NSX | Page 24 | FerrariChat

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  1. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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  2. Fabspeed Motorsport

    Sponsor

    Feb 5, 2009
    3,056
    Fort Washington, PA
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    John S
    We just came out with an ECU tune for the NSX. CRAZY POWER unlocked in this car. Almost 100 hp and running 10.7s!
     
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  3. Lloyd

    Lloyd F1 Rookie

    Aug 25, 2001
    2,713
    Austin
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    I have had mine for a little less than a year. I agree that the sound does not compare to my 512TR, but it is extremely fast and very livable as a daily driver. You just turn the mode dial to fit your mode. Sitting in traffic, dial in quiet mode. Come to a place where the need for speed overcomes you then dial up sport + or track mode. Plus, if you find yourself surrounded by hippies, you can honestly tell them you drive a hybrid.
     
  4. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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    Valencia Red is stunning. Best red on the market right now.
     
  5. Jo Sta7

    Jo Sta7 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 13, 2015
    4,897
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    Jon
    Spring can’t come soon enough. Getting a a Fabspeed exhaust/cats on the NSX in the spring. Hope to see some good performance gains.
     

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  6. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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    Doing the tune also?
     
  7. Jo Sta7

    Jo Sta7 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 13, 2015
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    Jon
    No, the exhaust and sports cats wouldn’t void the warranty. I’m sure Acura would try but the law is on our side with that one. Tune changes the game. Might as well kiss the warranty goodbye. Plus I hear the sports cats, exhaust and air filter picks up almost 50 hp so that’s good enough for me.
     
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  8. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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    Looking forward to hearing how it goes. I won’t do anything that might void the warranty either. I’d like to see Acura offer a tune - like everyone else.
     
  9. Jo Sta7

    Jo Sta7 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 13, 2015
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    So would I. I can’t see it though. I don’t think they’re spending much effort on the car seeing how dismal sales are. I’m cool with it though, makes the car quite rare!
     
  10. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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  11. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Yep, looks by far the best in black...
     
  12. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
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    Tom C
    Do you have winter tires on your NSX? Or, was it warm enough for summers?
    T
     
  13. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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    Pic from last June... Standard ‘ol ContiSports. It was in the mid 40s so no problems, but still cool enough not to step on it.
     
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  14. Jo Sta7

    Jo Sta7 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 13, 2015
    4,897
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    Jon
    I’ll be having my dealer swap to the newer contis in the spring. I hear they are much better.
     
  15. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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  16. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
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    Tom C
    Nosy science guy question...do you guys have to religiously keep your NSXs on battery tender like F-cars do?
    (Assuming a non-DD type car)...T
     
  17. ferrariwithsnowtires

    ferrariwithsnowtires Formula Junior

    Dec 17, 2005
    545
    No tender

    I just make sure to drive the car for about 20-30 minutes in sport+ prior to putting it in the garage

    Weather crapped out in Chicago last week so I did not take the car out for its weekly commute

    If this week is no better, I will just run the car for 15 minutes in Sport+ in the garage later in the week
     
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  18. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
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    Don’t think it’s a big deal like with F cars. We are supposed to charge the main drive battery for 30 min every 90 days. Either drive it or start it in the right mode. Kind of like if a P1’s main battery dies. Not easy to fix and no clue the price (for the NSX battery).

    Edit: The NSX tender came with my car so I use it. Past F car habit.
     
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  19. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    New press release from Acura containing some very interesting information on the development of the NSX. Read on:

    Acura Marks 30 Years Since Debut of Iconic NSX Supercar


    Acura this week marks 30 years since the shot heard 'round the automotive world -- the 1989 global debut of the first-generation Acura NSX. The first mid-engined exotic without European pedigree, NSX was a low slung, super light, high-revving machine sporting the world's first all-aluminum monocoque, titanium connecting rods, a VTEC™ valvetrain and levels of quality and daily driving comfort unheard of in sports cars of the time.

    Introduced as the NS-X Concept, the precursor to the production NSX, Acura chose the Chicago Auto Show for the global debut, at a press conference held at the Drake Hotel on February 9, 1989. In celebrating this milestone event, Acura returns to the Chicago Auto Show, hosting a panel discussion to reflect on the car's origins, its impact on the automotive landscape, and the role the next-generation NSX is playing in the renaissance of Acura today.



    Joining the panel discussion are Jon Ikeda, Vice President and General Manager of Acura, whose 28-year career at Acura was catalyzed by the launch of NSX, and Csaba Csere, former editor-in-chief of Car and Driver magazine, who attended the 1989 reveal and was among the first journalists to drive both the original and second-generation NSX.

    Released in conjunction with the Chicago Auto Show, Acura has published a new video featuring throwback footage of a first model year (1991) production NSX, and a current (2019) NSX, along with never before seen images from the original NS-X Concept reveal.

    Game Changer

    Since its debut, NSX has made an indelible impression on the exotic and supercar world. Its all-aluminum construction and 270-horsepower VTEC V6 were as exotic as anything available at the time, but its conventionally comfortable and ergonomic cockpit and gentle road manners ran sharply counter to contemporary European exotics.

    "Before NSX, it was always assumed that supercar performance came at the price of a comfortable interior and everyday drivability," said Jon Ikeda. "NSX shattered those notions, and raised the bar on every other exotic and supercar maker, with the effects still felt today. NSX was a huge inspiration and one of the major reasons I was drawn to join Acura nearly 30 years ago."

    Like its predecessor, today's second-generation NSX incorporates groundbreaking technology. The Acura NSX is the only supercar made in America and the only one utilizing electric motors to enhance every element of dynamic performance, seamlessly combining three-motor Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ with a bespoke twin-turbocharged, mid-mounted V6 engine to deliver an unparalleled range of driving experiences, from all-electric Quiet mode to the ultimate at-the-limit capability of Track mode.

    Acura NSX: Did You Know?

    Roots of NS-X

    Honda R&D in Japan took the first steps toward what would become the first-generation NSX in January 1984 with basic research on a new drive system distinct from the "FF" (front-engine/front-wheel drive) vehicle type that had underpinned Honda's success with such iconic models as Civic, Accord and the Acura Integra.

    A year earlier, Honda had made its return to Formula 1 racing and its engineers were excited about the prospects of creating a sports car that would showcase the company's deeply rooted racing spirit and high-performance design and engineering capabilities. Also, the R&D team had been contacted several times by the group at American Honda that was planning the launch of the Acura brand, indicating their interest in a pinnacle sports car for the new lineup.

    The focus of the research was on an underfloor, midship-engine rear-wheel drive (UMR) format that could combine higher packaging efficiency along with the sport characteristics associated with rear drive. It was Honda's first experience designing a passenger car with the engine in the rear half of the vehicle. In February 1984, the development team created a UMR test vehicle using a first-generation Honda City.

    Formal development of what would become the Acura NSX began in the fall of 1985. More info here.

    An Engine Roars, and Changes Follow

    The prototype NS-X Concept introduced at the Drake Hotel in Chicago in February 1989 was shorter overall than the final production vehicle with a shorter wheelbase and less front and rear overhang. The evolution of the design from prototype to production would be impacted by a late change to the engine specification – from the prototype's SOHC V6, shared with the Acura Legend sedan, to the production NSX's bespoke DOHC V6 with VTEC valvetrain.

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    Prior to the press conference, the president of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tadashi Kume, unexpectedly decided to fire up the prototype's engine, a sound that could be heard in an adjacent room, where a competing automaker was holding its own press preview. While the noisy blast attracted media attention, Kume turned to the NSX engineering team and asked why the NS-X Concept didn't use the new VTEC technology that had been recently developed at R&D. When told that it was only planned for a 4-cylinder engine application, Kume pushed the team for a VTEC V6 design.

    The engineering team received similar input from a group of top enthusiast automotive journalists attending a "super long lead" driving event at Honda's Tochigi R&D Center, prior to the prototype's Chicago Auto Show debut. These included top testers from Car and Driver, Motor Trend and Road & Track. The reactions were generally very positive; however, there was also a feeling that the NSX could use more power.

    Ultimately, the DOHC VTEC cylinder head was wider than the head on the prototype's SOHC engine, with significant implications to the production NSX body. The wider engine resulted in a slightly longer wheelbase, along with increased front and rear overhang for the production NSX. All of these changes occurred rapidly, resulting in the longer production model.

    Putting the NS-X Prototype to the Ultimate Test

    New technology like the all-aluminum unibody and chassis and transverse V6 engine were critical to NSX's capabilities, and challenged conventional wisdom of an exotic car. But key to the dynamic performance story was the human element, and one specific human in particular.

    In the early stages of development, the R&D team spent an entire month at Honda's Suzuka Circuit, where they conducted numerous evaluations with the test car. In February 1989, around the same time as the NS-X Concept model's debut in Chicago, legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna was in Japan to test the new Honda F1 car. The engineering team asked Senna if he would evaluate the NSX prototype. Even though the production NSX targeted levels of rigidity equaling Porsche and Ferrari, Senna felt it could be better.

    "I'm not sure I can really give you appropriate advice on a mass-production car," Senna told the team, "but I feel it's a little fragile."

    Based on Senna's input, the team raised its targets for rigidity in April, 1989. They chose the famed Nürburgring for testing, believing that the course would reveal problems they couldn't detect in their testing at Suzuka. They knew that an extremely difficult course like the Nürburgring would expose even a slight delay in the vehicle's response to driver inputs. Sure enough, the "Green Hell" exposed that the flexing body was taking away the desired feel of an immediate and direct connection between the car and driver.

    By the end of the Nürburgring tests, and over eight months of continuous effort to improve the body design, engineers had increased the car's rigidity by 50 percent.

    From NS-X to NSX – Naming Acura's New Supercar

    The NS-X development name was one of several created by the R&D team in Japan to represent the prototype supercar. In the view of the development team, the naming concept for NS-X was "New," "Sportscar" and "unknown world" – with "X" being the mathematical symbol for a variable, or an unknown value. A team at American Honda, selected NS-X from the list of possible names, but chose to express the definition as "New Sports eXperimental."

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    That said, NS-X was not originally intended as the go-to-market model name. It was considered as the name for the prototype to be revealed in Chicago and then to be used in subsequent promotional appearances. But the incredible attention the NS-X received around the world created virtually unstoppable momentum for the name. So, a decision was made to remove the hyphen from NS-X leading to NSX as the official model name for Acura's first supercar.

    NSX Today: A Common Thread

    With its multi-material space frame body, groundbreaking three-motor Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ system , today's NSX pays homage to the groundbreaking nature of the original while exploring altogether new concepts in electrified supercar performance. Also, like the original, the next-gen NSX powertrain design evolved radically from its conceptual origins.

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    The Acura NSX Concept that debuted at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show showcased a naturally-aspirated 60-degree V6 mounted transverse behind the seats in a layout similar to the original NSX; however, in the middle of development, the global R&D team decided to take a more challenging path – the creation of an all-new twin-turbocharged longitudinally mounted 75-degree V6. And, similar to the move to a DOHC V6 in the original, the adoption of a new powertrain concept had wide-ranging effects on the body proportions, aerodynamics package and overall design.

    "Changing the powertrain design and layout was NOT an easy task," said Ted Klaus, NSX Global Development Leader. "Frankly, it was like undergoing a heart transplant while running a marathon. But 10 seconds behind the wheel, and you understand why this power unit is key to delivering a New Sports Experience."
    Despite the major powertrain change, the development team maintained the original schedule – revealing the production version of the second-generation NSX just three years later at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.
     
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  20. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    Also worth posting here, the history of the car from Honda's own heritage website:

    The NSX / 1990

    Chapter 1
    Let’s Build a Sportscar!
    The Wako R&D Center in January, 1984 began the basic research on a new drive system, as a means of achieving a shift from Honda’s FF (front-engine/front-wheel drive) vehicle type to another format. In those days, FF was the mainstream of Honda cars, and Honda models used it to ensure superior interior comfort and accommodations.

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    The NSX (September 1990)

    However, the development team believed a change in drive format could enhance the flexibility of frame design and packaging. Therefore, the focus of research was to be to an underfloor, midship-engine rear-wheel drive (UMR) format. This could combine higher packaging efficiency along with the sporting characteristics with which rear drive was associated.

    The potential in such a change also presented numerous obstacles. It was Honda’s first experience to design a car with the engine in the rear half of the vehicle. In February of the same year, with that in mind, and to expedite their research, the development team constructed a UMR test vehicle from a first-generation City.

    During the test drive, the team members were amazed by the unique handling of the car, which differed greatly from the original FF specification. The UMR-version City, in fact, demonstrated superior performance characteristics. Unfortunately, further development had to be set aside because the level of technology then available to Honda placed certain limits on the car’s ability to present any real advantage over the normal FF version.

    However, although the project was shelved, the team members simply could not forget the exhilaration they had experienced with the UMR experiment. Moreover, comments had been raised by supporters at the evaluation meetings that the rear-drive City’s dynamic performance should somehow be replicated.

    The emphasis in research was therefore modified from drive format to dynamic performance - that which was typically achieved with a vehicle having a lower center of gravity, meaning a sportscar.

    "It’s the dream of every development engineer to create a sportscar," said Shigeru Uehara, who was engaged in the development project as LPL. "The people who proposed changing the research direction at the evaluation meetings must also have had that dream."

    In 1983, another step was taken, in the form of a prototype car fashioned from a CR-X as a means of testing dynamic performance from various perspectives. This was also the year Honda made its much-heralded return to the F-1 Series. Thus, of course, spirits were high at the R&D Center, in anticipation of the possibility that Honda might indeed build sportscars. Coincidentally, this had often been a subject of discussion at board meetings.

    "I think the company wanted a car that could bridge its mass production FF models and F-1 cars," Uehara recalled. "They needed a car that would become the new face of Honda. Plus, we’d been contacted several times by those who were planning the Acura Division at American Honda concerning similar requests."

    Honda’s development engineers finally found an outlet for the passions when in the fall of 1985 the creation of a new sportscar began in earnest.

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    A sketch of the NSX’s exterior, with its sleek profile based on an F16 fighter jet.

    Chapter 2
    A Sportscar in the Image of Honda
    "What particular qualities would a sportscar have in representing the Honda name?" This was the ultimate question facing the development team, and they repeatedly engaged in long discussions in the hope of finding an answer. Eventually, once their direction had been identified through the use of a conceptual diagram, they began to define key words in the development of their new car, code-named the NSX.

    The diagram was a means of representing power-to-weight ratio (running performance) along the Y-axis and wheelbase-to-weight ratio (turning and stopping performance) along the X-axis in clear, accessible terms. Moreover, the plotting of data from rival models directly over the diagram resulted in a zone of latitude that stretched out like the Milky Way. Because of this shape, the diagram was also called the "Milky Way diagram." Countless discussions centered around it, until at last the development team reached its conclusion:

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    Data from rival models was plotted on the "Milky Way" diagram, with the Y-axis representing power-to-weight ratio (running performance = vehicle weight/engine output) and the X-axis representing wheelbase-to-weight ratio (turning and stopping performance = vehicle weight/wheelbase). The NSX aimed to position itself outside the conventional sportscar realm, at a point as close as possible to F-1 machine.

    "What we need is a midrange, midship car that provides superior performance yet requires equally superior driving skills in order to be controlled. We can then maximize the dynamic performance of this car to a degree that’s as close as possible to an F-1 machine."

    It was clear, however, that too much dynamic performance could result in compromised cabin space, making the car difficult to control. That simply was not acceptable to Honda, whose prime objective in manufacturing cars and motorcycles was to ensure the comfort of drivers and passengers alike. To Honda, higher dynamic performance had meaning only with the assurance of human compatibility, in which the driver could operate the machine as desired and the vehicle exhibited excellent adaptability to various road conditions.

    "To create a sportscar for a new era, we should balance human feelings and vehicle performance at higher levels. Accordingly, that car will represent Honda value; a benefit no one else can offer." This was the consensus of the development staff, and it was to be the concept for their new vehicle.

    Chapter 3
    Designing an All-Aluminum, Monocoque Body
    Prototype I was completed in mid-1986, representing the team’s first construction using the Milky Way diagram. At this stage, they were considering both sheet steel and aluminum as potential body materials. Of the two, steel sheet was less favored, since it would make the target running performance of a midrange, F-1 class car more difficult to achieve. Moreover, to counter the added weight a larger, heavier engine would have to be used, thus pushing the car right out of the midrange category. Sheet steel would also be a liability in terms of the car’s purpose, which was to break from the conventional image of a sportscar as a compromise in comfort and safety for the sake of superior slalom statistics. Of course, the team was planning to furnish the car with cutting-edge accessories and devices such as power windows, full-automatic air conditioning, traction control and antilock brakes systems (ABS). To accomplish this, however, the weight of the vehicle would have to be minimized. Thus, it was decided that the NSX would have the world’s first all-aluminum, monocoque body.

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    The world’s first mass-production car to offer an all-aluminum, monocoque body.

    No other automaker had yet to build a car primarily of aluminum, however, even though the material was pollution-free and in abundant supply. It is said that among the mineral resources the amount of estimated aluminum reserves is three times that of iron. Moreover, aluminum has one-third the specific gravity of iron, is resistant to corrosion, and is much easier to recycle. Despite such powerful advantages, the material has several drawbacks, particularly a high cost and proportionately higher technical requirements in molding and welding. But the development team’s greatest hurdle was the need to build a dedicated plant simply to produce the car’s aluminum body.

    The project required that the development team make frequent trips between the R&D centers at Tochigi and Wako. During one such trip, aboard the Shinkansen, they realized that the bullet train was itself made of aluminum.

    Aluminum has proved very adaptable to the Shinkansen, in fact. So, the team members saw no reason why it couldn’t be used for the body of a sportscar. And though there might be problems along the way, they made a promise then that they wouldn’t shy away from the challenge of creating a car for the new era.

    Kobe Steel and other material suppliers appeared somewhat perplexed at the development team’s request that they collaborate in the creation of an all-aluminum car body. Because aluminum is prone to buckling during stamping work and is difficult to weld, its use in mass-production cars was limited to a relatively small assortment of parts. The suppliers were confused by the team’s decision to make the entire body out of aluminum, and doubted the seriousness of Honda’s intentions. However, the staff offered their earnest explanation to the skeptics, saying they needed an aluminum body to build their new sportscar. It was the kind of honest enthusiasm that eventually led the suppliers to wonder, "why not?"

    Various types of aluminum were considered, but the suppliers selected the 5000 and 6000 series. The former was already being used in the automotive industry, while the latter had relatively high strength despite its lower formability. Still, various enhancements would have to be performed. The supply company personnel in charge of development spent many days anguishing over the situation, working feverishly to meet a series of conditions stipulated by Honda in order to ensure productivity in stamping, forming, welding, coating and other processes. In fact, the hours were so long and arduous that toward the end of development they would often spend the night right in their factory.

    Problems inevitably arose, and with them came headaches and delays. In particular, processing of the side sill was proving difficult, since aluminum, unlike iron, wasn’t suitable for deeply drawn press work. Therefore, a new forming process was devised whereby the aluminum was heated to 600 degrees, poured into dies, and extruded from the dies while it was being drawn. But this system created a super-strong, highly rigid honeycomb frame, and this technique ultimately became the assurance that their all-aluminum body would satisfy the rigors of high performance on the open road.

    A selection of five aluminum alloys was eventually incorporated into the vehicle. This thorough attention to detail—along with numerous other efforts—soon led to a body-weight reduction of 140 kg and nearly 200 kg for the entire car, as compared to a steel-bodied equivalent. It was quite an achievement in the eyes of the material suppliers, too, who were amazed to see just how much of a car could be made with aluminum.

    Concurrent with the material development of mid-1986, the development team collaborated with the Suzuka factory in building an aluminum-bodied prototype CR-X. Performance tests were conducted with the prototype, then the results and problems they identified were examined to determine whether it would be practical to build a car with an aluminum body. Next, the team studied the basic frame structure of an aluminum body for a midship sportscar using Prototype I. Several test drives and crash tests were carried out using the prototype, in order to obtain thorough verifications covering everything from rigidity to repair techniques. The results were reflected in Prototype II, which was much closer to a final product. With Prototype II, interior accessories, equipment, passenger comfort and environmental adaptability were considered as part of the car’s overall performance picture.

    Chapter 4
    Subjecting to Severe Tests at Nurburgring
    The team spent an entire month at the Suzuka Circuit in the early stages of D-development, where they conducted numerous evaluations using their test car. Then in February 1989, the team had an opportunity to ask famed F-1 driver, the late Ayrton Senna - who had come to Japan in order to test a McLaren F-1 machine - to drive their car.

    "I’m not sure I can really give you appropriate advice on a mass-production car, but I feel it’s a little fragile," said Senna, referring to the car’s apparent lack of rigidity. And even though the car was designed for a level of rigidity equaling that of a Porsche or Ferrari, Senna was able to sense slight differences that would have been well beyond range of the typical driver. But based on that comment, the team raised its objectives for rigidity in April, turning again to the test car in order to ensure their target was met.

    The chosen test site was to be West Germany’s famed Nurburgring high-speed race course. It was a memorable location for Honda, the site of the company’s F-1 debut. The circuit had an overall length of 20.8 km, over 200 blind corners, and a 300-meter change in elevation. It was an extremely difficult circuit for cars and drivers alike, for whom extreme skills were needed to maneuver through steep ascending and descending sections of track lined with dense plantings of trees. So, it was believed that the course would reveal problems they couldn’t see in Japan. To them there was no better environment in which to test what they hoped would become the world’s finest sportscar.

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    An NS-X running on the Nurburgring course in West Germany. The next-generation sportscar was a product of extreme testing on this course.

    Thanks to the assistance of Honda R&D Europe (HRE), the team was able to secure an office and garage in Müllenbach, a town located just two kilometers from the circuit. With their new workshop set up, it was to be the first time a Japanese automaker would conduct long-term testing at an overseas location.

    The course offered an immediate venue for the series of tests the team had devised in order to increase their car’s rigidity. They knew that on an extremely difficult course such as Nurburgring even a slight delay in the vehicle’s response to input would obliterate the marriage of interaction between car and driver, and thus rob the latter of the ability to accelerate appropriately. And what they learned was that the body’s poor rigidity had everything to do with the failure of that relationship.

    It was an iron-clad rule for any overseas test that in the event of an issue that couldn’t be fully conveyed to the staff in Japan, the team on-site must tackle the issue independently. So, in West Germany the design engineers in charge of the vehicle’s various components took turns sitting in the front passenger seat, evaluating the car’s performance along with the test driver. If any problem was found, a solution would be devised on the spot. It was a distinct departure from the norm, but the team knew it was the only way to build the world’s best car.

    The test data taken on site was immediately sent back to the R&D Center in Japan, where the numbers were fed into a computer for analysis. It was in this stage that the optimal shape was determined in order to maximize rigidity and minimize weight.

    Accordingly, the car’s rigidity was increased by 50 percent as compared to the figure in place immediately before the West German tests. And so, after eight long months of effort, they had at last achieved the levels of dynamic performance and comfort demanded for a world-class sportscar. The team had arrived at the consummate integration between man and machine.

    The 81st Chicago Auto Show held in February 1989 saw throngs of media and consumers surrounding a bright-red sportscar - Honda’s new NS-X (Note: the NS-X was actually introduced as an "Acura" brand car, the upscale sales channel in the U.S.). The development code name, NS-X represented "new," "sportscar" and "unknown world," X being the mathematical symbol for an unknown value. It was the prototype for a new offering that Honda believed would captivate driving enthusiasts around the world.

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    The bright-red NS-X drew crowds of enthusiastic viewers at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989

    Chapter 5
    The Next-Generation Sportscar
    It was to be an exciting time in Honda’s history. In June 1989, the company launched a series of test drives in Japan, eventually moving on to the U.S. and countries throughout Europe.

    The American test drives were held at California’s Laguna Seca circuit and on general roads. Laguna Seca was an appropriate choice, since its reputation for extreme difficulty would test the car’s body and suspension performance. Then, having succeeded in that leg of the journey, the team headed for West Germany, where test drives were held near Nurburgring, the circuit that had played a key role in the car’s development.

    And at each drive people praised the NSX’s stability, as well as its extremely comfortable accommodations. American journalists, in particular, issued impressive comments such as, "This car will change the standard for modern sportscars," and "All the cars we currently have are now history." These were powerful words indeed, conveying their respect for the new car and its highly advanced technologies. The members of the development team simply couldn’t have been happier.

    "A car is a machine that functions through a direct link with the driver and passenger," Uehara said. "The quality of that car is determined by whether or not the car can kindle excitement in the person who drives it."

    The birth of the NS-X opened doors to a new era in sportscars. It changed the perceptions of automakers around the world, who learned they could achieve both performance and comfort in a single vehicle.

    Chapter 6
    A Dedicated Plant: The Dream Takes Shape
    The construction of Honda’s Saitama Factory’s Tochigi Plant (currently the Tochigi Factory’s Takanezawa Plant) was completed in May 1990 as a facility dedicated to the production of the new, aluminum-bodied sportscar.

    All the facilities and equipment employed by the factory were specifically designed for the NS-X, and among them the aluminum spot-welding machine was particularly noteworthy. Aluminum is a highly conductive, heat-sensitive material, and in sheet form it is thicker than steel. For these reasons a greater amount of current is needed for welding. Therefore, a conventional machine wouldn’t be sufficient for that operation. Since no company at the time manufactured a spot-welding machine that could accommodate an aluminum component the size of a car body, a separate project was run at Honda Engineering to develop an original machine, and this was perfected along with the body’s development.

    Honda even took a new approach to the assignment of personnel to the plant. It advertised available positions throughout the company, including every departments of each branch and factory, in order to find expert engineers who wished to take part in building the NS-X. Since the production volume was low - just 25 units a day - the operators would need to direct their skills toward "handcrafted" levels of detail. As opposed to mass-production systems where properly calibrated machinery churn out several lots of products in short order, on the NS-X line the operators would make full use of their own senses as a means of calibration. Moreover, the aluminum materials would require manual finishing throughout, meaning that all production personnel would need skills that were proportionate with the added responsibilities.

    The new plant was actually designed to yield maximum results from the available human resources. Accordingly, the personnel would have priority over their machines, not vice versa. There was, for example, not a single conveyor belt in evidence. However, a 360-degree rotary welding table was provided in order that the operator could work comfortably without having to crawl beneath the vehicle under construction. Various other systems adopted at the facility were all unique. The plant, in fact, remains a world apart from that of the conventional, mass-production facility.

    Tochigi Plant held its open-house ceremony in August 1990. Speaking to an audience assembled there, new Honda Motor President Nobuhiko Kawamoto said, "The NS-X is a next generation car incorporating many unique, proprietary technologies. Therefore, it represents the attainment of another dream for the Honda organization. And Tochigi Plant is where we will further that dream."

    A Japanese press conference regarding the new sportscar was held in September 1990, one day before the start of sales at Verno dealerships throughout the country. The code name NS-X, already well-known due to the successful promotion of the prototype vehicle, had been adopted as the official model designation, NSX. But orders had already been pouring in prior to the launch, and the car was soon such a hit that buyers would have to wait as long as three years to get their very own dream machines.

    Chapter 7
    NSX: A Constant Evolution
    Honda Motor’s NSX engineering team organized an event for NSX owners in June 1991. The event was intended to give the owners a chance to understand the true capabilities of their car, and to help them enjoy it safely. Yet, those who had created the NSX wanted to continue refining it. As evidence of that commitment, this event continues today at various venues, including the Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi.

    The two-day curriculum included lectures by the development staff and guest instructors regarding the car’s basic concept and the most effective means to control it on the road. Participants are even given an opportunity to drive their cars on the track. During the program, the users were given opportunities to speak with the development staff and other users, and to share their opinions. The event proved beneficial to the car creators, since they could see things from the customer’s perspective rather than as trained engineers. The requests and other comments obtained through these programs were reflected in the Type R version of the NSX, released in 1992.

    And today the NSX carries forward the initial concept in its original development, as the standard by which all other high-performance sportscars are judged.
     
    joe sackey and NbyNW like this.
  21. SlickMurphy

    SlickMurphy Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2004
    271
    Essex
    Full Name:
    David
    #596 SlickMurphy, Feb 7, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2019
    I've never needed to plug my Gen 2 NSX into a tender and have gone over a month in between use. It caused no warning lights, no errors and no electrical gremlins. I've been driving it in the rain, snow, salt, and sub zero temps without issues. Warm the tires, then go like hell. It is Honda Accord reliable and such a nice break from my rather delicate Ferrari's currently sitting on their tenders. Well over 100 launches on this NSX using launch control and I just can't find an issue. I've tried to break it, I can't. Vive le NSX!
     
  22. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Wow... Sunny (mostly) for two days in a row. Chilly weekend and drives each day... to nowhere special.

    Out today and most roads are already treated for incoming weather - and still the occasional snow/ice patch on back roads. Makes you pay attention. Mainly an easy drive, but love it when the tach flashes when you hit red line. Crazy quick blasts. Then eased back home.

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  23. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

  24. NbyNW

    NbyNW F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Boomhauer likes this.
  25. slm

    slm F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 5, 2004
    3,759
    Near Lambeau field
    Full Name:
    Steve M
    That R next to you is pretty cool too.
     

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