Not great photos, but probably the most compelling example we’ve ever seen. Not conventionally pretty (though it sort of reminds us of an Alfa stepnose GTV when seen from the back), but still plenty intriguing, thanks in no small part to its rarity. Really makes us wonder about this sort of oddball GT. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t appear to be terribly expensive, either (nor terribly fast, for that matter).
Love the center outlet dual exhaust.
Via tamparacing.com
These delicious photographs – outrageous wing, spoiler, livery and all – are nothing if not a feast for the eyes. View large, eat up, and enjoy.
Images: William Hopkins
Your three need-to-know words. This famous – and above all, poignant – footage needs no introduction, so we’ll let it do the talking— not much more to add, really.
Another. Different look, but just as stirring:
Making it a day of NSX. Here it is on vintage Top Gear, where Tiff, in a characteristically buttoned-down review (unlike the more recent Fifth Gear Tiff, who has evolved into something of an over-the-top showman), likes it well enough on the track, less so on the street. The overarching impression one gets is definitely that of an everyday supercar, a sort of Audi R8 before there was the R8 (though we suspect the Audi is probably the more exciting daily driver of the two).
(Jump to the 1:00 mark if you’re feeling impatient)
We love the NSX – not our first time singing its praises – but modified cars we’ve seen tend to leave us cold (and it doesn’t help that we absolutely hate the facelifted look of the 2002+ models). This particular example is one of those scant few exceptions— perhaps the nicest we’ve ever seen, and one of the rare non-European cars you’ll see on this site that we could easily see ourselves settling on with nary a regret (which is really saying something). It looks every bit the business in BBS LMs and sober, monochromatic hues, and proves – as is the case time and time again – that when it comes to “tuning,” less really is more.
So you want one? Here’s what that buffest of auto buff books had to say about a privately-owned 1991 example they tested a couple of years ago:
As a testament to just how far Honda pushed the envelope with its 1991 Acura NSX, compare it with the most sophisticated machinery of today. That first NSX’s 3.0-liter V-6 made 270 horsepower and revved gloriously to its 8000-rpm redline. Almost 18 years later, BMW’s direct-injection 3.0-liter (in the Euro-only 330i) makes 268 horsepower.
The NSX’s lightweight aluminum sheetmetal surrounds a fascinating 3000-pound wedge that still looks fresh today (if you don’t count the tiny 15- and 16-inch wheels). Combined with first-rate comfort and ergonomics, and a docile, aluminum-intensive unequal-length control-arm suspension, it’s easy to see how the NSX quickly won our hearts as well as a distinguished victory over a Porsche 911, a Corvette ZR-1, and a Ferrari 348ts in a 1990 comparison test.
Having purchased this Formula Red example new in December 1990, it’s safe to say Ken Sax (which he amusingly writes “keN SaX”) of Evanston, Illinois, is quite familiar with his 78,000-mile car as he’s exercised it to the tune of 13,000 on-track miles. The car has held up well, mostly needing replacement of such predictable items as worn brake pads (25 front sets, 16 rears thus far) and chewed-up tires, although his NSX suffered a rare catastrophic engine failure caused by a broken harmonic-balancer pulley that led to a jump of the timing belt. Sax replaced the engine with a $4500 used one, which was the cheapest fix.
We all were impressed at how solid and modern his NSX felt. Sure, there were a few squeaks and rattles, but it rides forgivingly, is quiet, and still feels structurally sound. Sax’s car does have some minor scuffs in the interior and noticeable wear on the seat bolsters, which is common.
The manual steering is just as alive as we remembered, its on-track poise is phenomenal, and the five-speed manual’s short, precise throws are still a benchmark. Sure, a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.2 seconds doesn’t qualify as blazing anymore, but the flexible engine absolutely wails above 6000 rpm. We nominate it as the best-sounding V-6 ever.
From 1991 until it was discontinued in 2005, the NSX’s price ballooned from $60,600 to $89,765, even though it evolved very little. A targa model was added for ’95; a 290-hp, 3.2-liter V-6 and a six-speed manual were new for ’97; and the NSX got a fixed-headlight face lift for 2002. The ’97-and-newer cars still fetch $40,000 to $50,000, while the ’91–94 models have held steady in the range of $25,000 to $35,000 for almost 10 years.
By exotic-car standards, NSX ownership is painless, but there are a number of known problem areas—a faulty transmission snap ring and fragile power-window regulators on ’91 and ’92 models, as well as a history of rapid tire wear. So do your homework first. Be especially wary of the service history, as many lower-mile examples haven’t kept up with recommended maintenance such as timing-belt replacement. Fortunately, http://www.nsxprime.com houses a strong and knowledgeable owners’ community and is bursting with information.
The NSX was truly an exotic turned everyday friendly. It’s no wonder owners of these inexpensive, high-mileage cars are so enthusiastic.
— Dave VanderWerp
Image via tcl
This clip is famous – and justly so – but that makes it no less compelling to watch (we’re not going to bother reinventing the wheel, so if you’d like additional information, look here).
Without further ado, then, here it is once again, with feeling- Senna in the W201 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16.
How I learned to stop coveting expensive cars and love the Alfa GTV6
I had been living in New York City for close to six years without a car before I finally snapped. At first, the convenience of riding the subway and the trains was a novelty, and I enjoyed not being encumbered by parking and traffic. But as a car fanatic of the first order, I finally realized that I had to have a toy. Renting a Zipcar Mazda3 for the day just wasn’t cutting it. I could either sit around and wait until I was 45 and could maybe afford to have something really nice, or I could take the few thousand bucks I had squirreled away for something special and try and find a bargain so I could start enjoying the driving experiences I had been fantasizing about for the past five-and-a-half years.
Long overdue post on the Rallye Golf. A peach of an example, too, with beautiful – flawless, really – paint, timeless three-piece BBS RSs, and a narrow-angle VR6 shoehorned into the engine bay. Enthusiasts and students of Volkswagen history will know what this is; for the uninitiated, it’s basically the R32 before there was the R32 (to put it simply but crudely), only far more exclusive (and with a lot more street cred):
In 1989, the Rallye Golf appeared as a rallye “homologation special”. Distinguishable by its box-flared wheel arches (similar to the Audi quattro, BMW E30 M3 and Lancia Delta Integrale) and rectangular headlamps, this model featured Syncro four-wheel drive, and a G-supercharger version of the injected 8 valve 1.8 litre engine. 5,000 cars were built in Volkswagen’s Brussels, Belgium, plant, priced at about DM 50,000 each (or roughly twice as much as a base Golf GTI). The Rallye Golf has 161Bhp (source).
A bona fide classic.
Images by Matt Stanton
Motoring Con Brio 