Observations on the '02

s2ktaxi · 20 January 2002

I had a good detailed look over of a '02 silver/grey NSX-T at my local dealer. Here are a few observations that I am not sure I have seen covered...
- the side intake grilles are wire mesh like on the Zanardi and JDM Type S
- the lower half of the front bumper center grilles is wiremesh covered but not the top half
- from a certain side angle the new front headlight covers kind of stick out too much IMHO
- the seat colored stitching on the center console is quite nice
- the radio and hvac knobs give the interior a more sophisicticated look, being finished in the metallic grey like the rest of the center console
- the shift knob center strip of leather seems to be grey irrespective of interior color of the car though the sides are still perforated black leather
- the grey interior is only slightly greyer than the charcoal interior from the last few years but definitely lighter than the early black leather
- the Bridgestone RE040 tires are no longer asymetrical - there is no INSIDE or OUTSIDE notation on the sidewalls; the treadwear rating is still 140
- the cross section of the spokes of the front wheel are thinner than that of the rears
- the 6-speed shift pattern plaque is different in style from the prev 6-speed style

Too bad there is not Type S coupe....

huckster · 20 January 2002

wow, very astute observations...you noticed a couple of things that i didnt register until i read your post

i agree with the comment on the side angle appearance of the new lights....they do seem to come up pretty high off the body. But then again i never complained about that before!!

overall i thought it looked better in person than i expected from the pics id seen. DEFINATELY wouldnt kick her out of bed for eatin crackers!!!

nsx1164 · 20 January 2002

also, the intake manifold is finished differently -- smoother and with a more "metallic gray" finish. The cover plate has been changed as well, and has the A(cura) caliper logo.

nsxtasy · 20 January 2002

Originally posted by s2ktaxi:
- the Bridgestone RE040 tires are no longer asymetrical - there is no INSIDE or OUTSIDE notation on the sidewalls; the treadwear rating is still 140

RE040? Sounds like this is a different model from the previous RE010.

Anybody know what the treadwear is on the RE010? I know the Yokohama A022H has treadwear 120, but I don't know if the same is true of the RE010 (and anyway, comparing ratings from one manufacturer to another is meaningless).

I wonder if Yokohama will also make an OEM tire (A022H or something else) in the new sizes.

CChung · 20 January 2002

The treadwear rating on the RE010 is 120 also.

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'00 NSX-T, silverstone/blk, #252

nsxxtreme · 20 January 2002

I went to my local Acura dealer and they had a 01 and a 02 sitting side by side. I like the front facia up to the headlights. But those headlights, I couldn't get over how much they reminded me of the Toyota Celica headlights. I just don't like them.

Steve · 21 January 2002

I might be wrong but I think I heard that headlights have to be a minimum height from the ground to pass DOT import laws. Pop up headlights raise themselves to a higher level. If you ever notice some ferraris lights, check out how high on the fenders the lights are mounted. The lights on the new NSX may be sticking up to fulfill some sort of law?

NSX4U2 · 21 January 2002

The increased fixed light height is probably a fair trade for the ability to see while driving afer dark.

As mentioned many times, pre 2002 is very poor in that area.

To get an increased degree of horizontal angle, that may be the reason the light are raised?

97-T #009 @ 22K

nsxtasy · 21 January 2002

I think the conventional headlights on the pre-02 NSX are as good as any other car's conventional headlights. Not as good as real HID's, but I have no problems with driving it after dark.

KIWIManson · 21 January 2002

Originally posted by s2ktaxi:
I had a good detailed look over of a '02 silver/grey NSX-T at my local dealer. Here are a few observations that I am not sure I have seen covered...

As expected , the Motoring press have not always been kind to the '02! MT had the best piece----they are rapidly becoming the most objective and fair and interesting of the bunch. Automobile was barely fair:they argued that recent low sales must be due to appearance, and that therefore the new car would not sell----- no real comment on the CAR! And Swan of CD did a hatchet job--absolutely biased, subjective , with NO COMMENT on the driving experience. This bunch review every BMW with the slightest iteration of components, and yet they cannot make any comment on the new NSX's driving experience. I SUGGEST THAT WE BLACK-LIST ALL FUTURE CD ISSUES--- there are enough mags without using the CD. SHAME!

KIWIcanuck

MAJOR STONER · 22 January 2002

Car and Driver is owned by the same company that owns Road and Track. This is why they play both sides of the coin. One says the next NSX will be a $150K carbon-fiber 12 cylinder, and the other claims a $70K three engined steel chasis. They can't print the same thing in each mag or they would have to fold one, so each point of view is pretty much predetermined by some editor, and the article written accordingly.

gheba_nsx · 23 January 2002

Was browsing SoS website and came across to the well known photo of the Marga Hills full-bodykit-&-goodies-nsx... looking at the headlights I think I would have like them more than the OEM 2002 ones... what do you think? Don't they look more blended with the car?
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/products/tuner_exclusive_performance_products/Marga_Hills_Products/nsx-01.jpg

cojones · 23 January 2002

Originally posted by gheba_nsx:
Don't they look more blended with the car?
Marga Hills tuner products

Personally I like the JGTC fixed headlights, also from SoS

gheba_nsx · 23 January 2002

Yes, they do look nice too but not very OEM in my opinion... the JGTC is everything but a street car!

The Marga Hills on the other hand look more OEM than the 2002 OEM (of course IMHO)! In my imagination I figured them to look like that before the official photos arrived...

DanO · 23 January 2002

Originally posted by nsxtasy:
RE040? Sounds like this is a different model from the previous RE010.

I think the RE040 comes as OEM on the Audi S4 series, at least that’s what my car came with. I wonder if they’re the same tire? Audi has had problems with these tires blistering and failing (sidewall blowouts) and I personally don’t care at all for the tire. Good dry traction and fair wet traction but something happened to these tires at about 15k; they seemed to lose a certain amount of internal structure and my car started wandering all over the road. New tires fixed the wandering problem.

DanO

s2ktaxi · 27 January 2002

The RE040 is also on some Lexus.. (or is that Lexi) - the GS430 and IS300 with the larger wheels come to mind. The JDM Integra/RSX Type R also has the RE040.

nsxtasy · 28 January 2002

In the States, Bridgestone (as well as Yokohama) sells the RE010 in the OEM NSX sizes only for the NSX. (The Bridgestone RE010 is also available in sizes for other cars like the Integra Type R, but these are sizes that are not OEM NSX sizes.) That way, the tire that's intended to be used (for example) only on the left front of the NSX isn't likely to be used on the wrong corner of another car it's not designed for.

Yokohama handles it slightly differently, designating the corner-specific NSX sizes as the A022H, and the non-corner-specific sizes for other cars as the A022A.

I wonder whether the RE040 is only going to be available in the '02 NSX sizes on a corner-specific basis, like the RE010 is. (I can't seem to find information about this model tire either on the Tire Rack website or on Bridgestone's.) I also wonder whether Yokohama will make the A022H available in the '02 NSX sizes.

8000RPM · 28 January 2002

Originally posted by gheba_nsx:
Was browsing SoS website and came across to the well known photo of the Marga Hills full-bodykit-&-goodies-nsx... looking at the headlights I think I would have like them more than the OEM 2002 ones... what do you think? Don't they look more blended with the car?
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/products/tuner_exclusive_performance_ products/Marga_Hills_Products/nsx-01.jpg

Now that's a nice looking NSX in my eyes. I would go with these headlights over the OEM '02 ones or the JGTC's.

aaronb · 29 January 2002

I can't get used to the headlights -- they look good from the front, but they're distracting from the drivers seat or looking over the door.

gheba_nsx · 29 January 2002

8000RPM,
I know... I know... it seemed so obvious for me to go for something like that when designing fixed headlights. Then they came up with those Celica lights...

nsx1164 · 24 April 2002

Thought I'd revisit this a few months later... now that its warmer

Has ANYONE taken a new 2003 NSX for a test-drive? Any comments or feedback ??

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Manuel C
www.geocities.com/mcantoria/mc-toys.html

nsxtasy · 24 April 2002

Originally posted by nsx1164:
Has ANYONE taken a new 2003 NSX for a test-drive?

No, because the 2003 NSX isn't available yet.

But one of the members here owns the new, facelifted 2002 NSX.

Observations on the '02

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