NSX

Upon his retirement circa September 2007, NSX chief engineer Shigeru Uehara was celebrated by Honda with a web page that included some anecdotes from noted luminaries & fans of his work in the car world. I will copy each of the individual stories below - note they are translated from Japanese, and thus the English is not perfect.

For those who need a refresher, Uehara was also the chief engineer of the iconic S2000 and Honda's Type R models from this time period. He liked his sports cars simple, lightweight, and with a focus on driver engagement. I met him once in 2010, and my S2000 still wears its radio door proudly signed by him.

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By Paul Frere, legendary racing driver & automotive journalist

I was deeply moved by Shigeru Uehara, who led the men who developed the two outstanding sports cars that NSX and S2000, this Japan has produced. On his new journey, I would like to say a word to give to Mr. Uehara by reevaluating these two great ones that I will never stop loving.

At the time, Mr. Hijiki Kizawa, who was my window at Honda, asked me to go on a ride on the NSX in Germany, at the point where Honda was trying to introduce the NSX to Europe.

I was glad to visit Germany in response to the invitation, and it was also the first time that I knew for the first time that a small village just a few kilometers away from the Nürburgring, the research institute of Honda exists in Murenbach. The famous Nürburgring, which has become a testing ground in the final stages of development of the world's famous sports and GT cars, that is, a proving ground, has been used as a Japanese car maker for testing this 22km-long circuit I remember it was the first time. Honda seems to have been repeating the Nürburgring test just before I got on. As usual, it was a Honda-like, thorough method of finishing.

The NSX is a pure and full-fledged sports car of Honda since the S800, and the process has been extremely innovative.
Both the elegant two-seater coupe body and the three-liter V6 DOHC VTEC engine mid-mounted horizontally were all aluminum. In addition, the aluminum suspension also had an innovative feature on the front that was designed to significantly reduce caster angle variation during braking.
Even on public roads, the NSX has shown its full potential and value, literally cooling the heart of the top European sports car makers. In fact, I actually hear that Porsche executives and engineers praise the NSX, and at Maranello (the home of Ferrari), the "Japanese Ferrari" has the ability to surpass their exotic car much more I also know that I was upset by the appearance.

In fact, when I tried on the test, I quickly became an NSX trap.

Even more fortunately, a little later I have the opportunity to fully test the NSX. Yokohama Tire, who was a consultant at that time, brought the NSX to Germany as a test car.

I will repeat and test repeatedly on the Nürburgring and the surrounding roads, and will increasingly check the excellence of the NSX.

The high-speed engine was wonderful as a dream, and the handling had a very good balance. Besides, as a sports car of this kind, I was afraid because I had the best ride. How easy it can be a car that can be run fast. What a car that exactly responds to the driver's intentions. I was amazed as I wrapped the laps for many laps and tens of laps in the harsh Nürburgring.
Today, when the world is seriously troubled by serious environmental problems, many manufacturers are in a power race that can not be called super sports unless they have at least 500 horsepower or more. And what a foolish thing? Not only one of these current supercars, but one that gave me more impressions and driving pleasure (thank you for manipulating a car) than the NSX, not only does it still exist, but the current traffic conditions The car that surpasses the NSX should be rare, even if it is a road with no speed limit, and the time to move from point A to point B is short.

Even during its long production period, NSX has always been improved. With power steering, increased displacement to 3.2 liters, 6-speed gearbox, and the emergence of two generations of type R, the NSX has continued to evolve.

Especially for Type R, I was blessed with the opportunity to test drive with both the new and old generations and it remains as a great impression. About 120 kg lighter, the Type R, combined with the racing bucket seat and the stiffer suspension, gave near-perfect performance and handling.

As for the original NSX Type R, I had a chance to hold in favor of Honda for over two weeks, while spending the blissful time of traveling several thousand kilometers throughout Europe, including the Nürburgring, with the NSX. That's about 15 years ago, but I have never had the same great driving experience as the fast laps on the NSX at the world-famous Nürburgring.

Two more, I have some wonderful memories about NSX that I will never forget.

One is the "NSX fiesta" at Suzuka, who joined us some years ago with Claude Surge, president of Swiss Honda. At Suzuka Circuit, there were a complete racing suit for me, and a 3.2-liter V6 DOHC VTEC engine + 6-speed MT NSX type S for circuit driving.
And nearly 100 NSXs and their owners welcomed us. The view was spectacular. After a few laps with a Type S given by Honda, when I came back to the pits, several NSX owners came around me, put them on the passenger seat and drove their NSX to me I was sent to you. I drove a few cars with some of them on board, but as a result, there was no time to enjoy the provided Type S (lol). It is also a good memory now. One of them is still a wonderful NSX owner who always gives me cards, photos and my favorite "Meiji chocolate" from Japan all year round, always on my birthday.

The other memory is when I was invited to a twin-link Motegi with John Lam, who is a US journalist and close acquaintance several years ago, and I tried the second-generation Type R using an east course.

It was Mr. Uehara himself who met us at the circuit. As always Uehara who talks about Type R with a friendly smile and an unpretentious attitude, but his secret passion has been transmitted to him. The wonderful afternoon that I spent in Motegi remains as a good memory I can not forget.

Just like the Porsche 911 in Europe, it can be said that the NSX has sublimed into a symbol of Japanese sports cars.

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I was not involved in the development of NSX, but with four prominent European journalists, I got a lot of opportunities to be involved in the development of S2000, a later project of Uehara.

The formation of the European consultant team was a result of the aforementioned idea and call from Mr. Serge, President of Swiss Honda. The first meeting took place in a town near Geneva, and Surge and Uehara both described what segment Honda's next sports car was targeting. According to the plan, the new sports car is a 2-liter orthodox sports car with excellent performance but with steel as its body, aiming for a mass-produced model at a reasonable price. After that, after alternately testing the four different European manufacturer's sports cars, we gathered again and surrounded the development group including Mr. Uehara to comment on what the next Honda sports car should be. It was stated.

About a year later, at the second meeting near the Nürburgring, an early prototype of the S2000 with a double wishbone suspension was prepared for public road trials.

After the test drive, five consultants, including myself, expressed their fear that the goal of 240 horsepower for Honda's 2-liter engine for production vehicles would be a little too high, He pointed out lack of torque and unbearable noise at low and medium speeds. On the other hand, praise was also heard for the structurally high rigidity despite the excellent chassis and open body of the S2000.

About a year later, a final session by five consultants and the S2000 Development Group took place near the Nürburgring.

On the spot, there was a prototype just before the final production model, which was far from the prototype we had previously tested. In order to improve the weight balance, the engine moved closer to the driver's seat was refined with improvements and refinements, and was equipped with a Torusen Limited slip differential as standard. The torque in the mid-speed range was also improved, and Honda's engineers said nothing, but it was immediately felt that they could get on and achieve the goal of 240 horsepower. The peak power occurs at 8,300 rpm, and the rev limit is inscribed at 9,000 rpm. By the way, the S2000's engine still boasts top-class allowable rotational speeds as a production engine. And, what impressed us above all, the S2000 had the world's best manual gearbox.

I was invited to a test ride for the press that took place after the S2000's official debut in 1999, and I deliberately made myself based on a plan that I set up on my own, apart from the official program for the test ride. I took the S2000 to several roads in the Southern Alps I chose. With a taste of the S2000's excellent agility, precise handling, and its unmatched engine, I enjoyed the journey to the end.

Since then, although minor changes have been made, in the basic part, the S2000 is almost the same as its initial debut eight years ago. The outstanding performance is alive and well despite the emission regulations, which are many times more stringent than eight years ago. And what we must not forget is that this exceptional sports car targets the core drivers who will not suffer from some silence and a sense of comfort for the ultimate driving, It is a car built under a clear concept.

In other words, the S2000 is for people who will never lose their youth, love to manipulate their cars as cars, enjoy cornering on unnamed winding roads running through the mountains, and trying marginal driving on the circuit if there is a chance It is a car that is tailor-made.

However, at the same time, the S2000 is a second car for people who want to enjoy comfortable driving, sinking in the driver's seat of a true sports car and suddenly thinking of it on a sunny day on a pleasant day, even with ordinary life. It's also a great, good car.

Thank you for giving us true driving pleasure, Mr. Uehara. I am sincerely grateful.

Perhaps many other sports car enthusiasts, like me, are hoping that you will be making new contributions for new sports car enthusiasts in new places. I am looking forward to the day.

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By Gordon Murray, chief engineer behind the McLaren F1

Even now, the NSX car is one that resonates sweetly and heartily. The NSX I owned was about 75,000 kilometers in six to seven years after the purchase.

Isn't it difficult to evaluate or talk about NSX with current common sense and values? When the NSX debuted, the word "supercar" was a new thing in Europe that we were not familiar with. Yes, some of the first super cars are Lamborghini Miura, who debuted in the late 60's. But in a true sense, today's super car explosive boom may not have started from the end of 1980?

The end of the 80's was the time when McLaren Cars (McLaren Cars) was just starting to create the concept of the McLaren F1 road car. So I concentrated on thinking what kind of car I really wanted to make.
A car that I consider to be an ideal car is one that you want to ride straight to the south of France as you sit in the driver's seat and go to the city of London. It is a car that has reliable, functional air conditioning and high livability. I can not forgive the pedal that was offset. The dashboard attached to the position where it is hard to see high is also useless. A car that lowers the roof under the name of aerodynamics and styling, and hits its head on the ceiling each time it steps over is out of the question. Supercars are basically fun to drive, and anything that interferes with it must be eliminated.

I used to drive a car, which was called a super car, from a solid car. Porsche 959, Bugatti EB110, Ferrari F40, Jaguar XJ220. However, unfortunately, none could serve as a model for the supercar that we are going to make. What we were looking for was a relatively small, everyday driver's car. The Porsche 911 could not be used as a foot for everyday use, but it had the drawback of lack of stability due to the engine being mounted behind it.

In the meantime, I was to visit Ayrton Senna (the late F1 champion) and Honda's Tochigi Institute. At that time, there was also a relationship where the McLaren F1 Grand Prix car was using Honda engines.

I happened to see a prototype of the NSX, which was placed beside the course. I also learned that Ayrton helped develop the NSX. And that Honda's first rear mid-engine sports car, the NSX, was the supercar we could use every day. The car's air conditioning was perfect, the size of the trunk was reasonable, not to mention the high quality and reliability of the Honda car.

And I was actually driving. Along with Ron Dennis (President of McLaren Cars) and Manser Ojah (Head of the Tag McLaren Group), I took a ride on the prototype of the Tochigi Institute test course.

I try to drive and remember that I was impressed by how “a car that accurately conveys our will”.

Of course, as you know, there were only six engine cylinders installed, but the NSX's extremely stiff chassis was an excellent one that could absorb even more power. It was a fact that I thought that I could have been a bigger engine, but as soon as I tried on the small NSX, from within my head, I tried a model of a car that tried to develop Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini. The idea to be gone has disappeared. Of course, the car we made, the McLaren F1, had to be faster than the NSX, of course, but the ride and handling of the NSX became the model for our car.

If you have been involved in the development of new cars for many years, there are pitfalls that are easy to fall into. Every day when I was testing a car under development (in fact, I was in charge of two thirds of the McLaren F1 test run), in the meanwhile the car actually didn't improve in performance Nevertheless, they want to apply their self-suggestion without knowing that they have improved somewhat. For example, in an effort to reduce the harshness at low speeds, by the end of the day, it is humanity to feel exhausted and to think that it has achieved some results. That's when you need a comparable car. In such a situation, NSX repeatedly pointed out the way we should go in terms of ride and handling, and made us realize that the car is not getting as good as we think.

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I believe that the best aspects of NSX have been overlooked for a long time.

That is all about the "NSX suspension is great".

The body and the suspension are made of aluminum, and there are some areas where the journalist's attention tends to be disappointing to the acclaim of the aluminum body, but in fact, the suspension uses several times better aluminum than the body.

It is light, strong and flexible, and in addition, the 17-inch front and rear non-oversized tires contribute to the maneuverability and ride of the highly complete NSX. The suspension of the NSX was a really smart system, and I thought at that time it would have cost a lot to develop. In order to balance the unsurpassed maneuverability and high-quality ride, we adopted a vertical compliance pivot that gives the wheel movement freedom via the pivot (※).

(*) Compliance refers to the ability of the tire and suspension to move and cause shock when an external force is applied to the tire in the longitudinal direction, such as when riding over a projection. The pivot is set by connecting the upper arm and the lower arm. It is connected by a ball joint to move integrally with the upper and lower arms. A system that rotates the pivot when there is an input and controls alignment change to almost zero while ensuring compliance (see the figure). This inspiration from the NSX suspension system led to the later development of the McLaren F1 suspension system.

The NSX was also the first car to adopt DBW (Drive by Wire), and the feeling was very good. DBW is a system that achieves an extremely natural and linear accelerator feeling by transmitting the amount of depression of the accelerator not by a mechanical cable but by an electrical signal, so now I feel sorry and confessed, I copied the idea for my own McLaren F1 (lol).

The low NSX driver's seat setting and the ideal head clearance also provided excellent visibility. The developers at NSX made space by moving air-conditioning units far from the dashboard just to the nose of the NSX. And the NSX air conditioning system was a great alternative, and it was usually unnoticeable even if it was working.

Since I pressed the temperature control "Auto" button on the day I bought the NSX, I never touched that button until I released the NSX. It was so perfect. Oh, I remember that the audio system that came with it was great.

However, the media wrote about only the aluminum body, and I felt that many of the beauty and strengths of the NSX I felt great were often overlooked.

Unfortunately, I think that the NSX, a great sports car, had two major drawbacks in marketing. First, at the time, people were not yet ready to accept such expensive Japanese cars. The second reason is that for the group buying supercars, it might not have been enough in terms of power. Of course, the prototype engine was an excellent one, and the VTEC engine was soon introduced. That VTEC sound is great no matter when you listen. Again, the exceptionally good chassis of the NSX should have been just fine with even more power.

Do a little more price setting, or sell with a different badge under a different brand name, or just a few, even a few, even with a flashy, bold styling and greater power For example, the NSX must have reigned as a super car cult star for 20 years.

However, as a philosophy of Honda at the time, it seemed to have felt a resistance to a large engine with a large number of cylinders. I'm not sure, but maybe it was related to having self-regulation of the power limit at that time.

I love Honda engines, and then I will go to Honda's Tochigi Research Institute twice twice to make the 4.5-liter V10 or V12 for McLaren F1 I was developing as the research director at the time. I asked, but I tried to persuade, but eventually I was asked to put in a BMW engine on the McLaren F1 without being heard.

Was the cost of developing NSX not an astronomical number? Everything was unique and unique. The chassis, the powertrain and even the air conditioner were unparalleled. That aluminum body was very expensive. The NSX, which has succeeded in producing many problems such as spot welding, corrosion, repair, etc., can be said to be a key tower in the history of cars. The philosophy of making cars from people involved in development is transmitted. However, I would like to achieve the same weight reduction by using aluminum panels for steel structure, regardless of all aluminum. No, I would like to emphasize that suspension. It is a truly revolutionary and great use of aluminum.

There are only a few, but NSX also had some points to improve. First of all the defect that the tires are too soft, I had to change 14 sets of tires in less than 7 years I owned. The tire's life was extended as it was later replaced with a harder compound, Michelin. I lost some grip by that, but that made driving fun. Since the traction control and ABS of the NSX were still early models coming out, it was a system with a slight extension. It was also troubled that there was no storage space in the room. But that's all that matters for this great sports car.

The NSX is a true gold car. Porsche's awakening was also awakened by the fact that Ferrari's sleepiness was awakened, and the practicality, habitability, and maneuverability were dramatically evolved. It may not have been a huge success in terms of sales, but I think it was purchased by a number of influential and important people. And NSX is not unusual as a car that has been sold for a very long time.

In fact, if I needed that kind of car now, I would not hesitate and would be happy to get the NSX again.

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By John Lamm, editor at Road & Track

For countries like the United States, where about 16,000,000 cars and trucks are bought and sold each year, "8, 997" and "61, 224" may be insignificant numbers. In fact, this figure is the total number of vehicles sold in the former, NSX, and the latter, S2000.

Nevertheless, Mr. Zhang, who developed these two great machines, "Uehara Sigel" is known and worshiped by Honda Freaks & Enthusiasts across the United States.

The owners of the S2000, made up of young users, understand more than anyone the role that Uehara played in their favorite sports car and is a smaller but more conscious group than the owners of the S2000. For the owners of the NSX, Shigeru Uehara, in the words of NSX Club of America President Larry Bastanza, seems to be “Zola Dandoff for us”. Zola Dandoff is a legendary figure who has been Chevrolet Covet's chief engineer for many years.

I was also honored to meet Mr. Uehara several times, but I wanted to know more about him and his face in the office, and to meet some key people and listen to the story I made it.

First, I met Acura (Acura) and Gary Robinson, a senior product planner for the S2000 program. The tone of the voice he talks about Uhudara's figure was clearly euphoric with respect and love for his Uehara.

"In terms of working together, he is a really nice person,"
Gary Robinson started to say :
"Of course, I knew that he was legendary in this world as a preliminary background before my first meeting, but I was honest about how I really handled it, and I was totally disappointed at first,"
Gary Robinson

The story reminded me of the feelings I had always felt about Uehara.

"The first impression was a very humble and caring person. If you don't know he's the person who made the car like the NSX or S2000, maybe nobody realizes he's a" great guy " There will always be no smile, and the way you talk is quiet and quiet ... "

"One of the things I learned while interacting with him is that he is acting on a strong conviction that it can be called philosophy. For him, the balance of the car, in other words, the car finished as lightly as possible It may not be the most important thing to devote all effort to giving exquisite balance and handling, and perhaps the power is not a big issue for him, whose conviction is to study balance as a technical student. I've heard that I learned during my college days. "

"But it seems that what has driven Uehara to the NSX is more than just advanced ideas such as handling, balance, aluminum body and chassis. I am all Ferrari Owners in the world. I think that the club is covered in the Uehara Shrine (lol), as you know, the NSX and then the buffalo horse (nickname of Ferrari) headed by engineers of sports car manufacturers around the world If we borrow the words of Angus McKenzie (Motor Trend (Motor Trend) magazine editorial director) to all the engineers involved in the development, we have noticed that we will start over from the basics in order to make a perfect car. do not.
just beautiful, era in the mid-engine good if they have power I was finished. car It must continue to evolve, must be one that can be above all confidence, "
explained Robinson is this.

"When developing the NSX, there were a variety of different opinions and debates about the expected costs and how much money to actually spend. Aluminum is the biggest weapon for cost cutting. For a long time, it was a policy not to use aluminum, but Uehara could have had the conviction that it would be better and better, because the world's famous sports car maker at that time was for improvement. Under such a stagnant situation as if they failed in their efforts, there was a ground for technological breakthroughs. ”

“ The NSX is indeed somewhat outdated compared to its rivals at the end of its life cycle. It may be undeniable that there was a feeling of “non-stop” but other sports car manufacturers have their cars at their current height just because the NSX was born on earth It is no surprise that we were able to improve and evolve to "," Robinson concluded.

I also have strong memories I can not forget. Road & Track magazine, where I register, did a comparative test with Ferrari 348 just after the NSX debut, and I joined as a photographer. On the day of the test conducted in the California countryside, the temperature jumped to over 35 ° C, and the test was conducted in a burning heat wave.

When I joined my mates all 348 air conditioners didn't work at all, the soft top was fully open and it was like an oven inside the luggage space on the nose.
In contrast, the room in the NSX was cool and comfortable, perfect for holding cameras and film. Moreover, the NSX also outperformed the rivals in the performance test on the test track. Later, when I tried on the 348's successor model, it was the NSX that came to mind at the very beginning that I felt that it was impossible to evolve the rival Ferrari without the NSX.

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Road and Track magazine later collected and tested the major sports models in the US market: NSX (which was a rare Zanardi model), Ferrari F 355, Daddy Viper, Chevrolet Covet, and Lotus Esprit V8. Did. Former steering wheel was former F1 champion Mario Andretti, who told his impression of the NSX after the test.

"The NSX is a very stable, flat-feeling, excellent machine, but the best is smooth and quiet, for example if you try to run one hair and let it run If you want to run more aggressively, you will be able to respond instantly to the driver's feelings, and it is not surprising that the lap time was also the second fastest NSX, because for me, This is because the NSX is the most comfortable machine among the test cars. "

Peter Cunningham's Real-Time Honda / Acura Racing Team is the early model NSX with chassis number 0003 and will compete in the US toughest SCCA World Challenge Race Series, winning the NSX I raised it.

In more than a decade, the NSX-0003 has won 50 races, 14 races and 26 races on the podium. The retired NSX-0003 is now on display at the Honda Museum in North America.

Former Indianapolis 500 champion Bobby Rayhall is also involved in the development of the NSX at the final stage just before the North American market launch, participates in the Tochigi driving program, and tests it against rival cars at the Ragna Seka Circuit He also works. It goes without saying that NSX was at the top of his evaluation, but Uehara, who accompanied the test, said, “I was quiet, friendly, and still very impressed. It was as if it was (laughs).

I was also honored to be invited to another test car developed by Uehara, a test ride for the S2000 in Japan. It was also taught that Uehara was an owner of the Honda S800 when he was young, and that he liked cars made by Lotus. Porsche Boxster was prepared for the test ride for comparison, but I was a fan of S800 and I was a Lotus fan, rather than the fact that S2000 is Boxster's rival I think that the fact was more persuasive in understanding S2000.

Gary Robinson, introduced at the beginning of the story, described the S2000 as follows: "I think Uehara was thinking about how to modernize and practically make cars like the S800 and Lotus."

Then, Robinson introduced the following episode that talks about Uehara's own influence on Honda.

"I am also involved in the Accord and S2000 programs in North America and, of course, if it is recognized that important decisions or changes are necessary at the General Meeting, etc., I have to consult with the Board of Directors and get approval. "No,
" at such a board of directors, many of the chief engineers who attended were mostly obedient and some of them behaved like cats they had borrowed, but in the case of Uwala, they were abecove. As usual, he praises a friendly smile, with few questions from the executive, whose in-house influence is a reflection of his accomplishments and the respect of the people in the company towards him. I think, "
and Robinson continued.

"The S2000's meeting was exactly the opposite of a car-type meeting that would be repeated until death. At the S2000's meeting, the necessary matters were discussed and dissolved, the car got home, and so on. was"

The S2000 is now a yearning for America's imported hot rod car drivers. I see variously customized S2000 in various places in America. Starting with street and stock car specifications, carbon fiber bonnet specifications, wide fenders with inch-up tire specifications, turbocharged models, and those equipped with public road racing equipment have been enjoyed in many ways. And in the driver's seat of the car, happy owners who hold the steering as an ax without exception are sitting.
I asked Robinson what kind of man Uedala at the end, after five or off.

"In a social sense, he's a nice person who wants to be exactly like it. It's funny, laughs, it feels so relaxed and sober, that's when I rarely talk about cars. But once someone tries to put him a car, he's just a treasure trove of episodes, starting with when he worked with Senna, a number of secret stories, one after another It's almost like a fountain and it's hard to talk hot about his accomplishments and the passion for cars in him. Instead, once I get a chance to get on a car that I'm interested in as a test track, I have at least two days of test dry, with some reason As it is, forever forever overlaying the lap, I have a such a place. "

I think it seems that Honda NSX and Honda S2000 have fallen in love with the United States as well as many sports car enthusiasts around the world. Thank you, Mr. Uehara.

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By Takahira Takaki

“Because Uchi is a“ Lacy ”company”
“I know so”, but at that time I didn't really understand the meaning of Mr. Uehara's words.

If you like racing or racing, there is no such thing as Japan's right-hand company in Japan. On the contrary, I was thinking about what to say now, even though it is rare in the world. However, the true meaning of Mr. Uehara's words was not of course such. The evil of my speculation would have come to the face as it was. Uehara immediately followed the words and explained in an easy-to-understand manner.

"No, there's a race shop constitution, you see, there is a team on the grid just before the start, putting out your hand in the car until the last moment in the grid. Also look at the air pressure of the tires, put a torque wrench, that's right.

Have 15 years passed since you heard that?

Seventeen years after the debut of the NSX, two years passed even after the end of production, and now I think again, Uehara-san's words at that time created and grew up with the rare sports car of the NSX I realized that it was the key to uncovering the nature of the soil Honda.

Today's cars, to a greater or lesser extent, are all mass-produced industrial products that are efficiently produced on precise schedules according to design and development goals. Development and production itself are also part of a huge machine-like system, and once it starts to rotate, it can not stop the flow that is produced one after another.

Although it was a sports car of a small amount production that is literally an order of magnitude smaller than ordinary mass-produced cars, the NSX is no exception in terms of the products of a large car manufacturer, and the cars that are marketed at the same time and run on real roads are Unlike the work of art, it is no longer an individual's work from the moment it was released to the world, or when the go-sign to commercialization was given. No matter how much passion you put in and a sports car that you put on your hands, after seeing that you got on the system that started once, the development staff will move to the next new workplace, though you prefer it or not It is common sense in this world.

However, in contrast to the common sense in the world, NSX looks for a team led by one leader before and after it is born, and that there is still something that can be improved to the end. Improvements have been made constantly by a team that is persistent and relentless.

It may be said that it is an amateurish feeling that giving up being bad in a sense, but it is not good to draw a line somewhere, but the badness of the hand of the hand of the creator who continues to pursue the ideal until the last minute, 15 years after the NSX debut It has been evolving over the years, and even after production is over, I think that it may be the main reason that a new life is being introduced by the "Refresh Plan".

The fact that one engineer sees a car model from birth to demise is said to be completely unheard of at Honda. This alone is quite special, but the unique story of NSX is still going on.

"17 years after its release, I checked it and found that the NSX's body was stronger than we initially anticipated. This car will survive even after we're gone We will continue to do so, so we have to think about the future, ”
says Uehara, who will graduate from a position of 36 years since joining the company in September this year. However, it seems that they had been busy in setting up the future "life planning" of NSX until the end of their retirement.

The light, strong, non-rusting aluminum alloy is the first mass-produced car used as a monocoque body material for the first time in the world, and the NSX boasts outstanding durability. Some Japanese owners say they have more than 300,000 km of odometer. The car will be reborn when it's replaced with the proper parts by the refresh plan and received maintenance.

"Like a new car, it will be more than a new car. I'm telling you to tell the generation of the grandchild," says
the total production of NSX about 18,000. Of those, 8,000 were in the hands of owners in Japan, but 6,600 are still alive.
This is a bit astounding "survival rate" as it has hardly diminished even after the end of production. That is why it is treated with great care, but of course it can be said that the durability of the all-aluminum monocoque body structure and the sense of security of the refresh plan are great.

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Application flooded to the refresh plan currently being carried out at the Suzuka Service Center, and it has been waiting for a year and a half until the receipt so far! It is said that One of Uehara's last jobs at Honda, which is too apologetic, is to strengthen the system to reduce the waiting time for storage from half a year to about a year, and enable long-term supply of parts. It was said that it was an arrangement to do. (*) A
company that caters to the parents and creators who are busy to look after the future of cars that have already been produced. I have never heard of such a story in the old-fashioned East-West car world. The NSX is a really happy sports car.

*: As of October 2007, we have been waiting for about a year.

Another reason to make NSX so unique is the sense of separation between the builder and the user. There are a number of stars in the world of car brand club meetings, customer events, etc., but no less than classic cars or exclusive Vintige cars, they still gather as hard as the NSX from the time of active duty There is no other example of what has been done.

Furthermore, at NSX fiesta and owner's meetings, it was natural not only to let your car run at full speed, and to talk with the owners, as well as to talk directly with the active developers. If it is a small workshop or shop where a craftsman makes his own tools and sells, the distance between the maker, the seller and the buyer is extremely close, and the customer can directly convey to the maker the impressions, personal preferences or dissatisfaction of the product. However, in the case of a car made in a huge organization, there is a chance that the customer can directly communicate the request to the maker, and the relationship that the maker side can listen to it kindly would be normal. It is not something. It is a more solid and direct relationship, far beyond the business behavior that is categorically "customer service" and "brand building".

Uehara-san's model, "You may not be a god but a friend," said that the model and sports people such as Integra Type R and S2000 can be said to have grown and refined together with the people who make and use them. I will. These are not only hardware aspects such as the formation and performance of the car, but also a sports car that is extremely unique in terms of the environment surrounding it.

The fact that NSX is so loved is proof that Uehara-san's original goal of creating a sports car that can be used every day was accurately capturing the times.
At the time of his debut, the intent of “Everyday sports car” was somewhat misunderstood, and there were not a few comments from pious puritan (strict) fans that sports cars with a sense of comfort were somewhat weak and should be more spartan. However, looking back now, it is clear that being able to ride every day and that Uehara's allegations were correct that the intrinsic attraction of the sports car was not contradictory.

Until then, virtually no super sports were available to enjoy without worrying about breakdowns. Even nowadays, where air conditioning works well, it was not a natural thing at that time. The high-performance sports car is an extraordinary car, so the NSX has defeated the old stereotype of being unreliable to some extent. The NSX has emerged as a "daily" sports car with the same reliability as a regular sedan or hatchback, eliminating the need for air conditioning and worries about breaking it. I was to give a big shock. Since the advent of the NSX, excuses for reliability and practicality no longer apply to any brand.

You can get a long ride only because you can enjoy sports cars on a daily basis. The concept of the NSX is twisted along with the extensive maintenance system such as the durability of the all-aluminum body and the refresh plan, making it a thick line penetrating the NSX. A sports car that can be used every day will be a sports car that can be used now, and will stay alive for a long time.

It is the world's reason that something that is shaped will eventually be broken and disappear. However, things that have been filled with will and soul will last for a very long time, and even if they lose their shape, their will never disappear. Some call it a DNA or a brand, but in any case the loaded soul is inherited forever. That's what we Japanese had long since long ago when it was eco-friendly and Roh's talked about like an epidemic word. It is a pity that the production of the rare sports car, the NSX, is over, but the Honda sports car looks like a spectacular underflow, as the manufacturing souls that lie close to fans and users are inherited. It should come out in front of us again somewhere.

I have read a fairy tale preaching the words, "The happiest thing is to have a friend remember it forever". As long as Honda NSX is alive on the street as proof of continued love by the owners and fans, no one will forget this happy sports car. And again, you'll never forget a sports car engineer who has a tremendous stubbornness behind a kind smile.

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Cheers!

 

Period ad showing an early USA NSX in Grand Prix White.

Grand Prix White was available on all model years excluding '91 & '95, but proved to be fairly rare throughout the run despite white being an iconic Honda racing color

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F-16 inspired

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Monaco Blue Pearl (B-501P) NSX we represented for sale a while back. This is the rarest color by numbers produced for the USA market at only 44 cars.

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Happy to report we have another NSX Zanardi available privately with 31,000 miles, please reach out if interested: [email protected].

Those not familiar with these rare cars limited to only 50 units, read my column on the model here: http://sterlingsackey.com/thoughts-on-the-nsx-zanardi/

I feel personally that the NSX Zanardi will have a very bright future value-wise, considering it was the only LHD sport-version NSX to be sold worldwide. The driving experience is elevated beyond a normal NSX in too many ways to list!

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I present to you McLaren’s very own Honda NSX, purchased on March 18th, 1991 in by McLaren International in Woking, England, during development of the iconic McLaren F1. This car was doubtless torn down and put back together by the McLaren team, as Gordon Murray was a huge fan of the NSX’s supple yet composed suspension and high handling capabilities, which he used as an inspiration for the F1’s suspension & handling. Murray was said to be seen driving this car around Woking at the time, alternating, of course, with a McLaren F1 prototype. Today, this example lives in Hong Kong with over 150,000 miles on the clock as of a few years ago, a testament to the design of the car that inspired the McLaren F1.

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Following up on my last post about McLaren’s NSX, here is a photo submission from a reader showing Gordon Murray with that very car, NSX registration “H678 KPE” outside the old McLaren factory in Woking. Those with a keen eye will notice the open door of a McLaren F1 on the right side of the photo. As mentioned previously, the NSX was used as inspiration for and benchmarking of the McLaren F1’s suspension system, as well as its gear change mechanism (which was essentially copied from NSX), and low-cowl driving position. Another interesting story as it relates to Honda’s influence on the F1: Murray visited Honda's Tochigi Research Institute twice to try to convince them to produce a 4.5-liter V10 or V12 for the McLaren F1 project, but was unsuccessful in persuading the conservative company to move ahead with it. So, instead he was forced to “settle” for the BMW unit we know today!

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Senna at the French GP in his Formula Red NSX. Senna owned numerous NSX, having been instrumental in the development process, specifically in his feedback on the aluminum monocoque structure which resulted in a 50% stiffening of the entire car by Honda engineers.

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