P car dealers, 2006 Boxster S, 2008 Cayman S Sport, 2012 Cayman R.

My ideal canyon carver would be either a 987.2 Spyder/981 Spyder or a 718 Spyder

I have been on a waiting list for a GT4RS for the past 4 years, I also have a deposit for a 2021 C8/Z51 that I might end up moving to a C8 Z06 depending on timing. Either car will be PDK/DCT, love driving manual transmission cars but got tired with shifting issues with both the NSX as well as the 987 cars when the cars were running hot and under lateral loads at the track.

I've had my eye on a 987 or 981 Spyder for quite some time. I think the 981 Spyder is one of the sexiest cars on the road right now. From my research however, one of the big issues with the 981 is the gearing. Second gear goes to something like 80 mph. For the roads I drive, that means almost no shifting. It can be changed, but when you add in the P-Car tax...whew...not going to be cheap!

GT4 is incredible...got to play around in a customer's car with him, and talked with a friend who has owned one alongside a 991 GT3. He thought the GT4 was more fun to drive on the track. It is ridiculous overkill for the road though. The C8 falls into that same category for me. I'm a bona-fide Corvette junkie. I've loved the ones I've owned. That said, you can lay into the throttle for about 1-2 seconds before you're hurtling along at warp speed. My current C6 puts about 475 to the wheels, and it's almost useless on the road. With the Boxster and NSX, I can stay in them longer and enjoy the song. On track though, the C6 is incredibly fun and exciting.

On the track, paddle shifters make a whole lot of sense. They are impossibly fast relative to a traditional manual, and you can do things with them you simply can't do in a stick shift. I was on VIR as a passenger in a 991 GT3, and he was shifting mid-turn and doing all sorts of things I would never even attempt in my vette. The car's weight balance just doesn't get upset with the dual clutch setups because there is no pause in power delivery. It's amazing. I still hate them for back road fun though. They would be indispensable if you had to deal with any traffic though.

I hope the GT4RS materializes and you get one! The 718 Spyder and GT4 look incredible on paper...haven't gotten a look at one in person yet unfortunately.

The C8 Z06 will be a terror on track, but way too fast for back road fun IMO. You'd spend far more time on the brakes than you would on the throttle! I'm definitely the 'slow car fast' guy for the road, but for the track I prefer 'fast car fast'.