NC1 NSX Weight Reduction Thread

[Honcho]

[MENTION=20915]RYU[/MENTION] I stole your thunder!!

Ok folks, post it up here.

Acura carbon fiber roof = - 28 lbs

I also assume the aftermarket exhausts and downpipes weigh less too. Does anyone know the weight reduction? Who's gonna be the first to cut 100 lbs from the NC1? 200 lbs?

 

[RYU]

haha! no thunder to be stolen! I'm glued to this thread. Thanks for posting!

 

[Bricks and Bio]

I call BS on the roof thing.

The roof itself is not too large.

I am challenged to believe a piece of aluminum that size could weigh 28 pounds, let alone be replaced a the CF version and save that much.

Reducing the amount of Hi Fi gear and going to a CF type of seat will cut weight.

 

[sbkim]

What about carbon ceramic rotors - is this like 50lbs total unsprung weight savings?

Aftermarket wheels that weigh less than OEM?

 

[RYU]

A titanium exhaust system ought to drop some heft as well.

(I'm still iffy about the CF roof myself. The info came from a respectable source. I wish I could find the source, but it may have been an interview posted somewhere)

 

[Bricks and Bio]

I've seen the roof number as well but it just doesn't pass the reasonable to belief test.

Carpet removal, bye bye sound deadening, door cards without the big padded section, gorilla glass.

 

[drmanny3]

The carbon fiber roof saves about 28 pounds per the Acura NSX Team that took early retirement last December. The Carbon Ceramic Brakes save about 50 pounds that is significant because it is rotating mass. Replacing the OEM exhaust with a simple titanium exhaust would save I believe 35 pounds. Replacing the 40 + pound 12 volt battery with a lithium battery saves 33 pounds depending on which one you go with. Now it gets more expensive in replacing the two front motors with lighter weight units. Not sure who would do the R&D. Expensive carbon fiber wheels could save 60 + pounds. New seats could save 25 to 40 pounds. I would not drop the air conditioning nor the stereo. There is your 200 pounds. Ad to this downpipes plus piggyback octane fuel and you would have a faster car if that is your ultimate focus- not mine.

 

[sbkim]

Good info. May be less expensive to just add more HP vs taking off weight to attaim similar performance? Will there be discernible performance gain losing 200lbs vs say adding 50 - 100 hp?

 

[RYU]

Good info. May be less expensive to just add more HP vs taking off weight to attaim similar performance? Will there be discernible performance gain losing 200lbs vs say adding 50 - 100 hp?

Won't help in the turns though.

A stock NA1/2 is between 3100-3300lbs. My coupe weighs 2650lb and I didn't try very hard and it's very street able. It's also some 30yrs later and technology has improved. I don't expect to drop 15% of weight on the NC1 but a few hundred would be nice.

 

[Track Addict]

Good info. May be less expensive to just add more HP vs taking off weight to attaim similar performance? Will there be discernible performance gain losing 200lbs vs say adding 50 - 100 hp?

Depends on how you define “performance”

Losing 200lbs will have a HUGE impact on braking suspension and acceleration whereas adding 100hp will require more weight (better brakes bigger intercoolers, etc)

It’s all about what experience you want imo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NbyNW]

Don't forget about the mass behind the steering wheel. There's a reason jockeys and race car drivers are not big folks.
(I was going to call it the lump behind the wheel but maybe that's just me with a few extra covid pounds.)

 

[NSXplosive]

Aftermarket wheels that weigh less than OEM?

Do you even have to go aftermarket? How much less do the fancy forged wheels that Acura sells weigh?

 

[Bricks and Bio]

I don't believe the $10K wheel option with the CF garnishes are lighter than the Y Spokes.

The only advantage that had was that they are directional (have lefts and rights, 4 separate SKUs), the interwovens only come one way (2 separate SKUs) and look different on the left and right sides of the car.

 

[NbyNW]

Few weeks ago I called my local dealer for a price on stock wheels for a second set and if any price difference between y-spoke and interwoven. He looked up my VIN and would only give what came stock - the interwoven, said nothing else was showing as available. And without a core it was an additional $50 or so. Each wheel with accessories was about $1,000. Searching the web there are a lot of used OEM NSX wheels.

 

[Tom239]

The Carbon Ceramic Brakes save about 50 pounds that is significant because it is rotating mass.

There's a lot of misconception on the effect of rotating mass on acceleration. If you can post an equivalent (e.g., 50 pounds in the rotors is equivalent to x pounds of non-rotating mass), that tells the reader more than saying it's 'significant'. If you understand the physics, it's easy to calculate an upper bound on the equivalent and easy to estimate a typical value. Hint: the effect in this case is not large because rotor diameter is less than half the tire diameter.

 

[Hothonda]

Full body PPF wrap on similar sized vehicles comes in around 50#

 

[RYU]

The stock NC1 wheels ought to be quite light. IIRC they are forged.. they'd really have to be just looking at them. It would be my 1st choice if sticking with any of the factory NC1 wheel selection. I feel like dealers who don't really know spec the other ones for "look". A proper enthusiast Porsche dealer would hardly do that. Then again, there's only 1 trim level for the NC1 and you get many to choose from on a 911 and each can be spec'd more acutely.

I believe Titan7 may have a NC1 fitment. They are known to produce lightweight, strong, forged wheels. Maybe 5lbs per wheel savings AT MOST is my estimation. The standard NC1 wheel is pretty good - anyone know the weight? ~23lbs is my guess.

And PPF is 50lbs? I believe it, but quite an eye opener of a figure.

 

[Bricks and Bio]

Few weeks ago I called my local dealer for a price on stock wheels for a second set and if any price difference between y-spoke and interwoven. He looked up my VIN and would only give what came stock - the interwoven, said nothing else was showing as available. And without a core it was an additional $50 or so. Each wheel with accessories was about $1,000. Searching the web there are a lot of used OEM NSX wheels.

There is strict inventory control for Gen 2 NSX parts and a VIN number was always required for ordering

In the beginning you could only replace like with like.

My understanding that was relaxed/dropped a while ago so you could order Y Spokes for a car that originally came with Interwoven wheels.

Perhaps the parts person you were working with didn't have the info or didn't push somebody at Acura parts to get it done.

Parts inventory was also light in 2016, when I ordered my wheels, only 3 were in stock.

 

[sbkim]

I got this from another thread below from Sled Driver:

The Y's 43 Lbs ft and 55.4 lbs rear with ContiSport6 tires. Front tires are about 22 lbs and rears are 31 lbs per tire rack. So, wheels alone should be approx 21 Front and 24 Back.

The interwoven 44.2 lbs ft and 56.9 rear with the Michelin's. So with same tires, 22 front and 26 back.

sbkim

My car came with the Y spokes and I purchased a set of interwoven for track duty and mounted MPSC2's. The Y's 43 Lbs ft and 55.4 lbs rear with ContiSport6 tires. The interwoven 44.2 lbs ft and 56.9 rear with the Michelin's. The used wheel market the Y spoke are just about impossible to get and I couldn't get a full set so settled for interwoven for my track events. They're both forged wheels so I don't think one has any durability issues over the other. The Y spoke's look better to me and seem born out by availability most likely because they are lighter.
I don't see the concave you mention. I put wheel spacers which helps the look of the car.

Jimmy aka sled driver

 

[RYU]

I got this from another thread below from Sled Driver:

The Y's 43 Lbs ft and 55.4 lbs rear with ContiSport6 tires. Front tires are about 22 lbs and rears are 31 lbs per tire rack. So, wheels alone should be approx 21 Front and 24 Back.

The interwoven 44.2 lbs ft and 56.9 rear with the Michelin's. So with same tires, 22 front and 26 back.

Nice to know I wasn't very far off. Those are light for that size. I'd chose the Y spokes for sure. They also look best IMO from the factory options.

Just to give some context. A Titan 7 set for a C7 Corvette is 19x10 (21.4lbs) and 20x12.5 (26.4lbs). Given the NC1 wheels are the same diameter but a good 1.5-2" less wide I reckon a ~2lb per wheel savings can be had still. 2lbs is not much but it's unsprung weight afterall. I could probably still consume a 2lb burrito if challenged. HAHA

 

[sled driver]

Do you even have to go aftermarket? How much less do the fancy forged wheels that Acura sells weigh?

View attachment 169193

Acura brochure says not for track use!
Jimmy aka sled driver

 

[powdbyrice]

That is correct. LOL. Not enough cooling.

When we went to the NSX training, they told us that and I was like WTF? How is that possible.