Well with all of the activity and furious posting by people who haven't even driven both of these cars in various threads, I figured maybe I should chime in with an educated opinion on these two cars. I owned a 2003 NSX for three years, which I originally bought certified preowned and still under factory warranty. This spring, I sold it for a used 2008 Z06 still under factory warranty for a few thousand more than what I sold the NSX for. My personal criteria in considering cars directly comparable is based on whether the intended use is the same and whether the current market price is roughly the same. Based on these criteria, I consider these cars directly comparable.
Cliff's Notes:
Advantage NSX: Rarity, Depreciation, Exterior Styling
Advantage Z06: Engine, Interior, Technology, Handling, Braking, Track Experience, Overall Ownership Experience
The Z06 takes the NSX driving and ownership experience to another level, vastly improving the performance of the vehicle and daily drivability while sacrificing only rarity and the NSX's timeless exterior styling.
Gory Details:
Price
As mentioned above, the Z06 was comparable in terms of price (a few grand more) but was 5 years newer and had 30k fewer miles. The NSX is legendary in the depreciation department, and that is certainly clear from this example. However, in terms of what your money can buy you now, they are equal in my view. You'll most likely take a bigger depreciation hit on the Z06 from this point forward, although not hugely so.
Advantage: NSX.
Exterior Design
The NSXs exterior design is now over 20 years old and still turns heads. In a word, it is epic. It is beautiful in a delicate, simplistic way. The Z06 is actually just slightly larger but appears much larger due to the much more muscular and aggressive styling. It isn't ugly, but it isn't beautiful in the way the NSX is. The Z06's design elements are purposeful, functional, and reflect the heritage of the Corvette in an appropriate way. However, I think it is clear that it will not age in the way the NSX has, as almost no car has been capable of.
Big Advantage: NSX.
Interior Design
I have always been a lover of Honda's interior design and ergonomics. The NSX has the typical clear gagues and layout that Honda is known for. I wasn't much of a fan of the nightime orange/red gagues a la BMW, but overall the NSX gagues were good. As extolled in many threads throughout these forums, the seats are well designed. They are comfortable, yet very supportive. Other aspects of cabin design are lacking, however. The cupholders and interior storage are basically non-functional. In the time of the original design of the NSX, when competing against Ferrari 348s, perhaps that was acceptable. In today's world, it comes up short.
The Z06 has a really underappreciated interior. Many who comment negatively about it are people who are stuck in the mindset of 10+ years ago, where a Corvette just goes fast in a straight line and it is otherwise a piece of crap. The gagues are better than the NSX. The interior has more storage by a decent margin. The cupholders work. It has dual zone climate control, heated seats (who is driving this car in the winter?), side airbags, an extra plug, and many other features of a modern car that the NSX does not. It is a very functional interior and overall it is better than the NSX. The trunk is large and far superior to the NSX. One thing that I don't like too much is the fact that the trunk is open to the cabin so in the event of an accident, you may be struck in the back of the head with whatever is in there. I believe there are some aftermarket things that can resolve that problem, but that is one downside.
Another downside is that although the seats are comfortable, they are pillowy. The steering wheel feels fine but it looks cheap. Interestingly, in my first trip to the track in the Z06, the seats worked just as well as the NSX seats in keeping me planted during cornering (perhaps due to sinking down in the pillowy-ness... haven't quite figured out why this is the case). Ultimately, I'll be ditching these in fairly short order for Recaros.
Advantage: Z06
Engine
The LS7 is brilliant. It has all of the bells and whistles of the NSX engine (titanium connecting rods, hand-built by one person, etc.), plus more than double the displacement (7.0 vs. 3.2 Liters), much more horsepower (505 vs. 290), much more torque (470 vs. 250 lb.ft.). Torque is available everywhere. It really is no comparison. The only advantage in the NSXs favor is the 8k redline vs. 7k in the Vette. Which is a very small advantage in my book, compared against the huge advantages of the LS7. In addition, the V8 sounds great and has butterfly valves in the exhaust. Gas mileage on the highway is an outrageous 28MPG because of the torque and very tall 6th gear. A dry sump oiling system is another very nice feature for those who track the car, which, with this car, you should.
HUGE Advantage: Z06
Handling
The Z06 totally disabuses the notion that the Vette is only good in a straight line. By any measure, the car outperforms the NSX. Weight is nearly exactly the same. Tires are vastly larger (215/40/17 and 255/40/17 vs. 275/35/18 and 325/30/19) which allows a much larger contact patch. The weight distribution is 50/50 vs. 40/60 for the NSX. The NSX feels great under lighter cornering loads but begins to push at the limit because of the smaller tires up front. Additionally, the steering is much lighter in the Z06 than I expected given the tire sizes and weight distribution. It feels quite good, on nearly par with the excellent feel of the NSX. All things considered, the Z06 is a clear winner in this category.
Big Advantage: Z06
Braking
The NSXs brakes are quite good, however, the Z06 has much larger rotors and much more substantial calipers to stop an equal amount of weight. With the larger contact patch of the much larger tires is considered, it is no surprise that the Z06 has much better braking than the NSX. Both cars apparently benefit from improved brake ducting to the front rotors when on the track (my NSX didn't have any, and the ducting I bought for the Z06 hasn't been installed yet), but this is a very common thing across nearly all cars when you put them on the track, so I see it as a very easily remedied, minor issue for both. The Vette has 6 piston calipers up front, 4 in the rear, and functional rear brake ducting whereas the NSX has 2 pistons all around and no ducting. Given all these factors, I think it is logical to suspect the brakes on the Z06 will be much less prone to fade, all things being equal. The only reason why they might not is the greater speeds acheived by the Z06 around a given track.
Advantage: Z06
Ride Quality
This was one of the areas I was concerned about prior to ownership. Not the "Oxcart leaf springs hurrrr!!" issue, but more concerned about whether the suspension was going to be tuned so stiff as to be undriveable on the public roads. I actually found the suspension to be very comfortable, perhaps more comfortable than the NSX. Certainly the fixed roof of the Z06 helps out a lot in terms of feeling solid and eliminating cowl shake and some of the inevitable squeaks of the targa roof on the NSX.
Advantage: Z06
Build Quality
As mentioned above, the Z06 feels more solid than the NSX. Part of that may be due to the fact that it is 5 years younger, part may be the extra 30k miles, part is fixed roof vs. targa, but ultimately in my world, money is the equalizing factor. So if I can get 5 years and 30k less for roughly the same price, well then the comparison's on. I haven't had any issues whatsoever with the Z. With the NSX, I had to have the weatherstripping replaced (fortunately under warranty, an eye-popping $1400 otherwise) and I regularly greased the weatherstripping to keep minor squeaks at bay. The Z06 has none of those issues. Despite the legend of these forums, I never saw anything that struck me as outrageously amazing with the NSX build quality. It was a good build, no doubt, and perhaps outrageously good when the NSX was introduced but I don't experience it as better than what is being produced by car manufacturers today in the upper end of the price range.
Advantage: Z06
Technology
Another vast gap in favor of the Z06. The digital display of oil temp, coolant temp, tire pressures, oil pressure, gas mileage, range, elapsed timer, etc. is extremely good for the track. The heads up display is quite good as well. The navigation system is a nice to have, although frankly I've yet to take the time to figure it out. The engine is a technological marvel, taking the best qualities of the NSX engine and adding 2 cylinders and a couple of other tricks. There's some other miscellaneous stuff like heated seats, auto dimming mirror and whatnot that are also there if you want them.
Big Advantage: Z06
Track Experience
The NSX was a pleasure to drive on the track. As stated above, it pushed predictably at the limit and I felt pretty confident that the car wouldn't let me get too far ahead of it. I was always a slight bit worried about losing the back end, although that never happened.
The Z06 is also a hell of a fun car on the track. Even moreso than the NSX because the performance envelope is larger. I haven't turned any of the nannies off yet because I only have 3 days on the track with the car, but they haven't really intervened too much. Stock for stock, the car easliy competes with anything you can buy from a dealer. It feels quite nice passing F430s, GT3 RS, P-Turbos, and Scuds on the track, that's for sure. It also sounds damn nice while doing it.
One other area that I had a big concern with prior to owning the car was the seating position and the visibility out the front given the long hood. It isn't as good as the NSX (is anything?) but it wasn't intrusive at all. I was pleasantly surprised with how little was lost out the front.
Big Advantage: Z06
Overall Ownership Experience
So far, owning a Z06 has been a great experience. The NSX does add some dimensions that the Z06 doesn't, by virtue of its rarity and exotic nature. However, from a pure driver's standpoint, I can't complain at all with the Z06. In some ways, the anominity is a plus. The NSX was also a pleasure to own, but given how much better the Z06 performs across all the various categories, it is superior overall.
Advantage: Z06
Conclusion
I must say, when I started writing this I didn't expect it to be this much of a landslide. I idolized the NSX from the day I saw it. It was a life goal acheived the day I became an owner. My first car was a Honda Prelude Si. I've been a Honda/Acura fanboy from the time I started driving. Sadly, the fact is the company has lost its way, producing Accord Crosstours and Acura ZDXs while eliminating S2000's, NSX's, and their Formula 1 program. They are aiming for the mass market, and in defense of their shareholders, I can't say I blame them. But from a car enthusiast's standpoint, there is not ONE car in their combined Acura & Honda lineup that stirs me in the slightest way and that is a sad thing. At least Chevrolet doesn't wholly suffer from that affliction (yet). The Z06 is a modern sportscar, performance per dollar unparallelled, perhaps more daily driveable than a NSX (although I wouldn't recommend it for either car), and worth a thoroughly close look (and DRIVE) if you are a true car enthusiast who can get over any preconceived notions that might exist about this car.
Cliff's Notes:
Advantage NSX: Rarity, Depreciation, Exterior Styling
Advantage Z06: Engine, Interior, Technology, Handling, Braking, Track Experience, Overall Ownership Experience
The Z06 takes the NSX driving and ownership experience to another level, vastly improving the performance of the vehicle and daily drivability while sacrificing only rarity and the NSX's timeless exterior styling.
Gory Details:
Price
As mentioned above, the Z06 was comparable in terms of price (a few grand more) but was 5 years newer and had 30k fewer miles. The NSX is legendary in the depreciation department, and that is certainly clear from this example. However, in terms of what your money can buy you now, they are equal in my view. You'll most likely take a bigger depreciation hit on the Z06 from this point forward, although not hugely so.
Advantage: NSX.
Exterior Design
The NSXs exterior design is now over 20 years old and still turns heads. In a word, it is epic. It is beautiful in a delicate, simplistic way. The Z06 is actually just slightly larger but appears much larger due to the much more muscular and aggressive styling. It isn't ugly, but it isn't beautiful in the way the NSX is. The Z06's design elements are purposeful, functional, and reflect the heritage of the Corvette in an appropriate way. However, I think it is clear that it will not age in the way the NSX has, as almost no car has been capable of.
Big Advantage: NSX.
Interior Design
I have always been a lover of Honda's interior design and ergonomics. The NSX has the typical clear gagues and layout that Honda is known for. I wasn't much of a fan of the nightime orange/red gagues a la BMW, but overall the NSX gagues were good. As extolled in many threads throughout these forums, the seats are well designed. They are comfortable, yet very supportive. Other aspects of cabin design are lacking, however. The cupholders and interior storage are basically non-functional. In the time of the original design of the NSX, when competing against Ferrari 348s, perhaps that was acceptable. In today's world, it comes up short.
The Z06 has a really underappreciated interior. Many who comment negatively about it are people who are stuck in the mindset of 10+ years ago, where a Corvette just goes fast in a straight line and it is otherwise a piece of crap. The gagues are better than the NSX. The interior has more storage by a decent margin. The cupholders work. It has dual zone climate control, heated seats (who is driving this car in the winter?), side airbags, an extra plug, and many other features of a modern car that the NSX does not. It is a very functional interior and overall it is better than the NSX. The trunk is large and far superior to the NSX. One thing that I don't like too much is the fact that the trunk is open to the cabin so in the event of an accident, you may be struck in the back of the head with whatever is in there. I believe there are some aftermarket things that can resolve that problem, but that is one downside.
Another downside is that although the seats are comfortable, they are pillowy. The steering wheel feels fine but it looks cheap. Interestingly, in my first trip to the track in the Z06, the seats worked just as well as the NSX seats in keeping me planted during cornering (perhaps due to sinking down in the pillowy-ness... haven't quite figured out why this is the case). Ultimately, I'll be ditching these in fairly short order for Recaros.
Advantage: Z06
Engine
The LS7 is brilliant. It has all of the bells and whistles of the NSX engine (titanium connecting rods, hand-built by one person, etc.), plus more than double the displacement (7.0 vs. 3.2 Liters), much more horsepower (505 vs. 290), much more torque (470 vs. 250 lb.ft.). Torque is available everywhere. It really is no comparison. The only advantage in the NSXs favor is the 8k redline vs. 7k in the Vette. Which is a very small advantage in my book, compared against the huge advantages of the LS7. In addition, the V8 sounds great and has butterfly valves in the exhaust. Gas mileage on the highway is an outrageous 28MPG because of the torque and very tall 6th gear. A dry sump oiling system is another very nice feature for those who track the car, which, with this car, you should.
HUGE Advantage: Z06
Handling
The Z06 totally disabuses the notion that the Vette is only good in a straight line. By any measure, the car outperforms the NSX. Weight is nearly exactly the same. Tires are vastly larger (215/40/17 and 255/40/17 vs. 275/35/18 and 325/30/19) which allows a much larger contact patch. The weight distribution is 50/50 vs. 40/60 for the NSX. The NSX feels great under lighter cornering loads but begins to push at the limit because of the smaller tires up front. Additionally, the steering is much lighter in the Z06 than I expected given the tire sizes and weight distribution. It feels quite good, on nearly par with the excellent feel of the NSX. All things considered, the Z06 is a clear winner in this category.
Big Advantage: Z06
Braking
The NSXs brakes are quite good, however, the Z06 has much larger rotors and much more substantial calipers to stop an equal amount of weight. With the larger contact patch of the much larger tires is considered, it is no surprise that the Z06 has much better braking than the NSX. Both cars apparently benefit from improved brake ducting to the front rotors when on the track (my NSX didn't have any, and the ducting I bought for the Z06 hasn't been installed yet), but this is a very common thing across nearly all cars when you put them on the track, so I see it as a very easily remedied, minor issue for both. The Vette has 6 piston calipers up front, 4 in the rear, and functional rear brake ducting whereas the NSX has 2 pistons all around and no ducting. Given all these factors, I think it is logical to suspect the brakes on the Z06 will be much less prone to fade, all things being equal. The only reason why they might not is the greater speeds acheived by the Z06 around a given track.
Advantage: Z06
Ride Quality
This was one of the areas I was concerned about prior to ownership. Not the "Oxcart leaf springs hurrrr!!" issue, but more concerned about whether the suspension was going to be tuned so stiff as to be undriveable on the public roads. I actually found the suspension to be very comfortable, perhaps more comfortable than the NSX. Certainly the fixed roof of the Z06 helps out a lot in terms of feeling solid and eliminating cowl shake and some of the inevitable squeaks of the targa roof on the NSX.
Advantage: Z06
Build Quality
As mentioned above, the Z06 feels more solid than the NSX. Part of that may be due to the fact that it is 5 years younger, part may be the extra 30k miles, part is fixed roof vs. targa, but ultimately in my world, money is the equalizing factor. So if I can get 5 years and 30k less for roughly the same price, well then the comparison's on. I haven't had any issues whatsoever with the Z. With the NSX, I had to have the weatherstripping replaced (fortunately under warranty, an eye-popping $1400 otherwise) and I regularly greased the weatherstripping to keep minor squeaks at bay. The Z06 has none of those issues. Despite the legend of these forums, I never saw anything that struck me as outrageously amazing with the NSX build quality. It was a good build, no doubt, and perhaps outrageously good when the NSX was introduced but I don't experience it as better than what is being produced by car manufacturers today in the upper end of the price range.
Advantage: Z06
Technology
Another vast gap in favor of the Z06. The digital display of oil temp, coolant temp, tire pressures, oil pressure, gas mileage, range, elapsed timer, etc. is extremely good for the track. The heads up display is quite good as well. The navigation system is a nice to have, although frankly I've yet to take the time to figure it out. The engine is a technological marvel, taking the best qualities of the NSX engine and adding 2 cylinders and a couple of other tricks. There's some other miscellaneous stuff like heated seats, auto dimming mirror and whatnot that are also there if you want them.
Big Advantage: Z06
Track Experience
The NSX was a pleasure to drive on the track. As stated above, it pushed predictably at the limit and I felt pretty confident that the car wouldn't let me get too far ahead of it. I was always a slight bit worried about losing the back end, although that never happened.
The Z06 is also a hell of a fun car on the track. Even moreso than the NSX because the performance envelope is larger. I haven't turned any of the nannies off yet because I only have 3 days on the track with the car, but they haven't really intervened too much. Stock for stock, the car easliy competes with anything you can buy from a dealer. It feels quite nice passing F430s, GT3 RS, P-Turbos, and Scuds on the track, that's for sure. It also sounds damn nice while doing it.
One other area that I had a big concern with prior to owning the car was the seating position and the visibility out the front given the long hood. It isn't as good as the NSX (is anything?) but it wasn't intrusive at all. I was pleasantly surprised with how little was lost out the front.
Big Advantage: Z06
Overall Ownership Experience
So far, owning a Z06 has been a great experience. The NSX does add some dimensions that the Z06 doesn't, by virtue of its rarity and exotic nature. However, from a pure driver's standpoint, I can't complain at all with the Z06. In some ways, the anominity is a plus. The NSX was also a pleasure to own, but given how much better the Z06 performs across all the various categories, it is superior overall.
Advantage: Z06
Conclusion
I must say, when I started writing this I didn't expect it to be this much of a landslide. I idolized the NSX from the day I saw it. It was a life goal acheived the day I became an owner. My first car was a Honda Prelude Si. I've been a Honda/Acura fanboy from the time I started driving. Sadly, the fact is the company has lost its way, producing Accord Crosstours and Acura ZDXs while eliminating S2000's, NSX's, and their Formula 1 program. They are aiming for the mass market, and in defense of their shareholders, I can't say I blame them. But from a car enthusiast's standpoint, there is not ONE car in their combined Acura & Honda lineup that stirs me in the slightest way and that is a sad thing. At least Chevrolet doesn't wholly suffer from that affliction (yet). The Z06 is a modern sportscar, performance per dollar unparallelled, perhaps more daily driveable than a NSX (although I wouldn't recommend it for either car), and worth a thoroughly close look (and DRIVE) if you are a true car enthusiast who can get over any preconceived notions that might exist about this car.
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