1999 Acura NSX

Supercars of the 1990s often dispelled with creature comforts in pursuit of all-out performance, being difficult to drive in most road-going situations. This changed with the arrival of the 'New Sports car eXperimental' (NSX) at the Chicago Auto Show in 1989. Development had begun as early as 1984 with Pininfarina being commissioned to design the first prototype - the HP-X HP-X (Honda Pininfarina eXperimental). Formula One Champion Ayrton Senna and Indy 500 Champion Bobby Rahal lent their considerable race car experience with the development of the chassis and suspension, resulting in the ultimate handling road car. The design team was led by Chief Designer Masahito Nakano and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara.

Along with a timeless and exotic shape, it utilized a cab-forward design with aluminum unit-body construction paired with a transverse-mounted, all-aluminum 3.0-liter V6 engine churning out a hefty 270 horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque. Gear changes were handled by a console-shifted four-speed automatic transmission with an electronically controlled lockup torque converter. In 1994, the SportShift four-speed automatic transmission (known as the F-Matic) became available. Much of its technology was derived from Honda's successful F1 Motorsports program, including the engine's ability to REV to 8,000 RPM. Titanium connecting rods allowed it to reach these high revolutions.

The NSX was the first production car to use an all-aluminum monocoque body, along with a revolutionary extruded aluminum alloy frame and suspension. The lightweight aluminum body saved nearly 440 lbs in weight over the steel equivalent, and the aluminum suspension saved an additional 44 lbs. It utilized an independent four-channel anti-lock disc brake system and Honda's proprietary VTEC variable valve timing system.

It had a very low center of gravity, great weight distribution, and impressive high-speed stability. Additionally, it was one of the most reliable, affordable, and easy-to-service supercars of all time. Tipping the scales at just over 3,000 lbs, the first-generation NSXs could race from zero-to-sixty mph in 5.03 seconds. The quarter-mile was achieved in 13.47 seconds.

The interior was useful and comfortable, with deep power-adjustable leather seats, analog gauges, speedo and tach, and a console shifter. There was air-conditioning, cruise controls, power windows, power locks, and an electric power steering system.

Initially offered as a coupe, a Targa Top arrived in 1995. Two years later, in 1997, the engine grew to 3.2 liters. A facelift in 2002 resulted in the removal of the pop-up headlights, replaced by integrated units.

Production of the first generation of the Honda NSX continued through 2005, and in North America, they were sold as the Acura NSX. A total of 8,999 examples were sold to the United States market and 701 to the Canadian market. 238 examples were sold to the US in 1999 and 5 to Canada.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022