So why is 290hp not enough nowadays ?

[bngl3rt]

It's not. While the Cayman may have great driving dynamics the base car is underpowered. That's why Porsche offers a Cayman S. It's also why many tuners drop in a more powerful 911 engine and differential to match the Cayman's chassis. The Cayman was neutered from the factory to prevent it from cannibalizing the 911 period.

Why would they bother making the base model if they didn't plan to sell any?

My point is that Porsche sees a market for a 270hp mid engine car with great handling in 2013. The NSX itself may be outdated in some ways but the concept that underpins it is alive and well.

 

[cptnsx]

Why would they bother making the base model if they didn't plan to sell any?

My point is that Porsche sees a market for a 270hp mid engine car with great handling in 2013. The NSX itself may be outdated in some ways but the concept that underpins it is alive and well.

The market is people who don't have the money to buy a real Porsche but still want a Porsche.

When the Cayman originally came out the base 911 had around 345 HP I believe. The Cayman S could not have more than that and 315 to 320 at the time was the closest it could come without making the traditional Porsche people mad. The base obviously had to have a lot less. As the 911 gained power, the Cayman also gained power. If there was no 911 the base Cayman would have been 320 to 330 and the S would be around 400.

 

[myw]

they neuter the cayman on purpose compared to the 911. with that said the 2013 cayman is still an awesome awesome car. while S models are normally 10-15 grand more, and comes with 30-40 more HP, larger brakes, better suspension, wheels, etc etc etc i personally think the base models caymans, 911 are more then enough 'car' for the avg buyer in that segment market. the higher end options are very expensive "nice to have's" and the majority of owners who buy them, never fully utilize them.

290hp on a <3000 lb car, imo is enough. the nsx was always about zen like balance anyways. call me crazy but i wouldn't mind losing 50-80 HP and get another 100km / tank of gas.

whether it be 270 hp/290/345/385 hp a car FLIES, for 99% of our needs.

all IMHO

 

[golfnutintib]

Agree completely...

they neuter the cayman on purpose compared to the 911. with that said the 2013 cayman is still an awesome awesome car. while S models are normally 10-15 grand more, and comes with 30-40 more HP, larger brakes, better suspension, wheels, etc etc etc i personally think the base models caymans, 911 are more then enough 'car' for the avg buyer in that segment market. the higher end options are very expensive "nice to have's" and the majority of owners who buy them, never fully utilize them.

290hp on a <3000 lb car, imo is enough. the nsx was always about zen like balance anyways. call me crazy but i wouldn't mind losing 50-80 HP and get another 100km / tank of gas.

whether it be 270 hp/290/345/385 hp a car FLIES, for 99% of our needs.

all IMHO

 

[BATMANs]

The market is people who don't have the money to buy a real Porsche but still want a Porsche.

When the Cayman originally came out the base 911 had around 345 HP I believe. The Cayman S could not have more than that and 315 to 320 at the time was the closest it could come without making the traditional Porsche people mad. The base obviously had to have a lot less. As the 911 gained power, the Cayman also gained power. If there was no 911 the base Cayman would have been 320 to 330 and the S would be around 400.

Amen

- - - Updated - - -

they neuter the cayman on purpose compared to the 911. with that said the 2013 cayman is still an awesome awesome car. while S models are normally 10-15 grand more, and comes with 30-40 more HP, larger brakes, better suspension, wheels, etc etc etc i personally think the base models caymans, 911 are more then enough 'car' for the avg buyer in that segment market. the higher end options are very expensive "nice to have's" and the majority of owners who buy them, never fully utilize them.

290hp on a <3000 lb car, imo is enough. the nsx was always about zen like balance anyways. call me crazy but i wouldn't mind losing 50-80 HP and get another 100km / tank of gas.

whether it be 270 hp/290/345/385 hp a car FLIES, for 99% of our needs.

all IMHO

I would have agreed somewhat until I bought a blown GTO with double the power and almost triple the torque.

More importantly it had a proper power band: flat

I rarely drove the NSX in stock form after that and almost sold it for a C6Z.

But now that I have a SOS SC with intercooler, I love my NSX. It finally had the proper power/torque.

Even though the power band wasn't as flat as a blown V8, it was good enough. As a matter of fact with 285 wide Extreme rated tires, from a roll, my NSX accelerated like a AWD car (no wasted tire spinnage) by going off the line into warp speed.

 

[TomCat]

In "stoplight competition" its hp/weight!

 

[Sennansx81]

I believe it all depends on how much experience you have driving. In most cases it comes down to the driver and to have usable/functional power available. For twisty roads and track days 290hp is more than enough. If you need more power the NSX is an amazing platform for modification and making a track weapon due to its configuration. HP is just a number, the NSX is light and it's driving experience is the most rewarding and satisfying that I have experienced. In a NSX it's nice to know that I'm controlling the car and not the other way around. That is something that most new cars have lost.

 

[BATMANs]

In "stoplight competition" its hp/weight!

no, TQ/weight

 

[liftnot]

Some like tork, some like momentum....different strokes for different folks. Just like crack, people who like torque will always want more and people who has no torque needs to learn not to lift to keep it going. On the street, torque will win hands down, on the track, it depends on the driver.
TQ....Tork....Torque...give me Morrrrrrraaaaaaa!!!

 

[curtsr]

Why would they bother making the base model if they didn't plan to sell any?
My point is that Porsche sees a market for a 270hp mid engine car with great handling in 2013.

Glad you kept the case open after all...

Most successful sales oriented organizations offer an entry level/ promotional product at the bottom of the pricing structure and upsell from there. That's how you get folks in the showroom to upsell them to the models/configurations that you really make bank on. Hence my disagreement in comparing the NSX to a base/entry level anything.

While the Cayman may have great driving dynamics the base car is underpowered. That's why Porsche offers a Cayman S. It's also why many tuners drop in a more powerful 911 engine and differential to match the Cayman's chassis. The Cayman was neutered from the factory to prevent it from cannibalizing the 911 period.

Thanks Skipper.

The market is people who don't have the money to buy a real Porsche but still want a Porsche.

Thanks again Skipper.

call me crazy but i wouldn't mind losing 50-80 HP and get another 100km / tank of gas.

There's always the Insight. :smile: Or the Fit- I put 500 miles on mine this weekend and enjoy driving it a bunch- but not like the NSX.

 

[warrenw]

I was a Honda dealer earlier. They had a factory built 2013 Accord this a supercharged 3.5litre producing 401 HP. I couldn't stop thinking: I wonder if this engine would fit in my NSX...
290 NSX vs. a 401 Honda Accord.

 

[TooNSXY]

Great answers here, I'm definitely with the consensus on this. Most of the folks in my circle are running cars with 650-1200hp including myself (my Supra). Currently planning on getting rid of it this winter and getting into an NSX. There is really no reason for crazy HP like that unless you are adamant about quarter mile racing, but at that point, just get a real drag car and be done with it, don't waste time with an Evo, GT-R, or Supra (like me -_-) because at the end of the day it just = headaches, wasted money, and most importantly, wasted time! 290hp is plenty for an NSX, enough to give it some pep yet remain a controlled and well balanced car, possibly one of the most balanced cars ever made in Japan!
Anyways, just my honest advice, I've been in the high HP world and it gets old and annoying! Hope this helped!:smile:

 

[BATMANs]

Have u driven a blown NSX with virtually double the power?

I have one (sank $30 in the engine bay alone) and can't disagree with you more.

It moves like an exotic that matches the looks, power to weight ratio, and the chassis.

Why do I like more power? It's really more TQ down low so I don't wear and tear my clutch by down shifting all the time. There's something to be said about that.

 

[Oyagi]

Completely agree with Batmans on this. The blower makes the NSX feel like it's got a small block v8 in it. It's still not high hp IMO, but the added hp and torque completes the package in a way that makes total sense. I still can't understand why Honda never offered this from the factory. It adds little extra strain to the internals, is completely handled by the chassis which is power starved. It would have given countless potential owners a reason to choose the NSX over something like a 911.

I love the NSX, I "get it" but it's Achilles heel really is the lack of balls. A lot of car guys know this, it's a sore spot for defensive owners too (I used to read threads about this all on the time on prime of guys bragging over how they've impressed or surprised so many people with their amazing NSX, but why would they have to feel like they need to demonstrate how good the NSX is in the first place if the car's performance reputation didn't match the good looks). In this day and age, 290 hp is something for commuter cars. A supercar needs more. If you're happy driving a period piece, keep the 290 as is. If you want the NSX to have the exhilaration of a modern supercar, time to drop in a blower!

 

[NSXcitement]

Why do I like more power? It's really more TQ down low

That's it. My '92 968 makes less peak HP, but is comparable in weight, and peak torque to the NSX; however, the 968 is a 3 liter inline 4cyl, and makes more torque available sooner. It makes a world of difference. The rpm drop on the one-two shift of the NSX's 5spd doesn't help any, either. I think I'm going to have to do something about that.

 

[RYU]

Completely agree with Batmans on this. The blower makes the NSX feel like it's got a small block v8 in it. It's still not high hp IMO, but the added hp and torque completes the package in a way that makes total sense. I still can't understand why Honda never offered this from the factory. It adds little extra strain to the internals, is completely handled by the chassis which is power starved. It would have given countless potential owners a reason to choose the NSX over something like a 911.

A gentleman's agreement back then between the Japanese companies as a way to cap the power for racing homogenization purposes... Or so, that's what I read.

I love the NSX, I "get it" but it's Achilles heel really is the lack of balls. A lot of car guys know this, it's a sore spot for defensive owners too (I used to read threads about this all on the time on prime of guys bragging over how they've impressed or surprised so many people with their amazing NSX, but why would they have to feel like they need to demonstrate how good the NSX is in the first place if the car's performance reputation didn't match the good looks). In this day and age, 290 hp is something for commuter cars. A supercar needs more. If you're happy driving a period piece, keep the 290 as is. If you want the NSX to have the exhilaration of a modern supercar, time to drop in a blower!

I love my blower but the straight line acceleration is not what I love the most about the NSX. I'm not sure I would say it should have come with a blower from the factory but I think we all should have gotten the JDM gear set. I also don't like how the NA2 increased in HP/TQ but they had to compensate for the heavier chassis (T-Top) with the 3.2L. That flywheel on the 3.2L sucks bigtime put a blower on it... it just makes it all a lot less light on it's feet. It feels fast but needs time to wind up.

Probably why a lot still like the AP1 vs. the AP2 S2000.

Best combination would have been a Coupe and a 6speed with light twin disc flywheel.

 

[Jean Girard]

Based on my personal experiences, a lot of people look at the number and not the whole package...

...so be careful about opinions from people who haven't directly experienced the car.

/thread

Too many people worry about numbers and quantifiable figures. Can you quantify the feeling you get from the thumbs-up around town? The bark of the exhaust? The valet leaving your XX-year old Honda out front? The precision of the gear selector? Etc.?

Pick a sports car for how it moves you.

 

[Honcho]

A gentleman's agreement back then between the Japanese companies as a way to cap the power for racing homogenization purposes... Or so, that's what I read.

Yep. A stock C30A is capable of 125 hp/L on pump gas. They choked it with tame cams and clunky exhaust manifolds to get it within the agreement. Also, I think it's lame Honda was the only one who honored the agreement. GT-R and Supra shamelessly blew right past the 280 ps on the dyno. I soooo hope Loc figures out a daily driver solution to get us to 300 whp. Cams, intake manifold and tune (SR5Guy). It's in there!

I'm not sure I would say it should have come with a blower from the factory but I think we all should have gotten the JDM gear set.

Agree 1000%. The JDM gears transformed the driving experience in my NSX. Best mod I ever did.

 

[sizzflair]

It's not enough since MOST people don't take their cars to a track. They mostly due pulls on the highway in a straight line, so they need more horsepower to WIN! If one was to take the car to canyons or something, I think 290hp is plenty to be honest unless he/she is doing a time trial

 

[RogerKaputnik]

In this day and age, 290 hp is something for commuter cars.

Yep. 2014 Honda Accord Coupe...278 HP

 

[fastaussie]

Yep. 2014 Honda Accord Coupe...278 HP

that is exactly why 290 horsepower isn't enough...

 

[cptnsx]

A gentleman's agreement back then between the Japanese companies as a way to cap the power for racing homogenization purposes... Or so, that's what I read.


Best combination would have been a Coupe and a 6speed with light twin disc flywheel.

Or a JDM 5-speed with a 4.235 R&P twin carbon clutch with a supercharged 3.2L making 420rwhp and 317rtq in a 1992 Couple. Like MINE. 0-60 in 3.8 and 60-100 in 4.2s.

 

[RYU]

Or a JDM 5-speed with a 4.235 R&P twin carbon clutch with a supercharged 3.2L making 420rwhp and 317rtq in a 1992 Couple. Like MINE. 0-60 in 3.8 and 60-100 in 4.2s.

hahaha! You're not playing fair man!

(and stop making me jealous)

 

[NetViper]

Yep. 2014 Honda Accord Coupe...278 HP

How much did a 1991 accord have?

 

[Rope]

Does the HP number really matter on the new accord if the car weighs so much more? Most cars accelerate at similar speeds as they did 10-15 years ago because as the HP numbers go up so does the girth of the car.