Gordon Murrary says McLaren F1's benchmark was NSX

The NSX was a more important car than it is generally given credit for. It was an important benchmark as used by the McLaren team. In fact, McLaren went to them to discuss supplying the powertrain for the F1 before settling on the BMW. The McLaren F1 is a masterwork, but does fall short in a few areas. The A/C is marginal as is the cooling system. In fact the cooling system is unacceptable given the car's absolutely stunning quality and capabilities. The unique transmission has suffered some failures too, but overall for a car that saw a total production run of around 100 including race cars, it is unbelievable what McLaren accomplished.

 

1) NSX will never get any decent credit on a Ferrari forum, eventhough, like Porsche - the car is a pit stop before the Ferrari experience for many owners.
2) Cars like McLaren only happen once a decade. Last decade, it was the F1. This decade, it's the Veyron.
3) McLaren went to Honda for the engine, Honda said no.


Sir Soichiro Honda: No racing, no Honda.

 

Well they way overshot the mark then.

That's like Pagani Zonda saying the Elise was the benchmark for his car.

 

"The moment I drove the NSX, all the benchmark cars—Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini—I had been using as references in the development of my car(McLaren F1) vanished from my mind."- Gordon Murray

 

As a proud owner of a '91 NSX and a dealer when Acura launched the NSX, I am pleased to read some mention of the car on this forum. Honda never expected the Ferrari owners to move over, it was created to highlight/showcase Honda accomplishment in motor racing as well as the technical achievements of what once was a company known for motor cycle. It was well before the launch of Lexus/Infiniti. To this day, the NSX is still one of the better sports car for the market and very economical to maintain. Unfortunately for most, the car lack soul and heritage. It was with saddness that Honda withdrew from both F 1 racing and ch fo the NSX replacement due next year.

 

Lexus and Infiniti both began selling cars in 1989. The first MY for the NSX was 1990. Not sure which month the first NSX hit your dealership, but it doesn't much matter in pointing out the inaccuracy of your statement.

Lucas.

 

I agree with the first part of the statement, but definitely not the second part (the Veyron). There will never be another car like the McLaren F1. The market is simply too saturated with hyper-cars at this point; Zonda, Keonigsegg, Bugatti, etc. There's just no end in sight, and the dilution of this hyper-car niche is taking away the luster from the participants.

 

The Zonda is just a refined supercar (Zonda F is my no. 1 dreamcar) with the supercar ingrediens done right - it's supposed to be the perfect "best materials, best design, best driving pleasure" supercar out there. If you ask me, Horacio Pagani did a really good job pi***** in Ferraris backyard Maranello. Same goes to the raging bulls in Sant'Agata.

The Koenignegg is just a supercar with insane hp-output and quest for more hp and more top speed (aka no clear core of the brand). It's built in a no nonsence, Scandinavian way.

The Veyron, is a engineering masterpiece - I wouldn't even buy if even if I had a billion $, but if one is to ignore its capabilities (the stability at 250 mph and the usable (controllable) drag-racer-like acceleration) you are missing the point...


I agree, there's a war out there... And it feels good

 

Acura was launched in the US in 1986 with the Legend/Integra. It was launched in Canada in '87. The first red NSX was shown at the Tokyo Motorshow in '88. It was launched in Canada in '90 as '91 MY. Both Senna/Berger were invited to showcase the NSX to the dealers at a test track near Montreal. I was there. I hope I still got the facts straight after all these years. Customers in US/Canada were paying over-list for the early deliveries.

 

I wonder if the NSX will become more valuable over time since it was not replaced - similar to the McLaren F1. Or if it would have become more collectible if Honda had continued to build outstanding sports cars. Sort of like how Maserati and Aston-Martin became more appealing on the strength of their new products.

 

Since when? This is old news posted (albeit in different veins) a number of times over the years. The NSX for the most part gets high praises from Ferrari owners/members.

 

Early models with low miles have held value pretty well...in the mid to upper 30s. My 92 is one of the best cars I have ever owned. They will certainly be a classic one day.

Brian
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

NSX = DROOL! I actually like them more than certain Fcars I might be able to afford someday. When I see an NSX I almost wet myself as it is one of the most beautiful cars ever produced and it's an everyday supercar with 1/4 of the maintenance cost of an Fcar it's age.

 

The NSX was a great car, now doubt about that...

Unfortunately, it never had the power to be a super car, but it was priced like one. I know, it has "enough" power to be quick and a great drive, but it was just about as fast a contemporary Corvette, so really, it never caught on. And in recent years other cars got a lot faster, so the fact that it was down on power became really a handicap. If it had had more engine, it might not have had the balance and been as nice a drive. Remember, that it is easy to make a great feeling, but underpowered car, and when you add more power the whole experience falls apart if the chassis can't handle it.

Like I said, it was a nice car, but it never lived up to it's potential because it didn't have sufficient power to compete with the super cars.

 

Hmmm. Based on my recollection, a 97 NSX 3.2L was only .2 seconds slower to 60 than a 3.5L Ferrari 355. So where do we draw the line?

 

I ordered this book direct from McLaren a few years ago even though it was cheaper at Amazon .

Its the best car book I have ever read, detailing the project from start to finish by the people who carried it out.

McLaren bought Gordon Murray an NSX to use daily and evaluate during the F1 project.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Right! There are numerous personal reasons why someone considers a car a supercar and I for one do not base it merely on performance either.

Sounds like that book is one I need to purchase, thanks daviddavid !

tex

 

Does Gordon Murrary own an F1 today?
Erik

 

I believe he owns the Prototype XP5 but Eric on this Forum knows for sure.

 

The 355 was no supercar either...

 

He owns XP3, the earliest F1 car remaining as XP1 and XP2 are both destroyed (crashed in Africa and crash test car, respectively). XP5 belonged to McLaren for the longest time and Ron Dennis. Not sure where it is now as I haven't tracked their whereabouts for a couple years. XP4 was (is?) out in Cali with Larry Ellison still I believe.

 

agreed, but the maintenance is supercar like. Just compare the cost of the timing belt change b/w the cars.

 

might be a dumb question but here it goes :

has HONDA ever fit the NSX engine in some other honda car after all these the years ?

1991 NSX HP ?