I was not a responsible kid back then and of course I took out a loan to buy my white 1992 nsx working as an intern in 2009. Looking back. It was the best decision I have ever made. Still gets me excited every time I start up the car.
Let's not forget that the NSX was also the benchmark for none other than Gordon Murray, the guy who made the McLaren F1. This speaks volumes about how good this car was to inspire such a legend.
One of the best looking cars ever built. I remember sitting behind one at a red-light in awe. Maybe the lsat and only time I ever saw one on the streets. I'd own one just to look at.
Timeless design. A lot of these super cars look cool, but after 10-15 years they look aged and out of date. True automotive beauty is timeless, these cars often look more beautiful the more time passes. The NSX is one of these timeless designs.
I live in Colombia and showed a non car person the NSX and was like "This car came out in 1990!!!" They didnt believe me. They though it was like 2010. I had to pull up Wikipedia to show then the history of the car.
And let's not forget camisa's voice is something else it's charming and pleasant to hear , man knows how to adjust his voice alongside the atmosphere when it's time to switch in between the storytelling highlight and facts
Makes me think the NSX in Pulp Fiction was the perfect car for Wolf to drive. He was meticulous, unemotional, just needed the utility to get places quickly, cleanly and under the radar!
Is it just me who thinks the "modern" successor to the original NSX is actually the Audi R8? NA motor philosophy, relatively lightweight, great interior and functionality, but relatively unemotional?
My dream car back when i was a 8 years old was Impreza 22B WRX but I cant afford it because it was too expensive and rare to get it. Sadly, the NSX have fatal flaw which is a BORING car to drive because it was easier to drive compared to Honda S2000 where S2000 has very tricky to drive but once you master it, it has exceptional handling even on sharp corners. Sure NSX has every feature that you can have from all competitors back then, but what is the point when you make a car that so easy to drive while all people wanted to have cars that have their own identity like Lambo who wanted to tame wild bulls, Ferrari like wild galloping horses, or Dodge Viper like a wild snakes who wants to kill drivers??? I have driven NSX'91 and I dont feel anything because it was easy to drive and control, but as soon as I drive S2000 on track, it tried to throw me out of track because handling was very tricky and not as easy as NSX did due it have 50-50 weight distribution but behave like Mid-Engine (usual FR cars goes from 55-45 to 60-40 at worst).
@@nunofernandes7868weirdly ur right. Audi made that car and said they looked at their dominant Le Mans racers and tried to imbue that Le Mans spirit into their car. In the similar vein as Honda tried to bring their F1 dominance technology to a road car.
No matter how many potholes life throws my way or how stuck I feel in traffic, whenever I catch sight of "Revelations" and Jason Cammisa in the same sentence, I can't help but rev up with excitement! It's like getting a full tank of fuel for my soul, and suddenly, the road ahead feels smoother, faster, and oh-so-thrilling!
I do believe you have established my mantra when I myself could not. This is exactly how I feel/felt today, I saw this and literally said, "YES!" out loud! Makes me want to sell my Z06 and chase after an NSX now. Dangit.
@@OCDRex11Z06 is an excellent car. Be prepared for receiving ALOT more attention if you get an NSX. I didn’t expect it and it’s awkward most of the time.
@@Guido.Fawkes.1 I have not priced them in a long time. Always wanted one. Was about 20 when they came out. Other than an FD, the NSX is top on my list someday. My Z06 is a C5 and I will keep it. I have an NA Miata in another state too. I love pop-up headlights. I am just a snob for them!
@@OCDRex11 Funny you mention the Miata, my friend in FL just got his latest one delivered today. It’s his 5th! They are one of the most fun cars I’ve ever driven. As for the NSX, they are on an uptick in value. Especially the earlier ones with the pop-ups. But unless you’re after a garage queen you can find one for a reasonable price. They’re not the fastest cars ever made, but they handle unbelievably well and nothing Japan has produced looks as good IMO. Just timeless. Good luck in your search friend.
@@Guido.Fawkes.1 Specs on yours please. I am fully aware of their performance. Some things you buy for beauty and nostalgia. I would have to be buying a garage queen and non-modded. Like the one in this video, I would be after a first gen (early) with pop-ups and seven spokes. That or an NSX-R which we all know won't happen, lol. I could move to Japan and scoop one! lol
Hondas/Acura NSX failure was a very simple reason: MSRP $65K. Dealership price gouge $99K. Hence, NSX failed to have higher sales due to the greed of the Dealerships. This is still a problem today. Large numbers of vehicles "fail" as a result of greedy dealership mark ups.
It’s all true. Bravo Jason! I was infatuated with the NSX when it was in development, combining the ethos of Honda with the passion of Senna. After a long search for a Black over Ivory example, I finally owned a ‘91 NSX from 1997-2004. As a dedicated BMW guy, this remains my favorite former car, getting lots of track miles over 7 years. A sports car that’s pure, mature, and reliable. One that deserved a better fate.
6:30 one thing that people usually miss with the C series engine they used in the NSX was that it didnt have steel cylinder liners like in normal engines. Honda used FRM (Fiber Reinforced Metal) to decrease the friction between the piston and the cylinder, kinda how Porsche used Nikasil coated cylinders to decrease friction. The same treatment was done in the H series engines (prelude and some accord models) and the S2000. Although, they def perfected the FRM technology with the s2000.
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩 But: -1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l. -1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l. And with 3.2 same story.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
The first gen 3.0 liter C30 has the proven cast iron cylinders. The 3.2 has the fiber reinforced metal liners for improved cooling and lighter weight. The pistons had to be specially coated.
@@manuelaguirre1062 bmw 3.2 in '95 made 320hp and 350nm at 3600rpm, no battle. Honda spent a lot of money on the engine but to no avail. Bmw Ferrari Porsche Nissan and Toyota made engines with better performance but much simpler and cheaper... As many have said, Honda has always made the best 4 cylinders on the market, all that was needed was to put two together!! So in '90 you found a 3.2 V8 with 300hp and in '95 a nice 3.6 with 350hp and everyone would have been happy!! Instead they got stuck in the V6 they already had, developing it without success. Think at V8 from two K24...
Without question, one of my all-time favorite cars. When i went to my Honda dealer in mid '91 to start the process of buying my '91 Accord EX, there was a red NSX on the showroom floor. I was allowed to sit inside and i was in heaven. In my life i have only seen an NSX on the road about 5 times. Love it.
Timeless, gorgeous design. Always wanted one. I remember a time when you could find a well-used but clean example for around $20k. Sadly I didn't have any money then.
@@tomfurstyfield boring, but atleast it wouldn't try to kill you if you make it your daily car too, on top of being semi practical. Sure, not the qualities of a super car you're looking for, and it poses no super thrills, but maybe some people wants the friendly, safe option too
Yep. Jason flew across the country to almost buy one, but was disappointed when he test drove it. Meanwhile, hyphen said it was good, but revelled that the Type-R was even better. He even made a BTS of it.
@@tomfurstyfield But compared to what? Sure I'd love a Ferrari or Lamborghini but the maintenance and driveability headaches are real. The NSX is a reliable daily driver that also happens to be an all-time great sports car. If that's boring, then I guess I like boring. 😄
@@DeuceDeuceBravo It sounds a bit dull which is the opposite of what a sports car should be. Jason does have a Honda though, a Honda Beat so maybe that's more fun to drive?
I am extremely fortunate to have a '91 NSX sitting in my garage right now. If you get the chance, just buy one. You won't regret it at all. If you aren't in a position to buy it, I hope everyone can at least get to drive one at some point- mine has 110,000 miles, and will continue to be used as intended. It's a truly wonderful machine.
I think that was honestly the problem. Hear me out when you can afford a high end sports car, the part of you that makes you indulge in your wants and selfish needs isn't going to tell you to buy a Honda. You remember the original NSX came out when Baby Boomers or some Gen X people were probably making more money and they want to indulge in their childhood fantasy of being Don Johnson, or Magnum PI so they are going to buy a Ferrari or Lambo or a Porsche.
People shouldn't be afraid of buying a higher mileage one. You'll feel less guilty about driving it, and the prices are way more reasonable. It's a 90s Honda - it'll run for ages
@@Harmonic14 Same thing with Porsches. High mileage means it hasn't been sitting for 20 years, and most likely means it had regular maintenance intervals. A Ferrari doesn't go above 27k miles, but the NSX and any Porsche can reach 300k without causing grief.
@@Harmonic14 I have a 1991 NSX with 108,000 miles. I'm pleased to say I've driven 56,000 of them in the last 15 years. It is an amazing car. Last month I drove down to the French Pyrenees for a holiday, and back home to eastern England again. It is lovely to own a 32yo car that feels so special, and performs so well, and have complete confidence in it.
This was the car i learned how to drive manual in. I was at work and made friends with a customer and the next day he tossed me the keys and told me let her rip. LEGEND.
Thank you for covering the NSX! I own a 2000 NSX-T and absolutely love it. To call it a mistake though is based solely on sales. It drove so much innovation that made it into other Hondas and really helped Honda become even more of a leader.
The simple elegance of the NSX is so timeless. Its purpose built, F1 inspired mid-engine design provides a driving experience other JDM cars of the period can't duplicate. Honda's bullet proof reliability in its DNA means these classics are still going strong while other supercars of the era can't be driven and enjoyed as these cars can.
Jason is my favourite car nerd to listen to, he knows exactly how to pull a good story together while being educational. The NSX has always been my favourite Japanese car and one of my favourite cars of the last 30 years. I hate the heavy blobs they call cars these days. What a beauty still.
Honda is very often 10-20 years early with their most innovative products (80's offroad Odyssey, Transalp & original Africa Twin, Road Fox to name a few). The NSX is another example of this.
The CBR 900. Lighter than all other brands 600's and how superbikes were created. The big motor sports tourers at the time were like 40-120kgs heavier.
If the AWD Civic wagon from the 80's wasn't so homely, it's basically an efficient version of an AMC Eagle or predecaessor to the modern "Compact Crossover SUV."
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩 But: -1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l. -1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l. And with 3.2 same story.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
Did they really? In the end, they got what they want - another sports car from the 1990s that can be bid up to astronomical prices. In short, just another appreciating asset.
When they first came to market most dealers only got one. My local dealer was selling theirs with a $40,000! I figured it must be something extremely special. I was unimpressed. It did everything well but l think l told my dealer buddy who offered me the car at said stupid price "it lacks fire", for one thing it needed at least two more cylinders. I wasn't getting out of my 308 Quattrovalve to get in a 6 cylinder Honda.
"Honda don't make mistakes." made me smile so much. As a bike fan I can't forget the story of the NR500 which was developed in the late 70's. Honda left MotoGP ten years before when they realised that 2 Strokes were the future and they were having none of that nonsense. So when they came back they wanted to use a 4 stroke. They sent the kids in the office off into a room to come up with some ideas, and they decided Oval Pistons were the way to go which should have given them lots more power, a monocoque frame to reduce weight and protect the engine and 16 inch wheels rather than the normal 18 to reduce gyroscopic force. Sadly it was a disaster by Honda standards, Takazumi Katayama win the 200Km race at Suzuka, but no MotoGP wins in two seasons. In the end they built a 2 Stroke using three of their single cylinder 125 engines strapped together to make the NSR 500cc 3 Cylinder, then a V4 cylinder and well, 23 MotoGP World titles later . . . so it was a mistake kinda?
As FortNine would put it, Honda motorcycles is boring. They play it too safe, making them vanilla. While companies like KTM and Ducati is coming out with new innovative stuff, Honda sticks to traditional. Even Suzuki had more MotoGP wins last two season than Honda. They're scared to get wild and build something new, fresh sheet of paper. There's no way MM93 is going to stay with Honda if they can't give him a rideable bike.
Spencer was incredibly fast on the 500 until it broke. The metallurgy of the day wasn't up to par. Almost all GP bikes ran with 16/18 front/rear back then, that wasn't specific to Honda or the NR. Plus, the NR750 is still a bit of a Holy Grail bike. When MotoGP went 4-stroke, one of the first things they did was penalize oval piston engines. That alone says not really a mistake.
@@rapid13 No I don't think it was either, they learned a lot, and at the same time they won the first 3 Le Mans 24 Hour races, getting foothold in production racing which would mean 5 more titles in the Bike F1 in the 80s alone.
@@DroneStrike1776 The rules keep Honda (actually HRC) from doing anything interesting. Pair that with the severe decline in popularity of the series (true of almost all roadracing since the 2008 financial crash) and Honda doesn’t see a real need to outspend everyone like they used to. The arms race from back then isn’t exactly over, but it isn’t what it was.
Great video. I owned one of these (1991 black/black/manual) for almost the entirety of the 1990s. It was a cool fun car, not super fast, but really sounded great inside. People mistook it for a Ferrari all the time, and it ate rear tires pretty fast. It was very well thought out inside and out.
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩 But: -1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l. -1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l. And with 3.2 same story.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
This is such a fantastic piece by Jason and the Hagerty team! To summarize: Honda did not make a mistake with the NSX itself, but instead with the way they marketed it. Love this car.
Just like the s2000. Look at the BRZ and FRS/GT86 Trio that have sold so well, you cant go anywhere without seeing one. Yet, its a rarity to see an s2000.. So Hondas theory that nobody wants the 2 door sports car with as manual is clearly incorrect. They just charge too much. Make it an affordable 2 door sports focused car, and they sell like hot cakes and establish a massive Aftermarket and Huge fan/enthusiast groups in no time flat.
What a beautiful car and what a beautiful piece of engineering The fact that this car was the car to beat when Gordon Murray designed the F1 is just insane to me
best car driving experience ever. visibility so great it felt like you were floating on the road. that vtec roar felt so efficient. i love the old nsx.
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩 But: -1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l. -1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l. And with 3.2 same story.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
I remember seeing one near an Ac dealer one day in the early 90’s. The only way I can describe what it did is that it moved liked a cross between a UFO and a hummingbird. It was amazingly fast and cornered on a dime. It blew by me and zipped around me on a ramp. It was a sharp off ramp really about a lane and a half wide. Not an issue for the NSX. It was by me and gone in a flash. I admit I was in love.
I’m 67 years old. I fondly remember when this beauty came out. I lusted after this car. Even though I also lusted over the 308GT with much more desire, I knew in my practical heart this was the better car. I had nothing to prove. I was at peace with my manhood. I did not need Ferrari to prove to the world my manly prowess. Unfortunately, with kids, my pocket book was just too light at the time. Now that those days are past, I would still choose the NSX over a Ferrari. It is a no brainer. And yes, I am still confident of my manhood.
I don't need a Ferrari to make people think I am cool or well-to-do. Envy is not something I am looking for. It would be nice to own (if I had money to waste) but, I am a practical man.
A Ferrari is not for proving anything to anyone (though it can be used to be, as can an NSX). It's about the reward of the driving experience as a whole. The way I look at is, what are you hearing 100% of time when you're driving? The engine. What are you looking at every time you look down in your car? The interior. What are you looking at every time you walk out to your car? The way your car looks. I think the NSX passes in the engine sound department, but the styling,interior and driving experience is way too basic for something that's supposed to compete with supercars.
I see an update from Hagerty with Jason and I click like before even watching. That's how good this content is without even seeing it yet. And the track stuff with Randy always has me on the edge of my seat.
I LOVE these videos, always on the the edge of my seat, full of emotions, these videos always speak to me in volumes (especially the Corvette ZR1) coverage and NO ONE does that better than Jason and the folks @ Hagerty. KEEP DOING what you're doing, folks. NEVER.STOP.DRIVING.
Not a huge Japanese car fan but I will admit when I see the Ontario NSX club around on the road here in Niagara I look twice. The car has aged well and is a great foundation for visual mods like wheels and other bits.
Funny how people say that the NSX is easy to drive and dull and will even say it is slow (most who say this have not even driven one). The NSX is the opposite of that, I have owned mine for 10 years and it wows me still as I push it more and more. The NSX is one of those cars that 30+ years later we still dont understand it and are still learning about it. A masterpiece of a car which is still misunderstood and still ahead of its time today oddly.
Maaaaaan that thing sounds good winding out, especially as the revs fall off between shifts. Whew... Dream car for me. Fantastic episode as always, guys!
When I was a kid, nothing could take my heart from things like the 355 Berlinetta, the 550 Maranello, or the F50. Now, at 38 years of age? I'd have the NSX every single day of the week and mourn the week doesn't have more days to keep enjoying it. The NSX still looks (more) beautiful and up to date nowadays, that interior is absolutely marvelous with all its physical buttons and analog gauges (instead of stupid touchscreens and videogame dashboards), and that metallic sounding V6 is just music! Plus, it's a Honda, so it's likely to live longer than me.
you guys should definitely make a video compiling all the driving segments! Love the videos, history and facts too, but one video with the engines sound would be musical!!
Was the only Acura certified technician in the dealership when the first one was delivered. (First one to drive it😂) Truly an amazing piece of engineering. Hard to believe it came from the same manufacturer as the Vigor 😑 😂😂
A legendary car that suits the format of this series. Back in the early 90s I wasn´t very fond of Japanese cars. It took a while for me to appreciate the engineering triumph that was the NSX. We have too few delicate and subtle sports cars these days.
My recollection of the car is that the later years NSX was held back by close Japanese competitors (Supra, RX7, 300ZX) which, on paper, were close in performance but were almost 2/3 the price.
@@freewayz32I like to think the 300zx was the car of that decade that was almost an underdog. It was designed in the late 80’s as a sports-touring car that wasn’t a complete pushover from the 90’s wave cars designed to beat it.
@@genericexcuse4737 When they made the "New" Z the only thing they borrowed from 300zx is rear tail lights. thats it. They should have just tried to emulate the entire 300zx turbo design, the most beautiful of all Nissan cars
@@jpslaym0936 The new Z is, by spec, a 300zx, but Nissan knew they couldn’t hold onto the past more than they already did. I wish they would call it a ZX, because that’s what it seems like, but what ZX would it be but not a 300zx, which they can’t call it.
Amazing production 👍 The initial NS-X development was trusted to japanese racing legend Satoru Nakajima. When Senna fist tested the NS-X in Suzuka, as a pre-production unit, Ayrton told Honda to stop everything - it was all wrong, the chassis flex thing. Nakajima was clearly offended by it, as shown in the YT videos. As former team mates in the F1 1987 season at the Camel Lotus team, they came to meet again at the track in 1990, when Senna crashed into Nakajima at his home GP when trying to lap him 🤔
The NSX was a beautiful car. I had numerous die cast versions and built 2 plastic models. When you said "the car was smart itself", I thought of the way NASCAR eventually began to be in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Stock cars were beginning to be very similar to each other before they basically became all the same. That began to make races boring as there weren't as many tight battles or very fast cars as there used to be when NASCAR used the exterior of actual street cars and let auto manufacturers build their own engines for NASCAR racing. You also brought up a good point at how most enthusiasts like to look for thrills and excitement, along with some challenges. Many enthusiasts would probably say they're very impressed with the grip and handling of the NSX, but the downside is it's too easy to drive.
@@lucky889s9remember Honda was dominating F1 at the time. Thats some kind of Heritage. Currently Honda has been dominating F1 again with Verstappen and Red Bull.
Honda succeeded in putting the Italians on notice much like Lexus did with the Germans. Honda proved that you didn't need to sacrifice quality, and reliability for performance and character.
yeah, both Honda and Lexus innovated really well with their first entries but they failed to continue to innovate and were left behind very quickly by those competitors they put on notice
@@claudiomarangone614 I believe it does. It's as sharp as a scalpel, a willing screamer to 8K, but it can be as docile as a contemporary Accord when you want it to be.
@@claudiomarangone614 Wrong question. The right question is does it have the right character for what you are looking for? The first gen NSX is a clinical precision masterpiece on the driver's car and comes with all of the character that entails. Problem is that, as Cammisa pointed out in the video, most people looking for a sports car or super car isn't looking for that in a sports car or super car. The second gen NSX is what happens when a car has little to no character. Hence Cammisa saying that there were no mistakes in regard to the first gen NSX but they messed up in regards to the second.
@@smythiegato I think Honda and Lexus just realized that superior engineering is a lot less relevant to the hyper luxury market than they thought, and that they could never actually compete with the perceived rarity and exclusivity of the pure luxury brands. Once it became clear that the badge mattered more than what was under the hood, they decided to focus on the lower rungs of the ladder where they dominated rather than continue investing in money-losing halo cars.
Reminds me of the old motor trend ignition and head to head videos I grew up watching. Thank you Jason Randy and the team for the best car videos on RUclips hands down
Honda was my dad's favourite. He simply adored his 2009 Civic Hybrid. When I inherited this car, it became my favourite too. The engineering is impeccable ❤
@@mitchell-wallisforce7859the lack of excitement might've been meant as in the car doesn't feel risky or thrilling to drive because you KNOW it won't try to kill you if you push it, it won't try to hurt you if you're not the fastest driver on Earth, and it is a "sensible" car in a way compared to other cars in it's class, if you get what I mean. In other words, a fast and pretty car, surprisingly practical too, but "boring". Still want one tho.
@@PlatinumNath It's a good car with no quirks.....I guess I can see that. Like dating the red-head with the hot temper rather than the one with the library card.
@@AndrasMihalyiWow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩 But: -1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l. -1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l. And with 3.2 same story.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂 It was underpowered....
I admire Jason being open to everything and a true car enthusiasts. The story behind this is fascinating... the car was just never poster worthy to me and even today I ignore it when I do happen to see one. I do have a new found respect after watching this though as clearly there was a lot of passion that went into the NSX.
I remember when you could get one of these in good nick for 25/30k, that price point had it near the top of my short list. Sadly, with the current prices, it's moved way down that list.
Just as with countless other cars these days. The funniest thing to me is seeing all of these RUclips videos theorizing about why the values of various cars are rising, as if each car is an isolated incident. Bottom line: the old adage "they just don't make cars like they used to" has never been more appropriate than it is today.
Sold mine for $29k in 2013. Grand Prix white / black with 70k miles. Crazy what it would go for today. I owned it for 10 years and drove it as much as possible.
Owned one: Black/Black/Black '91. Previous owner cut in Targa Roof. I modded exhaust (headers, cat-back, K&N filter), lg wheels, low profile rubber. Held it from about '96 to '02. Not likely a member of the target audience (Buppie, Male) but I thoroughly enjoyed the car !
I am grateful to have my NSX for 22 years and going strong. It has never gave me any issues since it’s a Honda and was fortunate to pick them up in the $20s when the car was 11 years old (1991 model). As time went by yea the plastics get a bit brittle and paint fade but thank for I have been stocking up on pieces
It really is amazing to get under an NSX and consider the design tools available at that time. The control arms are just one example and almost look like something we did not see until generative AI started being tasked with component design.
I would choose one of these over a Ferrari any day- especially a 308 or 328. It's just a better engineered car than anything Ferrari ever came up with-especially under Enzo's watch. I don't have the money to waste on expensive repairs that you get with anything European, let alone a specialty car. Japanese cars of this era are simply the best cars ever engineered and built and that's why I love them.
The reality is that plenty of people shop the badge more than the car itself. Of course this is true of many other things aside from just cars. Honda's biggest problem when it comes to a car like the NSX is likely that most people associate the brand with affordable, drama-free transportation. Not that there's anything wrong with those traits obviously. But those aren't the qualities that most owners want others to think of when it comes to the supercar parked in their garage. The Acura badge wasn't enough to overcome this.
People daily drove these and put hundreds of thousands of miles on them because the cars could take it. Everything works and is where you expect it to be. It has enough power to have fun on the road while still keeping it within safe and legal limits. The styling is subtle and doesn't scream "look at me! I'm rich!" like a Ferrari, even an old one.
because he was judging them at the time of it's release, "contemporary review" if that make sense, not the rose-tinted glasses view we have right now thanks to video games and media hell this was also the fate of the supra, which only made its maiden spotlight thanks to youtube and fast and furious with that said if you want the total "half life 1 of sportscars" then look no further than the NIssan GTR (Specifically the 2009 update) the car that caused a huge paradigm shift in sportscars and supercars in general that it can be argued that we still feel that car's impact even in today's car-centric communities
@@Marc-zi4vg yeah but the NSX was never intended to be mass produced...that car was around 70K back in 1990, that's like over a hundred grand in today's money.
@@JaysRandomnessChannel have you watched the end portion of the video? or tuned off when they start discussing about the age old debate of "what makes a sportscar, performance? or thrill? Capability or Emotion?"
This video is 🤌 chefs kiss. I hadn't thought about the NSX in this way and it makes perfect sense. The argument of sex appeal exotic sports car vs a figure driven engineering masterpiece is well broken down. Perhaps this video is the Ferrari of the series that the NSX could never be.
This was one of my dream cars growing up, and I almost bought a used one in my early 30s. I'm kicking my past self for talking myself out of it. Now a well-maintained NSX is definitely out of my price range.
First saw an NSX fall ‘90, cover of R&T, C&D or such. I vowed at that moment to own one someday. It took 22 years, but the dream was realized in 2012 when I became the 3rd owner of a ‘91 Berlinetta black over ivory. It's mostly a garage queen, but for those who disparage me for not driving it enough, three words: pride of ownership.
What a classic timeless design, just gorgeous. And the noise it makes is just music to the ears. If Larry Ellison is still giving away NSX’s I’ll be happy to take one.
This video needs more NSX driving pureness at the end. I was getting into it then it ended. I could watch that for a long time. NSX is my favorite JDM 90's car.
Thanks, Jason and crew, for another brilliant episode. I'm almost expecting credits at the end, because your shows are so good. Keep on keepin' on, folks! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
@Benjamin-iz8qn sorry, dude, I already have a religion and a god; I'm a Pastafarian, and I follow The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Sorry you wasted your time!✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
I owned a 1991 NSX and there were parts of it that were so good and parts of it that was so bad or boring. The good included the best gearshift I had ever I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. It was so slick and smooth. Also, the suspension was so well sort it out. And the engine, revs like crazy. Now the bad. It had absolutely no torque and required RPM to have any real power. The engine was a measly 3 liters. Probably the worst thing of all was the fact that it was so over engineered to be predictable and safe, that the feeling of driving a real sports car was absolutely not there. It was like driving a fast well engineered Corolla.
The 91 NSX I had was wonderful. Even with Comtech intake and stainless pipes it was always a bit slow. Even now I still miss the fun I had waking up all my neighbors each morning at 6:30 a.m. when going to work and winding it up. Pure joy.
@@Harmonic14also BMW S54 on the racing version makes 400hp and with a supercharger above 470hp, but this is not the question: oem engine was a joke... Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩 But: -1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l. -1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l. And with 3.2 same story.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
You Hagerty guys are getting mighty good at objective car reviews. You nailed my 05 NSX which I chose over a new 911 3 years ago. P.S., got an S2000 as well and still saved enough money for Hagerty insurance for a few years.
Jason should have came to the NSXPO national meetup in September where we had 118 NSX gathered, especially since Hagerty was a sponsor for that conference.
1st gen Nsx is pure gold, loved it since it came out, still in love today after all these years! Keep up the good work Jason! Waiting for a S2000 review ;)
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I was not a responsible kid back then and of course I took out a loan to buy my white 1992 nsx working as an intern in 2009. Looking back. It was the best decision I have ever made. Still gets me excited every time I start up the car.
Wait you still own it?
Still own it then?! That is awesome!!!
Legend!!!
Good on you.
@@akeillewis7515
That’s only 14 years.
Let's not forget that the NSX was also the benchmark for none other than Gordon Murray, the guy who made the McLaren F1.
This speaks volumes about how good this car was to inspire such a legend.
Gordon initially went to Honda to make him an engine for the F1 but they declined so he went with BMW
Mclaren also went to Mercedes and Isuzu.
I used to work in the same building as Gordon Murray while the McLaren F1 was under development in the 90s. A red NSX was his daily driver.
@Benjamin-iz8qnno thanks
Anton senna approved and chassis tuned.
The NSX was one of the best car designs ever. 30 years later it is as contemporary as anything on the road.
One of the best looking cars ever built. I remember sitting behind one at a red-light in awe. Maybe the lsat and only time I ever saw one on the streets. I'd own one just to look at.
Timeless design. A lot of these super cars look cool, but after 10-15 years they look aged and out of date.
True automotive beauty is timeless, these cars often look more beautiful the more time passes. The NSX is one of these timeless designs.
Look much better than any supercars from 1990
I live in Colombia and showed a non car person the NSX and was like "This car came out in 1990!!!" They didnt believe me. They though it was like 2010. I had to pull up Wikipedia to show then the history of the car.
I wouldn't go that far... but it is original and still great looking.
I’m addicted to Camisa’s storytelling. Such deep knowledge and such fun presenting. Thanks to the whole crew for such an awesome series!
Exactly, his storytelling is soothing and enlighting at the same time. Like a bedtime story for grown auto enthusiasts
He's my "Top Gear"-replacement therapy. Storyteller, not a seller.
Me to
Cant help but feel the passion for these machines coming through. It's definitely a mark of a good journalist/presenter. Well done.
And let's not forget camisa's voice is something else it's charming and pleasant to hear , man knows how to adjust his voice alongside the atmosphere when it's time to switch in between the storytelling highlight and facts
Makes me think the NSX in Pulp Fiction was the perfect car for Wolf to drive. He was meticulous, unemotional, just needed the utility to get places quickly, cleanly and under the radar!
That was the first thing that popped into my mind, while watching this!
"It takes 30 minutes, I'll be there in 10"
Well, dunno about the under the radar bit.
that car was rarely under the radar, i love how he said he drove fast..... even with a dead body in the trunk!! lol
Crazy how he offered Jules and Vincent a ride home. How the hell was he going to take those two and Monster Joe’s daughter anywhere in a two seater?
This was my dream car at a 10 year old, I thought it looked amazing and futuristic, for 1994. The style still holds up 30 years later.
Is it just me who thinks the "modern" successor to the original NSX is actually the Audi R8? NA motor philosophy, relatively lightweight, great interior and functionality, but relatively unemotional?
My dream car back when i was a 8 years old was Impreza 22B WRX but I cant afford it because it was too expensive and rare to get it. Sadly, the NSX have fatal flaw which is a BORING car to drive because it was easier to drive compared to Honda S2000 where S2000 has very tricky to drive but once you master it, it has exceptional handling even on sharp corners.
Sure NSX has every feature that you can have from all competitors back then, but what is the point when you make a car that so easy to drive while all people wanted to have cars that have their own identity like Lambo who wanted to tame wild bulls, Ferrari like wild galloping horses, or Dodge Viper like a wild snakes who wants to kill drivers??? I have driven NSX'91 and I dont feel anything because it was easy to drive and control, but as soon as I drive S2000 on track, it tried to throw me out of track because handling was very tricky and not as easy as NSX did due it have 50-50 weight distribution but behave like Mid-Engine (usual FR cars goes from 55-45 to 60-40 at worst).
@@nunofernandes7868weirdly ur right. Audi made that car and said they looked at their dominant Le Mans racers and tried to imbue that Le Mans spirit into their car. In the similar vein as Honda tried to bring their F1 dominance technology to a road car.
I've always thought the Audi R8 looked industrial. Cool car though for sure, always liked it since I was a kid.@@nunofernandes7868
@@nunofernandes7868 without the reliability I agree 👍
No matter how many potholes life throws my way or how stuck I feel in traffic, whenever I catch sight of "Revelations" and Jason Cammisa in the same sentence, I can't help but rev up with excitement! It's like getting a full tank of fuel for my soul, and suddenly, the road ahead feels smoother, faster, and oh-so-thrilling!
I do believe you have established my mantra when I myself could not. This is exactly how I feel/felt today, I saw this and literally said, "YES!" out loud!
Makes me want to sell my Z06 and chase after an NSX now. Dangit.
@@OCDRex11Z06 is an excellent car. Be prepared for receiving ALOT more attention if you get an NSX. I didn’t expect it and it’s awkward most of the time.
@@Guido.Fawkes.1 I have not priced them in a long time. Always wanted one. Was about 20 when they came out. Other than an FD, the NSX is top on my list someday. My Z06 is a C5 and I will keep it. I have an NA Miata in another state too. I love pop-up headlights. I am just a snob for them!
@@OCDRex11 Funny you mention the Miata, my friend in FL just got his latest one delivered today. It’s his 5th! They are one of the most fun cars I’ve ever driven.
As for the NSX, they are on an uptick in value. Especially the earlier ones with the pop-ups. But unless you’re after a garage queen you can find one for a reasonable price. They’re not the fastest cars ever made, but they handle unbelievably well and nothing Japan has produced looks as good IMO. Just timeless. Good luck in your search friend.
@@Guido.Fawkes.1 Specs on yours please. I am fully aware of their performance. Some things you buy for beauty and nostalgia. I would have to be buying a garage queen and non-modded. Like the one in this video, I would be after a first gen (early) with pop-ups and seven spokes. That or an NSX-R which we all know won't happen, lol. I could move to Japan and scoop one! lol
Hondas/Acura NSX failure was a very simple reason: MSRP $65K. Dealership price gouge $99K. Hence, NSX failed to have higher sales due to the greed of the Dealerships. This is still a problem today. Large numbers of vehicles "fail" as a result of greedy dealership mark ups.
@@joshuaestep9000 well said. Same problem with z400
"Revelations with Jason Cammisa" is probably my favourite thing on RUclips now.. Cammisa and the NSX, this is bound to be gold.
It’s all true. Bravo Jason!
I was infatuated with the NSX when it was in development, combining the ethos of Honda with the passion of Senna. After a long search for a Black over Ivory example, I finally owned a ‘91 NSX from 1997-2004. As a dedicated BMW guy, this remains my favorite former car, getting lots of track miles over 7 years. A sports car that’s pure, mature, and reliable. One that deserved a better fate.
I remember exactly why the NSX didn't sell.. it had an MSRP of $65k, and dealers marked it up to be more than a Ferrari 355
That'll do it, every time. 🍻
Now that makes sense to me.
Price should never have come into it... The NSX was superior in every aspect to a Ferrari 355...
It took until the 360 for Ferrari to catch up...
And in that regard, someone looking to spend that kind of money was looking for character and passion; neither of which the NSX possessed.
@@MrLg55555 I love the NSX and would take one instead, but the F355 had 100hp more, revved higher, and other pretty important objective areas.
"Revelations with Jason Cammisa" is probably my favourite thing on RUclips now.
Anything with Tom and Jason I watch, the photographer in Japan not as much. but does show me the culture and ideas that came out of Japan.
Camissa and FortNine (Motorcycles) hands down make the best stuff for YT.
The quality of this show never ceases to amaze; the script, the color grading and audio/sfx is top tier!
Almost as good as gears and gasoline.
And the Audio! 👍🏼👌🏼
@@djbis Did you noticed one thing ??
Jason's health was not upto the mark during the filming of this video ...
6:30 one thing that people usually miss with the C series engine they used in the NSX was that it didnt have steel cylinder liners like in normal engines. Honda used FRM (Fiber Reinforced Metal) to decrease the friction between the piston and the cylinder, kinda how Porsche used Nikasil coated cylinders to decrease friction. The same treatment was done in the H series engines (prelude and some accord models) and the S2000. Although, they def perfected the FRM technology with the s2000.
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩
But:
-1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l.
-1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l.
And with 3.2 same story....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
@@ziofrenko i mean..... It has less compression so it checks out. On top of that its a v6. Nothing out of the ordinary
The first gen 3.0 liter C30 has the proven cast iron cylinders. The 3.2 has the fiber reinforced metal liners for improved cooling and lighter weight. The pistons had to be specially coated.
@@manuelaguirre1062 bmw 3.2 in '95 made 320hp and 350nm at 3600rpm, no battle.
Honda spent a lot of money on the engine but to no avail. Bmw Ferrari Porsche Nissan and Toyota made engines with better performance but much simpler and cheaper...
As many have said, Honda has always made the best 4 cylinders on the market, all that was needed was to put two together!! So in '90 you found a 3.2 V8 with 300hp and in '95 a nice 3.6 with 350hp and everyone would have been happy!!
Instead they got stuck in the V6 they already had, developing it without success.
Think at V8 from two K24...
@@manuelaguirre1062 i see now!
Without question, one of my all-time favorite cars. When i went to my Honda dealer in mid '91 to start the process of buying my '91 Accord EX, there was a red NSX on the showroom floor. I was allowed to sit inside and i was in heaven. In my life i have only seen an NSX on the road about 5 times. Love it.
Timeless, gorgeous design. Always wanted one. I remember a time when you could find a well-used but clean example for around $20k. Sadly I didn't have any money then.
but if you've ever listened to Jason and Derrick be honest about it they say it's boring and wouldn't own one
@@tomfurstyfield boring, but atleast it wouldn't try to kill you if you make it your daily car too, on top of being semi practical. Sure, not the qualities of a super car you're looking for, and it poses no super thrills, but maybe some people wants the friendly, safe option too
Yep. Jason flew across the country to almost buy one, but was disappointed when he test drove it. Meanwhile, hyphen said it was good, but revelled that the Type-R was even better. He even made a BTS of it.
@@tomfurstyfield But compared to what? Sure I'd love a Ferrari or Lamborghini but the maintenance and driveability headaches are real. The NSX is a reliable daily driver that also happens to be an all-time great sports car. If that's boring, then I guess I like boring. 😄
@@DeuceDeuceBravo It sounds a bit dull which is the opposite of what a sports car should be. Jason does have a Honda though, a Honda Beat so maybe that's more fun to drive?
I am extremely fortunate to have a '91 NSX sitting in my garage right now. If you get the chance, just buy one. You won't regret it at all. If you aren't in a position to buy it, I hope everyone can at least get to drive one at some point- mine has 110,000 miles, and will continue to be used as intended. It's a truly wonderful machine.
I think that was honestly the problem. Hear me out when you can afford a high end sports car, the part of you that makes you indulge in your wants and selfish needs isn't going to tell you to buy a Honda. You remember the original NSX came out when Baby Boomers or some Gen X people were probably making more money and they want to indulge in their childhood fantasy of being Don Johnson, or Magnum PI so they are going to buy a Ferrari or Lambo or a Porsche.
People shouldn't be afraid of buying a higher mileage one. You'll feel less guilty about driving it, and the prices are way more reasonable. It's a 90s Honda - it'll run for ages
@@Harmonic14 Same thing with Porsches. High mileage means it hasn't been sitting for 20 years, and most likely means it had regular maintenance intervals. A Ferrari doesn't go above 27k miles, but the NSX and any Porsche can reach 300k without causing grief.
@@Harmonic14 I have a 1991 NSX with 108,000 miles. I'm pleased to say I've driven 56,000 of them in the last 15 years. It is an amazing car. Last month I drove down to the French Pyrenees for a holiday, and back home to eastern England again. It is lovely to own a 32yo car that feels so special, and performs so well, and have complete confidence in it.
@@K1ng1995it depends if you chase status or driving pleasure. If you want status this won't cut it. But if you like driving you won't care.
This was the car i learned how to drive manual in. I was at work and made friends with a customer and the next day he tossed me the keys and told me let her rip. LEGEND.
@Benjamin-iz8qn no thank you i’m vegan
Thank you for covering the NSX! I own a 2000 NSX-T and absolutely love it. To call it a mistake though is based solely on sales. It drove so much innovation that made it into other Hondas and really helped Honda become even more of a leader.
The simple elegance of the NSX is so timeless. Its purpose built, F1 inspired mid-engine design provides a driving experience other JDM cars of the period can't duplicate. Honda's bullet proof reliability in its DNA means these classics are still going strong while other supercars of the era can't be driven and enjoyed as these cars can.
And while the other car is rusting, this nsx is rust proof with aluminium
They just don't miss, do they? Amazing work, Jason and team at Hagerty!
More reliable than Honda.
Jason is my favourite car nerd to listen to, he knows exactly how to pull a good story together while being educational. The NSX has always been my favourite Japanese car and one of my favourite cars of the last 30 years. I hate the heavy blobs they call cars these days. What a beauty still.
Cammisa and the NSX, this is bound to be gold
Until now,still, one of the most beautiful japanese car IMO. "Revelations with Jason Cammisa" is probably my favourite thing on RUclips now..
I've never associated the word "failure" with NSX. The fact that we are still talking about it 30 years later is a testament to Honda.
Honda is very often 10-20 years early with their most innovative products (80's offroad Odyssey, Transalp & original Africa Twin, Road Fox to name a few). The NSX is another example of this.
The insight, too.
The CBR 900. Lighter than all other brands 600's and how superbikes were created. The big motor sports tourers at the time were like 40-120kgs heavier.
If the AWD Civic wagon from the 80's wasn't so homely, it's basically an efficient version of an AMC Eagle or predecaessor to the modern "Compact Crossover SUV."
I've yet to see a folding third row from any minivan today that's as simple and elegant to use as the Odyssey's now 12-market-years-old magic seats.
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩
But:
-1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l.
-1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l.
And with 3.2 same story....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
Its an undeniable fact that the intended market for the NSX totally slept on this absolute gem, to their total loss.
Not really. It would be nice to have but it wasn’t that great. For instance, the interior in that car is literally the same as an integra
Did they really? In the end, they got what they want - another sports car from the 1990s that can be bid up to astronomical prices. In short, just another appreciating asset.
Correct in every aspect.
When they first came to market most dealers only got one. My local dealer was selling theirs with a $40,000! I figured it must be something extremely special. I was unimpressed. It did everything well but l think l told my dealer buddy who offered me the car at said stupid price "it lacks fire", for one thing it needed at least two more cylinders. I wasn't getting out of my 308 Quattrovalve to get in a 6 cylinder Honda.
"Honda don't make mistakes." made me smile so much. As a bike fan I can't forget the story of the NR500 which was developed in the late 70's. Honda left MotoGP ten years before when they realised that 2 Strokes were the future and they were having none of that nonsense. So when they came back they wanted to use a 4 stroke. They sent the kids in the office off into a room to come up with some ideas, and they decided Oval Pistons were the way to go which should have given them lots more power, a monocoque frame to reduce weight and protect the engine and 16 inch wheels rather than the normal 18 to reduce gyroscopic force. Sadly it was a disaster by Honda standards, Takazumi Katayama win the 200Km race at Suzuka, but no MotoGP wins in two seasons.
In the end they built a 2 Stroke using three of their single cylinder 125 engines strapped together to make the NSR 500cc 3 Cylinder, then a V4 cylinder and well, 23 MotoGP World titles later . . . so it was a mistake kinda?
As FortNine would put it, Honda motorcycles is boring. They play it too safe, making them vanilla. While companies like KTM and Ducati is coming out with new innovative stuff, Honda sticks to traditional. Even Suzuki had more MotoGP wins last two season than Honda. They're scared to get wild and build something new, fresh sheet of paper. There's no way MM93 is going to stay with Honda if they can't give him a rideable bike.
Spencer was incredibly fast on the 500 until it broke. The metallurgy of the day wasn't up to par. Almost all GP bikes ran with 16/18 front/rear back then, that wasn't specific to Honda or the NR. Plus, the NR750 is still a bit of a Holy Grail bike. When MotoGP went 4-stroke, one of the first things they did was penalize oval piston engines. That alone says not really a mistake.
@@DroneStrike1776 For sure now they are not risk takers, and they do need some of that 80's Honda lunacy back to give them a chance.
@@rapid13 No I don't think it was either, they learned a lot, and at the same time they won the first 3 Le Mans 24 Hour races, getting foothold in production racing which would mean 5 more titles in the Bike F1 in the 80s alone.
@@DroneStrike1776 The rules keep Honda (actually HRC) from doing anything interesting. Pair that with the severe decline in popularity of the series (true of almost all roadracing since the 2008 financial crash) and Honda doesn’t see a real need to outspend everyone like they used to. The arms race from back then isn’t exactly over, but it isn’t what it was.
Great video. I owned one of these (1991 black/black/manual) for almost the entirety of the 1990s. It was a cool fun car, not super fast, but really sounded great inside. People mistook it for a Ferrari all the time, and it ate rear tires pretty fast. It was very well thought out inside and out.
Honda's failure was in their willingness to add 1" of wheelbase for dual overhead cams, but not 2 inches for a V8.
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩
But:
-1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l.
-1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l.
And with 3.2 same story....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
Incorrect.
Until now,still, one of the most beautiful japanese car IMO
brave opinion you got there buddy
Hundred percent in my top 5!
When it came out, one car magazine wrote something like, let's see will it hold up as well as Porsche 928. I think it did. I must say, I like both.
@@TinLeadHammer 928 hasn't aged very well.
@@JohnFromAccounting I think it has.
This is such a fantastic piece by Jason and the Hagerty team! To summarize: Honda did not make a mistake with the NSX itself, but instead with the way they marketed it. Love this car.
Just like the s2000. Look at the BRZ and FRS/GT86 Trio that have sold so well, you cant go anywhere without seeing one. Yet, its a rarity to see an s2000.. So Hondas theory that nobody wants the 2 door sports car with as manual is clearly incorrect. They just charge too much. Make it an affordable 2 door sports focused car, and they sell like hot cakes and establish a massive Aftermarket and Huge fan/enthusiast groups in no time flat.
What a beautiful car and what a beautiful piece of engineering
The fact that this car was the car to beat when Gordon Murray designed the F1 is just insane to me
This car fits Gordon’s philosophy too.
@@pranc236didn't he drove it and said after he want to do that, but more extreme ?
@@IroquoisPlissken i believe so, Gordon loves quick and nimble cars though. The man owns small light weight cars that he cant fit into. 😂.
best car driving experience ever. visibility so great it felt like you were floating on the road. that vtec roar felt so efficient. i love the old nsx.
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩
But:
-1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l.
-1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l.
And with 3.2 same story....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
I remember seeing one near an Ac dealer one day in the early 90’s. The only way I can describe what it did is that it moved liked a cross between a UFO and a hummingbird. It was amazingly fast and cornered on a dime. It blew by me and zipped around me on a ramp. It was a sharp off ramp really about a lane and a half wide. Not an issue for the NSX. It was by me and gone in a flash. I admit I was in love.
I’m 67 years old. I fondly remember when this beauty came out. I lusted after this car. Even though I also lusted over the 308GT with much more desire, I knew in my practical heart this was the better car. I had nothing to prove. I was at peace with my manhood. I did not need Ferrari to prove to the world my manly prowess. Unfortunately, with kids, my pocket book was just too light at the time. Now that those days are past, I would still choose the NSX over a Ferrari. It is a no brainer. And yes, I am still confident of my manhood.
I dunno, you bring up your manhood a LOT… 😅
True...NSXs in the day were considered a "girly" sports car.
I don't need a Ferrari to make people think I am cool or well-to-do. Envy is not something I am looking for. It would be nice to own (if I had money to waste) but, I am a practical man.
@@Mexxx65 Only by the Ferrari cult, who have to create any excuse to justify their poor decisions. Car enthusiasts loved the NSX.
A Ferrari is not for proving anything to anyone (though it can be used to be, as can an NSX). It's about the reward of the driving experience as a whole. The way I look at is, what are you hearing 100% of time when you're driving? The engine. What are you looking at every time you look down in your car? The interior. What are you looking at every time you walk out to your car? The way your car looks. I think the NSX passes in the engine sound department, but the styling,interior and driving experience is way too basic for something that's supposed to compete with supercars.
Dude, I knew you would come around to show the car and company the epic respect and history lesson it deserves. 1:30 already got chills.
My world stops to see Jason’s truly informed shows in Hagerty- please keep killer content coming!!! It’s legendary and timeless!!!
I drove a '91 NSX in my 20's. It was the most magnificent driving experience I had ever had. It felt like it was absolutely *glued* to the road.
I see an update from Hagerty with Jason and I click like before even watching. That's how good this content is without even seeing it yet. And the track stuff with Randy always has me on the edge of my seat.
I LOVE these videos, always on the the edge of my seat, full of emotions, these videos always speak to me in volumes (especially the Corvette ZR1) coverage and NO ONE does that better than Jason and the folks @ Hagerty. KEEP DOING what you're doing, folks.
NEVER.STOP.DRIVING.
Not a huge Japanese car fan but I will admit when I see the Ontario NSX club around on the road here in Niagara I look twice. The car has aged well and is a great foundation for visual mods like wheels and other bits.
This Acura NSX is not a JDM import.
Can we stop calling all Japanese cars JDM? It's dumb. Only Japanese cars made for the Japanese market are JDM's.
@@electrikoptik I'll edit my comment just so you're not upset. Don't wanna get cancelled. Sheesh.
Thank God these videos have returned after a long absence they're so great and well done thank you guys at Haggerty
Funny how people say that the NSX is easy to drive and dull and will even say it is slow (most who say this have not even driven one). The NSX is the opposite of that, I have owned mine for 10 years and it wows me still as I push it more and more. The NSX is one of those cars that 30+ years later we still dont understand it and are still learning about it. A masterpiece of a car which is still misunderstood and still ahead of its time today oddly.
Agreed! its automotive art.
I still can’t believe my mom bought me an NSX when I was 18 years old back in 92. It was my daily driver for 7 years. Loved every minute of it.
I guess you had the best mom in the world !
Maaaaaan that thing sounds good winding out, especially as the revs fall off between shifts. Whew... Dream car for me.
Fantastic episode as always, guys!
This is my dream car! Had a choice between the NSX or GT-R. Went with the GT-R. The dream will be a dream for a little longer
I'm glad Gan San got a shout-out in this video. He was MUCH more responsible for the driving development of this car than Senna was
Bobby Rahal also helped develop the nsx.
When I was a kid, nothing could take my heart from things like the 355 Berlinetta, the 550 Maranello, or the F50. Now, at 38 years of age? I'd have the NSX every single day of the week and mourn the week doesn't have more days to keep enjoying it. The NSX still looks (more) beautiful and up to date nowadays, that interior is absolutely marvelous with all its physical buttons and analog gauges (instead of stupid touchscreens and videogame dashboards), and that metallic sounding V6 is just music! Plus, it's a Honda, so it's likely to live longer than me.
I stumbled across this channel by a Google News feed. It is outstanding, informative, very polished, and extremely entertaining. Bravo!
you guys should definitely make a video compiling all the driving segments! Love the videos, history and facts too, but one video with the engines sound would be musical!!
The looks alone sold me literally, stopped me in my tracks when I saw one the first time up close in 1997...
Wow
Was the only Acura certified technician in the dealership when the first one was delivered. (First one to drive it😂) Truly an amazing piece of engineering. Hard to believe it came from the same manufacturer as the Vigor 😑 😂😂
This was my Grail-car as a car nut kid growing up! Still love seeing and reading about it. Thanks for the great video!
A legendary car that suits the format of this series. Back in the early 90s I wasn´t very fond of Japanese cars. It took a while for me to appreciate the engineering triumph that was the NSX. We have too few delicate and subtle sports cars these days.
My recollection of the car is that the later years NSX was held back by close Japanese competitors (Supra, RX7, 300ZX) which, on paper, were close in performance but were almost 2/3 the price.
The 300zx TT was released before the NSX. The 300zx TT was also faster in a straight line most of the time.
@@freewayz32I like to think the 300zx was the car of that decade that was almost an underdog. It was designed in the late 80’s as a sports-touring car that wasn’t a complete pushover from the 90’s wave cars designed to beat it.
Now all those cars are 50k+ some even 100k
@@genericexcuse4737 When they made the "New" Z the only thing they borrowed from 300zx is rear tail lights. thats it. They should have just tried to emulate the entire 300zx turbo design, the most beautiful of all Nissan cars
@@jpslaym0936 The new Z is, by spec, a 300zx, but Nissan knew they couldn’t hold onto the past more than they already did. I wish they would call it a ZX, because that’s what it seems like, but what ZX would it be but not a 300zx, which they can’t call it.
Amazing production 👍 The initial NS-X development was trusted to japanese racing legend Satoru Nakajima.
When Senna fist tested the NS-X in Suzuka, as a pre-production unit, Ayrton told Honda to stop everything - it was all wrong, the chassis flex thing.
Nakajima was clearly offended by it, as shown in the YT videos. As former team mates in the F1 1987 season at the Camel Lotus team, they came to meet again at the track in 1990, when Senna crashed into Nakajima at his home GP when trying to lap him 🤔
The NSX was a beautiful car. I had numerous die cast versions and built 2 plastic models.
When you said "the car was smart itself", I thought of the way NASCAR eventually began to be in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Stock cars were beginning to be very similar to each other before they basically became all the same. That began to make races boring as there weren't as many tight battles or very fast cars as there used to be when NASCAR used the exterior of actual street cars and let auto manufacturers build their own engines for NASCAR racing.
You also brought up a good point at how most enthusiasts like to look for thrills and excitement, along with some challenges. Many enthusiasts would probably say they're very impressed with the grip and handling of the NSX, but the downside is it's too easy to drive.
This video series made me sign up with Hagerty.
These are some of the BEST automotive videos on the internet.
In the UK the usual case of badge snobbery caused poor sales throughout its production life and now those same customers wish they had bought one.
People misunderstood these cars.
That's what they get for being badge fanatics
@@lucky889s9remember Honda was dominating F1 at the time. Thats some kind of Heritage. Currently Honda has been dominating F1 again with Verstappen and Red Bull.
Honda succeeded in putting the Italians on notice much like Lexus did with the Germans. Honda proved that you didn't need to sacrifice quality, and reliability for performance and character.
Well, see… that’s the problem… does it have enough character?
yeah, both Honda and Lexus innovated really well with their first entries but they failed to continue to innovate and were left behind very quickly by those competitors they put on notice
@@claudiomarangone614 I believe it does. It's as sharp as a scalpel, a willing screamer to 8K, but it can be as docile as a contemporary Accord when you want it to be.
@@claudiomarangone614 Wrong question. The right question is does it have the right character for what you are looking for? The first gen NSX is a clinical precision masterpiece on the driver's car and comes with all of the character that entails. Problem is that, as Cammisa pointed out in the video, most people looking for a sports car or super car isn't looking for that in a sports car or super car. The second gen NSX is what happens when a car has little to no character. Hence Cammisa saying that there were no mistakes in regard to the first gen NSX but they messed up in regards to the second.
@@smythiegato I think Honda and Lexus just realized that superior engineering is a lot less relevant to the hyper luxury market than they thought, and that they could never actually compete with the perceived rarity and exclusivity of the pure luxury brands. Once it became clear that the badge mattered more than what was under the hood, they decided to focus on the lower rungs of the ladder where they dominated rather than continue investing in money-losing halo cars.
Always loved the NSX... Too bad prices have gone through the roof. I'm starting to realize It's unlikely I'll ever own one... 😥😭😭
Don't be afraid to go for a 100k+ mile one. There are cars out there with over 200k miles that are still running great
Reminds me of the old motor trend ignition and head to head videos I grew up watching. Thank you Jason Randy and the team for the best car videos on RUclips hands down
Honda was my dad's favourite. He simply adored his 2009 Civic Hybrid. When I inherited this car, it became my favourite too. The engineering is impeccable ❤
Even though the NSX was underpowered, and a bit under-exciting, it's still on my bucket list of cars to own/experience. Fantastic episode as always!
it outaccelerated the Ferrari 348, its main rival .... So it was not underpowered.
The lack of excitement thing is confusing to me given it sounds like THAT: 15:43
@@mitchell-wallisforce7859the lack of excitement might've been meant as in the car doesn't feel risky or thrilling to drive because you KNOW it won't try to kill you if you push it, it won't try to hurt you if you're not the fastest driver on Earth, and it is a "sensible" car in a way compared to other cars in it's class, if you get what I mean. In other words, a fast and pretty car, surprisingly practical too, but "boring". Still want one tho.
@@PlatinumNath It's a good car with no quirks.....I guess I can see that. Like dating the red-head with the hot temper rather than the one with the library card.
@@AndrasMihalyiWow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩
But:
-1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l.
-1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l.
And with 3.2 same story....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
It was underpowered....
One of my favorite shows !! And Jason you’re the best brother at what u do! U and your whole team!
So sad I missed when used examples were affordable. I’d love to park one next to my S2000, but sadly that will likely never happen.
I loved the Acura NSX. Somebody used to drive one to the grocery store I worked for as a teen in 1995, and I would always stop and admire it.
I admire Jason being open to everything and a true car enthusiasts. The story behind this is fascinating... the car was just never poster worthy to me and even today I ignore it when I do happen to see one. I do have a new found respect after watching this though as clearly there was a lot of passion that went into the NSX.
Really would love to see a Hagerty video on the 3000GT VR-4! :D
Hagerty and Jason just know how to make my day ❤
But Jason's health was kinda not Ok during the filming of this video ..
You can compare his voice tone by watching his other relevations video ..
I remember when you could get one of these in good nick for 25/30k, that price point had it near the top of my short list. Sadly, with the current prices, it's moved way down that list.
One of my favorite japanese cars, but at current prices it's just not worth it anymore at all.
Just as with countless other cars these days. The funniest thing to me is seeing all of these RUclips videos theorizing about why the values of various cars are rising, as if each car is an isolated incident. Bottom line: the old adage "they just don't make cars like they used to" has never been more appropriate than it is today.
It's insane the original NSX is now more expensive than the new one.
Sold mine for $29k in 2013. Grand Prix white / black with 70k miles. Crazy what it would go for today. I owned it for 10 years and drove it as much as possible.
Owned one: Black/Black/Black '91. Previous owner cut in Targa Roof. I modded exhaust (headers, cat-back, K&N filter), lg wheels, low profile rubber. Held it from about '96 to '02. Not likely a member of the target audience (Buppie, Male) but I thoroughly enjoyed the car !
I am grateful to have my NSX for 22 years and going strong. It has never gave me any issues since it’s a Honda and was fortunate to pick them up in the $20s when the car was 11 years old (1991 model). As time went by yea the plastics get a bit brittle and paint fade but thank for I have been stocking up on pieces
It really is amazing to get under an NSX and consider the design tools available at that time. The control arms are just one example and almost look like something we did not see until generative AI started being tasked with component design.
Jup it‘s so impressive almost like spacetech
I would choose one of these over a Ferrari any day- especially a 308 or 328. It's just a better engineered car than anything Ferrari ever came up with-especially under Enzo's watch. I don't have the money to waste on expensive repairs that you get with anything European, let alone a specialty car. Japanese cars of this era are simply the best cars ever engineered and built and that's why I love them.
The reality is that plenty of people shop the badge more than the car itself. Of course this is true of many other things aside from just cars. Honda's biggest problem when it comes to a car like the NSX is likely that most people associate the brand with affordable, drama-free transportation. Not that there's anything wrong with those traits obviously. But those aren't the qualities that most owners want others to think of when it comes to the supercar parked in their garage. The Acura badge wasn't enough to overcome this.
People daily drove these and put hundreds of thousands of miles on them because the cars could take it. Everything works and is where you expect it to be. It has enough power to have fun on the road while still keeping it within safe and legal limits. The styling is subtle and doesn't scream "look at me! I'm rich!" like a Ferrari, even an old one.
308 and 328 came from 10 years earlier... F40 was '87, 348 was '88, nsx was '90, 355 was '94. All the life a 355 on a nsx... No doubt!
How dare y'all call that car a FAILURE?! 😂
Jason doesn't like the normal NSX
because he was judging them at the time of it's release, "contemporary review" if that make sense, not the rose-tinted glasses view we have right now thanks to video games and media hell this was also the fate of the supra, which only made its maiden spotlight thanks to youtube and fast and furious with that said if you want the total "half life 1 of sportscars" then look no further than the NIssan GTR (Specifically the 2009 update) the car that caused a huge paradigm shift in sportscars and supercars in general that it can be argued that we still feel that car's impact even in today's car-centric communities
@@Marc-zi4vg yeah but the NSX was never intended to be mass produced...that car was around 70K back in 1990, that's like over a hundred grand in today's money.
@@JaysRandomnessChannel have you watched the end portion of the video? or tuned off when they start discussing about the age old debate of "what makes a sportscar, performance? or thrill? Capability or Emotion?"
Sales failure.
I really can't believe I'm just now finding your material. Some of the most enjoyable stuff on the tube
This video is 🤌 chefs kiss. I hadn't thought about the NSX in this way and it makes perfect sense. The argument of sex appeal exotic sports car vs a figure driven engineering masterpiece is well broken down. Perhaps this video is the Ferrari of the series that the NSX could never be.
This was one of my dream cars growing up, and I almost bought a used one in my early 30s. I'm kicking my past self for talking myself out of it. Now a well-maintained NSX is definitely out of my price range.
The quality of information from Jason is outstanding. I could watch these for hours
First saw an NSX fall ‘90, cover of R&T, C&D or such. I vowed at that moment to own one someday. It took 22 years, but the dream was realized in 2012 when I became the 3rd owner of a ‘91 Berlinetta black over ivory.
It's mostly a garage queen, but for those who disparage me for not driving it enough, three words: pride of ownership.
What a classic timeless design, just gorgeous. And the noise it makes is just music to the ears. If Larry Ellison is still giving away NSX’s I’ll be happy to take one.
Bought my '91 in 2015. Haven't turned on the radio to see if it worked. The closing of the video, music
This video needs more NSX driving pureness at the end. I was getting into it then it ended. I could watch that for a long time. NSX is my favorite JDM 90's car.
I worked as a CAD Designer in Dearborn Michigan and the studio had a early NSX body cut in half right down the center of the body mounted to a wall.
Thanks, Jason and crew, for another brilliant episode. I'm almost expecting credits at the end, because your shows are so good. Keep on keepin' on, folks! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
@Benjamin-iz8qn sorry, dude, I already have a religion and a god; I'm a Pastafarian, and I follow The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Sorry you wasted your time!✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
I owned a 1991 NSX and there were parts of it that were so good and parts of it that was so bad or boring. The good included the best gearshift I had ever I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. It was so slick and smooth. Also, the suspension was so well sort it out. And the engine, revs like crazy. Now the bad. It had absolutely no torque and required RPM to have any real power. The engine was a measly 3 liters. Probably the worst thing of all was the fact that it was so over engineered to be predictable and safe, that the feeling of driving a real sports car was absolutely not there. It was like driving a fast well engineered Corolla.
I had an ‘87 Prelude w/5 speed and sunroof. Low profile, hugged the road, handled so precisely. Still miss that one.
The 91 NSX I had was wonderful. Even with Comtech intake and stainless pipes it was always a bit slow. Even now I still miss the fun I had waking up all my neighbors each morning at 6:30 a.m. when going to work and winding it up. Pure joy.
The CTSC made them quite fast. 400 HP and 3000 lbs. is not a slow car by any means
@@Harmonic14also BMW S54 on the racing version makes 400hp and with a supercharger above 470hp, but this is not the question: oem engine was a joke...
Wow: Titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, Vtec, platinum plug, double disk clutch 🤩🤩🤩🤩
But:
-1990 Honda 3.0, 201kw at 7300 and 285nM at 6500 (so less then 2000 rpm of useful range 😅), 10.2 compression ratio; so 67.7 kw/l and 95.9 nM/l.
-1992 BMW 3.0, 210kw at 7000 and 320nM at 3600 with normal engine and clutch and single vanos; 10.8 compression r. So 70.2 kW/l and 107 nM/l.
And with 3.2 same story....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
I only got to drive an NSX briefly once, but it was an absolute delight. I'd love to have one.
This review was absolutely perfect! Thanks for the video.
As an engineer, I always loved the simplicity of the performance and the understated beauty of the design
My Father even traded in his 2 corvettes back in 95 for his beloved Purple NSX.
Jason, you really found yourself and the perfect job. Thank you for that!
You Hagerty guys are getting mighty good at objective car reviews. You nailed my 05 NSX which I chose over a new 911 3 years ago. P.S., got an S2000 as well and still saved enough money for Hagerty insurance for a few years.
The first time I saw an NSX at portland international raceway doing laps, I fell in love with the car. It's actually brilliant.
Jason should have came to the NSXPO national meetup in September where we had 118 NSX gathered, especially since Hagerty was a sponsor for that conference.
The NSX is not just a supercar, its a reliable and practical supercar , something of a rare gem and as a mechanic I Love it
A supercar with 270hp when sport sedan has 340hp... Ok
1st gen Nsx is pure gold, loved it since it came out, still in love today after all these years! Keep up the good work Jason! Waiting for a S2000 review ;)
This is one of my favorite cars of all time. Great video as usual! Thanks!