Announcer said it doesnt have any Soul! or Heritage! lol
Brock Yates was exactly correct. "Heritage" was in reference to the fact that the NSX as well as a myriad of other "ricer' cars have no racing heritage as do Ferrari etc. The lack of "soul" is due to the simple fact that too many of each type/brand have been and will continue to be manufactured.As good a car as is the NSX, it is not and will never be viewed in the same light as our Ferraris and Lambos.
First off, the NSX is hardly a "ricer" car. Secondly, I would agree about your comment. The NSX will never be seen in the same light. Not because it is not just as capable though. Everyone here knows the NSX was a far better can than the 348 it was made to compete against. A 355 and a 97 NSX are also very close. However, in 2004 the NSX is no longer competitive with what ferrari offers. Honda dropped the ball - no question about it. To me, the main reason people will never see them in the same light is because a lot of people that buy ferrari and lambo are brand snobs and that is all there is to it. Unless it has a horse or bull, it is crap. It does not matter if your Fcar breaks down often and has outrageous service bills, while a NSX is very reliable and service bills are rarely over $1000. (minus clutch). I am sure there are lot of people that buy ferrari's and lambo's that don't know anything about the car, but buy it because it is a status symbol. Those people are not here on ferrarichat. NSX owners, on the other hand, buy the car because the are passionate about it. They love the car and bought it because it is a wonderful car. There are few NSX owners that don't want to own a ferrari one day, but most want to keep their NSX. I do. Once again, people who say a car has no "soul" IMO are brand snobs who can't think of anything else to say.
I used to agree with all this about the NSX, until I started driving other exotics more frequently. Here's how I feel now: With the base 911 you don't notice any power improvement over the NSX, or a dramtically more exciting experience. So I wouldn't trade my 3.2L NSX for a 996 911. Too close, very similar in just about every way. This applies to a standard Carrera, not a GT3 or TT. But with the Italian cars, both Lambo and Ferrari, you notice a much more impactful experience after driving them. They seem like live wires, sort of like falling into the Tiger pit at the zoo and sweating that first 10 seconds. With the newer NSXs the speed is there for the most part, the sound is good, the ride is sharp, the steering is direct, but somehow I don't feel like I've been dropped into a Tiger pit. The sum of its parts is NOT equal to the value of each individual part. On paper the NSX should be the perfect exotic, and in the daily drivability area it certainly is. But in the "make my a$$ tingle" section it's too bland and uninvolving. It's like a 300HP MR2 or something. I owned a Supercharged '89 MR2 and a 94' MR2 Turbo and it's closer to the feel of those cars than it is to a F355. Now on the flip side the NA2 NSX Type-R seems to be that live wire. No Euro magazine report I've read on it says anything but that it's a great ride, matching the fun factor against almost any competition within reason. It's not as fast as a 360 CS or a 911 GT3, but for road use the verdict is it's close enough, and equivalent in excitement. Jensen Button is paying to have a JDM NSX Type-R safety validated in the UK for his own personal use. A testament to the car's attraction. And with a 12.5 - 12.7 second 1/4 mile time due to the 350+lb weight reduction, it's got enough power to have some fun. Wish that car was sold here at a reasonable price, say $75k. It's worth that for sure.
Well netviper I think you said it yourself. There are those out there who buy Ferrari's and Lamborghini's simply for their poser status I will agree with you there. However, these people aren't on ferrarichat.com and from what I've seen in the past few days there aren't any posers here. I think that we are all very passionate about these cars, and not in the sence that they are looked up to because there is a 'dancing donkey' or 'tractor with a body kit' on the hood. IMO 'if you have to expalin it you'll never understand.' just my .02
For the money, the NSX is pretty good. But if someone is looking at a 360 or similar, I don't see the NSX getting on to that person's shortlist.
I would not say a NSX is on a list of a person looking for a 360. If someone only wants a ferrari, that is all they will buy. They want the pracing horse -- nothiing else will take that place.
Also, I was surprised to see that Ferrari Challenge (360) go for only $98,000. Seems way underpriced??
Yeah Ferrari dominates F1, but at the grassroots level up to just shy of F1 Honda has plenty of soul and heritage. Honda products have dominated just about everything from shifter karts to SCCA to JGTC. Heritage is NOT just about F1. I do love F-cars, and hope to get a F355 or F360 someday, but being an NSX owner I will always respect Hondas engineering and the ability to more than others with less.
Ummm... Honda has had plenty of success in F1 as well, they are very proud of this. I think the NSX is great, though a little aged by now... Ernesto
The car has no SOUL or HERITAGE it is about as appealing to me as my 03 ACCORD is I see it only as transportation. Now my 348 on the other hand..........
Anybody catch the comments about the countach as it rolled off the block? "does a gold chain come with the car?" I almost fell off the couch!! That Alen fellow said he never liked the car..he said there was no flow to it. They also said it was more of a fashion car then anyhthing else. Tend to agree but I love 'em anyway!!
Yeah, the 'dancing donkey' was in a letter someone wrote to EVO magazine. I want to say it was Peter Wheeler of TVR fame but don't quote me on it. I would find out but my magazine collection is in Kansas City. Needless to say I strongly disagree with his comments but i can see the humor in his phrase. Going back to the NSX, when I see one I just don't get that tingling sensation through out me that I'm standing next to something very special. I'd have to say its not a ricer, but far from anything you can be passionate about.
You have obviously never driven one. I am glad you prefer a 348 to a NSX though. I can see why. It is inferior in every possible way. Enjoy your soul and heritage as the NSX's lap you on the track.
Not true. I had both. 348 and an early Nsx are very comparable. The Nsx has points, and so does the 348. The 348 however wins in the most important catagory right off the bat....style.
Style is in the eye of the beholder. I think the 348 looks OK at best. The 355 is gorgeous. By the way Allan, i finally watched your video on racingflix. Wow.. your lambo is just awesome! Sounds great too!