• Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.

MotorTrend: 1991 NSX vs 1991 LS400

Joined
16 November 2009
Messages
145
1991 Acura NSX vs 1991 Lexus LS 400
1991-Acura-NSX-and-1991-Lexus-LS-400-front-in-motion.jpg

Allow me to set the stage by turning the clock back 20 years. The United States had just won a 4-decade-long battle with the Soviet Union. We were exhausted by the constant threat of mutually assured destruction. While victorious, our collective psyche was still used to having an enemy, a distant, far-off nemesis that was not only our foe, but just possibly our technological superior. We needed, it seems, an Other. The surging might of the Japanese industrial juggernaut filled that particular archetypal niche well. Your Walkman was made by Sony. You junked your Zenith in favor of a Mitsubishi big screen. And the constant oil bath on the floor of your garage had you thinking of ditching the LTD in favor of an Accord or Camry. My family replaced our wretched 1985 Malibu with a 1992 Maxima.

Popular culture soon began to reflect this new fear. Look no further than the 1986 Michael Keaton flick "Gung Ho," where a shuttered American car factory is reopened by a Japanese automaker whose ruthless management forces the lazy Americans to work harder for less money. No paid overtime for you! And, of course, wounded everyman John McClane's wife, Holly, worked for the Nakatomi Corporation in 1986's "Die Hard." Or what about judging a book by its cover, such as the 1990 scare piece "Yen!: Japan's New Financial Empire and Its Threat to America." I remember local news running stories of domestic dealerships offering the opportunity to beat an import with a baseball bat for the low price of $10.

1991-Acura-NSX-rear-three-quarters.jpg

Nowhere was this new threat felt more strongly than in California. Even as a somewhat dopey high schooler, I was aware of the fear. The Japanese bought Pebble Beach. They bought Laguna Seca. A businessman paid $15 million for a Ferrari 250 GTO. Another paid $1000 for a piece of tuna(!). Because of the recently ceased Cold War, our Southern California aerospace industry was floundering. Many of my friends' parents were suddenly jobless. A recession -- mild by today's standards -- set in. Yet Honda and Toyota kept selling more and more cars. And those scary Japanese weren't satisfied. They were going full tilt after the big boys, the mighty European luxury and sports cars.

I wish I had kept a diary as a teenager so I knew the exact date, but I'll never forget the night. My father took me down to the then brand-new Lexus dealership. The event was the unveiling of the LS 400. "$40,000 for a Japanese car? Are they flipping nuts?" Of course, Dad never said "flipping." And there, up on a turntable, sat a 2-tone white-and-gray sedan, spinning peacefully under the lights to the bemusement of the gathered crowd. Bits and pieces of conversation are burned forever into my mind. "It's so quiet you can't even tell it's on." "They say it's faster than a BMW, more luxurious than a Mercedes-Benz, and cheaper than both. And it's a Toyota, so it won't break." Starkest of all were the row after row of malaise-era Cadillacs sold by the same dealership. They were now officially moribund and obsolete.

1991-Lexus-LS-400-front-three-quarters.jpg

Around the same time -- this would have been the autumn of 1989 -- the buff books I devoured 4 at a time were publishing photos and reports about a sleek, mid-engine sports car from Honda. If the reports were to be believed, the car, badged Acura in America, was to take on the very best from Europe and at a lower price. Only the new Corvette ZR1 would be anywhere near the performance bargain of the upcoming NSX. So said Honda, at any rate. "Today's Ferraris are dinosaurs," declared Honda's Nobuhiko Kawamoto. "[They] are big and impressive, but they have not adapted to the needs of the times, and eventually that may be their downfall." Within months, the 1st driving reports started showing up. This Honda/Acura was good. No, it was better than that--it was great. Ferrari, Porsche, and Jaguar had been put on notice. The all-aluminum NSX -- partially developed at the Nuerburgring -- was better in every way.

In 1981, the Reagan administration foisted the protective (and, in hindsight, stupid) Voluntary Restraint Agreement (VRA) onto the Japanese automakers. The VRA limited Japan to selling about 1.7 million vehicles in the U.S. The math was easy. Sell 1.7 million cheap cars, or go upscale and launch Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus. In 1983, Toyota CEO Eiji Toyoda called his top executives into his office and pitched an idea. His idea, a secret project called F1, had the lofty goal of producing a luxury sedan that would challenge the very best in the world. If successful, such a car would net Toyota a whole bunch of yen, and, more important, redeem the face lost when the Japanese automakers accepted the VRA. However, the F1 had to be perfect. It couldn't just be better than the competition in some ways; it had to be better than the best in every way. A huge gamble, no doubt. Looking back, you have to admire both Toyota's hubris and Toyoda-san's brass cojones.

1991-Lexus-LS-400-cockpit.jpg

Over the next 5 years, the Japanese behemoth pumped more than $1 billion dollars into project F1. The F in this case stood not for "Formula" but for "Flagship." At its height, F1 employed 3700 of Toyota's top engineers, split into 24 engineering teams. They built 450 mules and 900 test engines and logged more than 1.5 million development miles -- incredible numbers, by any standard. Toyota bet that gasoline would once again be cheap and plentiful, so it started work on the F1's heart, a 4.0-liter, 32-valve V-8. Producing 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, the engine was very potent by the standards of the day.

Moreover, it was incredibly smooth, refined, and quiet. Toyota also decided that the Americans who purchase BMWs and Mercedes would never stoop to purchase anything with a Toyota badge, no matter how good, a lesson Volkswagen failed to heed when the German giant tried to sell the most excellent Phaeton to us Yanks some 15 years later. In May 1987, Toyota settled on a name for its new high-end brand: Lexus.

1991-Lexus-LS-400-center-console.jpg

In 1986, Honda launched its Acura brand in the United States. While not nearly as ambitious as Toyota's F1 project, the resulting Legend and Integra models were very good vehicles. Still, they weren't dominant. In fact, the Legend targeted the Audi 4000 (of all cars), and the Integra was a souped-up Civic mostly launched as a hedge against Acura dealers having to struggle with just 1 model. (Personal side note: the hedge worked, as my father got my mother a 1986 Integra after I dragged him to the Acura dealership over his "flipping $20,000 for a Japanese car?" protestations.) Blame it on the high-riding Nippon zeitgeist of the time, but a year after Toyota initiated the F1 program, Honda also decided to build a clean-sheet halo vehicle. Only it wasn't going to have 4 doors. And the world had never seen anything like it.

The amount of Honda-claimed industry firsts in the subsequent NSX (short for New Sportscar Experimental) is staggering, more than 20 in all. It's the first production car to feature an all-aluminum monocoque, including both specially heat-treated (and dent-resistant) body panels as well as extruded-aluminum chassis elements. The suspension was also all-aluminum, and the combined weight savings from the alloy construction compared with traditional steel was about 500 pounds.

1991-Acura-NSX-exhaust-tip.jpg

It was the 1st production car to feature four-channel ABS, the first mainstream application of electric power steering, and the first consumer vehicle to use titanium connecting rods for its high-revving, 90-degree 3.0-liter V-6 that produced a then-impressive 270 hp -- that's 90 ponies per liter, a shocking sum back in 1991. Perhaps most important, the NSX was the 1st car Honda offered in the United States to employ the most excellent VTEC variable valve timing system. Moreover, like the Ferrari 328 it initially targeted (and, later, the 348), it was mid-engined. Not only that, but the gas tank was located between the driver and the engine, so that, as fuel levels fell, the car's balance didn't budge.

As Honda's president of R&D, Hiroyuki Shimojima, said at the time, "It must be the most sophisticated and modern sports car in the world." He added that Honda's new exotic would "establish entirely new levels of performance, refinement, driveability, and reliability." The NSX then, was Honda's chance to show off its F1 chops, and, unlike with Toyota, we are talking about Formula 1. Honda employed no fewer than three F1 drivers to help develop the NSX. The 1st was Satoru Nakajima, a Japanese racer involved with the early chassis tuning and endurance logging. The next driver to lend a hand was none other than legendary Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna. He's credited with convincing Honda to significantly stiffen the NSX's chassis. Honda was so thankful, it gave him not one, but two NSXs. American driver Bobby Rahal also helped in the development of Honda's 1st rear-drive car since the decidedly non-F1 S800. The resulting praise was hyperbolic.

1991-Lexus-LS-400-wheels.jpg

Our own Don Fuller seemed particularly blown away in his September 1990 1st test. "It's the best sports car the world has ever produced. Any time. Any place. Any price." Fuller went on to say that the NSX is "more of an achievement" than the 1955 Gullwing and the 1977 Porsche 928, and that the sporty Acura is "far better than any Ferrari or Lamborghini ever built; it makes the Corvette ZR1 look like something contrived under a shade tree." Just so we're all on the same page here, the Porsche 959 debuted in 1986, and the Ferrari F40 reared its red head in 1987. Concluded Fuller, "We've spent over 100 years developing the automobile. After driving the NSX, it's been worth the wait."

The media response to the Lexus LS 400 was less effulgent -- how could it not be? -- but in effect, just as positive. Jeff Karr noted in his August 1989 driving impression that a fearless Lexus elected to launch the car in Germany on the autobahn along with three competitors for comparison: the BMW 735i, Mercedes-Benz 420SE, and a Jaguar XJ6. The new Lexus was better. He sums up his review with "Breathtaking happens to be a word that nicely sums up the entire LS 400. You can bet there are some nervous folks over on the Continent right now."

1991-Acura-NSX-side-turn-in-motion.jpg

That's precisely why we're concentrating on these two cars, as opposed to the aforementioned Legend or then contemporary Infiniti Q45. While both are good vehicles, no German doctor-engineer ever lay awake at night worrying about those 2. But the smooth LS 400 and the savvy NSX sent shockwaves throughout the industry. They changed everything, not only challenging the status quo, but rewriting it. Driving both cars today, the biggest takeaway is how modern they feel. Sure, a new Camry can get to 60 mph about as fast as the NSX (we clocked the latter at 5.5 seconds back in 1990), and that same humdrum Toyota rides about as well as the LS 400. That's progress. But remember, that progress is a direct result of these 2 cars happening in the 1st place. They don't feel old. Rather, they both feel like the blueprint for what's now considered normal.

Today's great cars are as good as they are only because these two were so meticulously built. As historian Paul Johnson would say, they signify the birth of the modern. Perhaps more important, each car is, in its own, perfected way, a time capsule. They're windows back to a time when Japan looked poised to take over not just the automotive industry, but the entire world. They're rolling monuments to a mindset that no longer exists. To repurpose a phrase my father used to utter when he showed me pictures of his father's 1953 Buick Roadmaster, "They sure don't build 'em like this anymore."

1991-Lexus-LS-400-front-three-quarter-turn-3.jpg

What Went Wrong?
Massive speculation and overconfidence led to a Japanese asset price bubble, peaking in 1991. Real estate prices in Tokyo reached absurd heights with 1 square foot of prime space being valued at up to nearly $100,000. When the bubble popped, those goofy prices fell by 90%. The myth of Japan as the new master of the universe dissolved, and the Japanese were forced to deal with what became known as "The Lost Decade." Of course, a full recovery has yet to materialize and the Nikkei stock index finally bottomed out in 2009.

As for the Japanese auto industry, it still sells boatloads of cars. However, the vehicles are by and large simply not as special as they once were. Honda, especially in North America, is not the engineering monolith it once was. Their best product is no longer a high-strung, mid-engine Porsche-smacking sports car. It's a minivan. Gone forever, it seems, are the days when gearhead, speedfreak teenagers dreamed of VTEC. Subaru's easily modified WRX nailed that coffin shut.

Saddest of all is the fate of Lexus, a brand that once burned so bright. Today, Lexus appears to have lost its rudder. While it's true that Toyota spent a decade and several fistfuls of yen engineering the mighty LFA, that hypercar just isn't as good as the competition. Even if it were, the absurd $400,000 price tag ensures that the Germans and Italians could care less. It is beyond niche. As for the rest of the Lexus lineup, the cars are competitive, but none is best in class. Lexus, it seems, woke a sleeping giant with the introduction of the LS 400. We're still waiting for the 2nd act.

1991-Acura-NSX-and-1991-Lexus-LS-400-rear-end.jpg

1991 Lexus LS 400
Ask The Man Who Owns one
Dang Le is a gearhead of the highest order, and holds the distinct honor of being the Lieberman family mechanic. He's currently working on a land speed vehicle powered by a Ford flathead V-8.

Why I like it: "It's the 1st luxury vehicle I've owned. More important, it's never let me down."

Why It's Collectible: "It's the 1st high-end Lexus to reach our shores, not counting the ES 250, which was a Camry."

Restoring/Maintaining: "As long as the timing belt/water pump major services are covered, there's no reason to doubt the car will run to a million miles. Though they do end up smelling like all older Toyotas."

Beware: "Active air-suspension models. Those air struts like to go boom. Also, if the starter goes bad, my professional advice is to buy another car."

Expect to Pay: Concours-ready, $4300; solid driver, $2200; tired runner, $1000.

Join the Club: Club Lexus (clublexus.com), The Lexus Owners Club (lexusownersclub.com)

Our Take Then: "The LS 400 clearly asserts Lexus as a world power in luxury sedan design -- a contender, not a pretender." -- Jeff Karr, Motor Trend, August 1989.

Now: The LS 400 is a fascinating reminder of a time when Japan seemed poised to rule the world. Funny how history works

Specifications:
Engine 242.2-cu-in/3969cc DOHC V-8, Toyota ECCS fuel injection
Power and torque 250 hp @ 5600 rpm, 260 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
Drivetrain 4-speed automatic, RWD
Brakes front: vented disc, rear: vented disc, ABS
Suspension front: control arms, air springs, anti-roll bar; rear: multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar
Dimensions L: 196.7 in, W: 71.7 in, H: 55.3 in
Weight 3759 lb
Performance 0-60 mph: 8.1 sec, quarter mile: 16.1 sec @ 89.3 mph, 60-0 mph: 126 ft (Motor Trend, March 1990)
Price when new $35,000.

1991-Acura-NSX-and-1991-Lexus-LS-400-front-three-quarters.jpg

1991 Acura NSX

Ask the Man Who Owns One
Jay Lamm is a self-hating (and retired) automotive journalist, the founder and "Chief Perp" of the 24 Hours of LeMons.

Why I Like It: "(1) Design cues fresh off Johnny Sokko/Flying Robot job. (2) Have become too old, fat, and decrepit to deal with an Elise. (3) Brand-new seatbelt from the dealer costs $29.95 -- suck on that, Montezemelo."

Why it's Collectible: "It's collectible? Says who? Vin Diesel?"

Restoring/Maintaining: "Wash it, fill the windshield squirters, and add gas. Every 3000 miles, suck the French fries out of the seat cushions. It's a Honda."

Beware: "Beware of dodgy clutches, noisy A/C compressors, and overdue cam belts. Beware of bent tubs. Beware of previous owners with spiked hair and 1 name."

Expect to Pay: Concours-ready, $30,875; solid driver, $19,300; tired runner, $10,800

Join the Club: The NSX Club of America (nsxca.org)

Our Take Then: "The Acura NSX is a stunning achievement of the pursuit of excellence, a brilliant display of the genius of simple elegance, a marvelous mixing of advanced technology with the fundamental concept of Car." -- Don Fuller, Motor Trend, September 1990.

Now: 2 decades after the fact, the NSX highlights what's possible in carmaking when engineers are given free rein and management keeps the accountants locked down in the basement.

Specifications:
Engine 181.7-cu-in/2977cc DOHC V-6, Honda PGM-FI fuel injection
Power and torque 270 hp @ 7100 rpm, 210 lb-ft @ 5300 rpm
Drivetrain 5-speed manual, RWD
Brakes front: vented disc, rear: vented disc, ABS
Suspension front: control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar; rear: control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Dimensions L: 173.4 in, W: 71.3 in, H: 46.1 in
Weight 3010 lb
Performance 0-60 mph: 5.5 sec, quarter mile: 13.9 sec @ 104.2 mph, 60-0 mph: 119 ft (Motor Trend, September 1990)
Price when new $60,000

1991-Acura-NSX-and-1991-Lexus-LS-400-front-in-motion.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the post, both of those cars is in my garage :) the ls400 is one he'll of a car, super silky smooth, super reliable the 1UZ v8 in it is consider one of the best motor ever built.
 
Whoa where can I can I get these solid running 91 nsx's for $19K? Hell where can I find a tired one for 10K? Sign me up!!!

Is the owner of this particular NSX a member here? What did he mean by bent tub?
 
GREAT Article. I own a 1991 NSX and a 2000 LS400 (last year for the LS400) and I must say I love them both.

The LS400 is my daily driver and it has never let me down. I plan on keeping it until it dies, currently it has 99k..

As for the NSX its my weekend fun car that I try to drive as much as possible.

Both cars are well engineered, extremely reliable and fun to drive.:wink:
I agree with the article the NSX and LS 400 changed the way automanufactures made cars.. They are two iconic cars.
 
Expect to Pay: Concours-ready, $30,875; solid driver, $19,300; tired runner, $10,800


I want a nice tired runner for 10k please. :biggrin:
 
LOL i just read this article and was about to share it here!

the LS400 was AMAZING. i recall being 20 years when i first sat in one (had no clue what the brand even was). Right then and there told myself that i would be looking at Lexus for my grown up car purchases.

that was an fantastic article; it pretty much sums up what had defined my dream cars; dream sports car Acura NSX; and dream old man sedan; Lexus LS. it's amazing to know that others from my generation feel the same.
 
Last edited:
Expect to Pay: Concours-ready, $30,875; solid driver, $19,300; tired runner, $10,800


I want a nice tired runner for 10k please. :biggrin:

Out of all of that research I don't know how he gathered that number.
 
Thanks for sharing, great read. But they did not talk about how great the NSX has become. NA2, supercharged and a few mods, it still rolls fast and is very competitive to anything made today.
 
I Totally agree... they are the Best cars made.
My 98 LS400 daily driver is nearing the 200,000 mile mark and NSX has 150,000 miles on the clock.
Reliable, problem free automobiles.
 
I owned a 1992 Ls400 and it was one of the best cars i have ever owned. I have always been a huge fan of Honda and Lexus. Great article. Hopefully they will get back to their roots
 
I had a 95 ls400 a couple years ago. All original engine/trans with 475k miles. Still ran good. I'll try to find a pic I had taken of the odometer. These Japanese cars can last forever if taken care of.
 
i dunno......i look at the pictures of those two and think the ls400 looks dated and stodgy.......but the NSX still looks beautiful......after 16 years of ownership though maybe im a wee bit biased......
 
I had a 95 ls400 a couple years ago. All original engine/trans with 475k miles. Still ran good. I'll try to find a pic I had taken of the odometer. These Japanese cars can last forever if taken care of.


WOW... 475k!! That is unbelievable.. How many timing belts and water pumps did you change?.. I just changed mine out after 10 years and 99k. You got your monies worth out of that car.
 
i bought it at 200k, i went through one water pump, belt after that. here are some pics
jij3t0.jpg

k0kbkp.jpg


this is a car lexus should buy, restore and put on their showroom somewhere as a testament to reliability
 
Wow just amazing, my 99 ls400 only has 92,xxx miles, the engineering effort that was put into the project F developing the ls400 was just amazing over 1000 engineer, close to 1 billion dollars at the time was spent on project F.
 
"Expect to Pay: ...solid driver, $19,300; tired runner, $10,800"

Somebody didn't notice the "Reserve Not Met" notification on the eBay ad.
 
Great article. Certainly 2 of the best manufacturers. I know my wife's Toyota 4Runner will probably run longer than we want to keep it and here I am wanting to purchase a 20+ year old NSX as my next new car. There has to be something said for that.
 
I had a 1990 ls400 years ago and boy was she smooth, never felt a bump. Great cars for sure.
 
Back
Top