Russ: About the NA1 C30 Type R. Was any extra time spent port and polishing and balancing the engine like the later model or is the Type R C30 exactly the same as every other NA1?
Shigeru: Certainly, we spent extra time on the NA1 C30 Type R engine.That was for balancing work on rotation mass such as piston and connecting rod. We make the scatter of rotation mass on each cylinder less one half than NA1 conventional engine.It could increase the engine response and decreasing the vibration.This is the only one different item on Type R engine.As you may know, this technique is come from racing engine tuning. As for the new NA2 Type R engine, we made balancing one step ahead.Under the condition of connecting crankshaft, clutch cover, and flywheel we realized perfect dynamic balancing same as F1 machine method adding NA1 Type R balancing.Finally we reached to 1/10 balancing accuracy than conventional NSX engine. And reducing engine friction. We got sharp engine response.
Russ: That is very interesting! In all my research I was never able to find a firm answer to that question. I do have a couple of other questions that are equally as mysterious to me and members of NSXPrime, since you invited me to ask. Thank you.
Russ: In the standard NSX an orange or yellow spare wheel was included it has been suggested that it was painted this color because it is a crash safety feature but this feature was deleted on the NA2 NSX R. Was it determined that the actual crash safety was minimal?
Shigeru: The reason of the NA2 Type R having no spare is weight reduction.At that time releasing NA2 Type R Japanese automotive law allowed to use air bombe for flat tire. So we could remove spare tire. Yellow spare tire has not any effect on any safety features.
Russ: Many of the hp/torque gains between the NA1 and NA2 NSX are the result of the different exhaust. Was this exhaust developed on the NA1 R and then later made a standard feature on the standard NA2 or is the NA1 R exhaust the same as a standard NA1 just different exhaust tip?
Shigeru: Type R NA1 exhaust was used just same as nominal 3.0L engine using cast iron.All NA2 engine has stainless exhaust manifold to get more torque and power for the purpose of increased displacement. So all NA1 engines have cast iron exhaust and all NA2 engines have stainless one. Basically we had just 2 types of NA1 and NA2 engines on NSX.
Russ: The NA1 models had a steel rear bumper beam and the NA2 models had an aluminum rear bumper beam. As well the Type R model and all aluminum beams in front and back and in the doors. Are the safety standards the same even though lighter aluminum material was used?
Shigeru: As you know we use aluminum for reducing weight. But we would not reduce the safety level.Type R was the first challenge for using aluminum bumper and door beams then we used them widely on standard model for reducing weight. Basically the aluminum material itself has the same characteristic on strength. So the safety standard would not change both aluminum and steel.We always made a big effort for weight reduction from beginning to ending on NSX project. NSX has finished the production just minas 10kg comparing to early model in spite of a lot of weight demanding at minor change such as wheel size up, brake size up, engine size up, trans mission from 5MT to 6MT and etc. Always for the NSX, the weigh reduction was the most important item.
Russ: Were there 3 versions of the Type S suspension? The original Type S, Zanardi, and NA2 Type S? I understand that the Type S Zero used the NA1R suspension but if there were minor differences between the Type S Zero and NA1R suspension then that would be a fourth version perhaps.
Shigeru: The suspension of the Zanardi version was the same as Type S version and also the same as NA2 Type S suspension. Type S Zero suspension was same as NA1 Type R suspension. So we have 2 types of Type S suspension. There is not the third or fourth suspension.
Russ: Thank you for answering my questions! This will clear up quite a few debates that we've had on NSXPrime! Thank you again for everything! I'll stay in touch and email you occasionally just to say hi.
Shigeru: Certainly, we spent extra time on the NA1 C30 Type R engine.That was for balancing work on rotation mass such as piston and connecting rod. We make the scatter of rotation mass on each cylinder less one half than NA1 conventional engine.It could increase the engine response and decreasing the vibration.This is the only one different item on Type R engine.As you may know, this technique is come from racing engine tuning. As for the new NA2 Type R engine, we made balancing one step ahead.Under the condition of connecting crankshaft, clutch cover, and flywheel we realized perfect dynamic balancing same as F1 machine method adding NA1 Type R balancing.Finally we reached to 1/10 balancing accuracy than conventional NSX engine. And reducing engine friction. We got sharp engine response.
Russ: That is very interesting! In all my research I was never able to find a firm answer to that question. I do have a couple of other questions that are equally as mysterious to me and members of NSXPrime, since you invited me to ask. Thank you.
Russ: In the standard NSX an orange or yellow spare wheel was included it has been suggested that it was painted this color because it is a crash safety feature but this feature was deleted on the NA2 NSX R. Was it determined that the actual crash safety was minimal?
Shigeru: The reason of the NA2 Type R having no spare is weight reduction.At that time releasing NA2 Type R Japanese automotive law allowed to use air bombe for flat tire. So we could remove spare tire. Yellow spare tire has not any effect on any safety features.
Russ: Many of the hp/torque gains between the NA1 and NA2 NSX are the result of the different exhaust. Was this exhaust developed on the NA1 R and then later made a standard feature on the standard NA2 or is the NA1 R exhaust the same as a standard NA1 just different exhaust tip?
Shigeru: Type R NA1 exhaust was used just same as nominal 3.0L engine using cast iron.All NA2 engine has stainless exhaust manifold to get more torque and power for the purpose of increased displacement. So all NA1 engines have cast iron exhaust and all NA2 engines have stainless one. Basically we had just 2 types of NA1 and NA2 engines on NSX.
Russ: The NA1 models had a steel rear bumper beam and the NA2 models had an aluminum rear bumper beam. As well the Type R model and all aluminum beams in front and back and in the doors. Are the safety standards the same even though lighter aluminum material was used?
Shigeru: As you know we use aluminum for reducing weight. But we would not reduce the safety level.Type R was the first challenge for using aluminum bumper and door beams then we used them widely on standard model for reducing weight. Basically the aluminum material itself has the same characteristic on strength. So the safety standard would not change both aluminum and steel.We always made a big effort for weight reduction from beginning to ending on NSX project. NSX has finished the production just minas 10kg comparing to early model in spite of a lot of weight demanding at minor change such as wheel size up, brake size up, engine size up, trans mission from 5MT to 6MT and etc. Always for the NSX, the weigh reduction was the most important item.
Russ: Were there 3 versions of the Type S suspension? The original Type S, Zanardi, and NA2 Type S? I understand that the Type S Zero used the NA1R suspension but if there were minor differences between the Type S Zero and NA1R suspension then that would be a fourth version perhaps.
Shigeru: The suspension of the Zanardi version was the same as Type S version and also the same as NA2 Type S suspension. Type S Zero suspension was same as NA1 Type R suspension. So we have 2 types of Type S suspension. There is not the third or fourth suspension.
Russ: Thank you for answering my questions! This will clear up quite a few debates that we've had on NSXPrime! Thank you again for everything! I'll stay in touch and email you occasionally just to say hi.
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Definitely should be on Wiki...
