Review: 2005 Acura NSX
2005 Acura NSX | Photo GalleryBy Matthew de Paula
You can lose yourself in the experience of driving an Acura NSX, which makes its telltale signs of age seem insignificant.
Passersby aren't immune to its magic either. Low and slinky, the car cuts a stunning profile that really stands out, despite 15 years of the same design. "Park it next to a Ferrari, and it'll hold its own," said one awestruck bystander to his friend on a New York City street corner. "It's gorgeous … lean on it a little and let us see what it can do," he urged from the curb.
With the traffic light turning green and no cars ahead, he got his wish. Fading cries of amazement were barely audible over the 290-horsepower V6 engine mounted behind the seats, spinning furiously toward its 8,000-rpm redline. The high-pitched exhaust note reverberating off of blurred houses sounds like a racecar's.
You can't help but smile in this thing. The NSX is an instant antidepressant — use your right foot to vary the dose.
This is a historic year for the NSX. Production of the current version will cease after December because too much retooling would be required to meet stringent 2006 emissions and equipment regulations, Acura says. The company is working on an NSX successor that will launch in three to four years and have a V10 engine.
The NSX was groundbreaking when it debuted in 1990 as a 1991 model. It featured exotic aluminum body panels to save weight, a high-tech engine with technology derived from Honda's Formula One racing program and head-turning looks. The fact that it remains competitive more than a decade after its introduction is a testament to what a marvel of automotive advancement it was when it first came out.
Equally adept at hot-lapping a racetrack as poking around town, the affable and reliable NSX proved that supercars needn't be uncomfortable and temperamental. Some would sniff at paying $89,000 for a Japanese sports car that has a basic design and technology dating back 13 years, especially because a new Porsche 911 costs $20,000 less and is lighter, more powerful and has a small back seat.
But consider that Acura sold only 8,854 NSXs in the U.S. since inception through June of this year, while Porsche sold as many 911s in 2004 alone. The exclusivity factor is irrefutable, even if on paper the NSX seems like a bad deal.
Still, this gracefully aging exotic has a lot going for it beyond being one of the most exclusive modern production cars in the world.
Exterior
The NSX has changed little over its long life. The only notable exterior tweaks came in 2002, when its original pop-up headlights were replaced with modern-looking fixed ones, along with a different front bumper and subtle changes to the taillights. The wheels also grew that year and morphed in design.
Its taillight treatment was considered modern and stylish when the car first came out. But today it seems dated. And although the fixed headlights with high-intensity discharge lamps contemporize the look, they weren't welcomed when first applied in 2002, having marred the car's cohesive look.
But all nit-picks fade when standing next to the slinky NSX. It is, as the effusive New Yorker on the corner said, gorgeous. Its curvy fenders mimic a Ferrari's, and the large wheels strike an aggressive stance.
"It looks like you could take a bite right out of it," said one admirer of our candy-apple red test vehicle. The glassy paint finish seemed of higher quality than that of a Ferrari F430.
As of 2002, all NSXs come with a removable roof panel that's easy to take off and stow in a convenient and ingenious tray underneath the rear glass canopy, just above the engine bay. If you have a strong back and arms, you can manage the panel by yourself, otherwise it's a two-person affair.
The trunk fits a surprising amount: in our case two backpacks, two duffels and some odds and ends — this despite the encroachment of a six-disk CD changer vertically mounted on the right wall.
Be careful what you put back there, though. The midmounted engine makes the trunk an oven, easily melting cosmetics.
A deflated spare tire is under the hood with some other mechanicals.
Interior
Inside, the NSX is leather-lined with impeccably stitched seams and attractive-looking seats that are comfortable to those less than 6 feet tall. People over that height won't find a comfortable position, unless the removable roof panel is safely in its storage tray.
See interior photos here.
The seats move fore and aft and the backs tilt, but that's it. You can't lower the seat cushion, which, if you're tall, means your head will either hit the ceiling or your lower back will have to slouch — or both. On trips longer than 45 minutes, taller drivers will suffer cramped necks after straining to keep head from hitting roof.
Shorter drivers will find that the seats fit like gloves and will have headroom to spare. Outward visibility is excellent.
Style-wise, the NSX's interior hasn't changed one bit in 15 years, save for color options. Since 2002, buyers can get the same palette inside and out, whether that be red on red (like our tester), blue on blue, yellow on yellow, white on white, grey on grey, black on black or orange on orange. There's also a conventional tan color and buyers can mix and match hues outside and in.
Like the taillight design, the interior styling betrays its age, but is so tastefully crafted, with every control so well placed, that it becomes of little concern.
There are woefully few storage bins, only a glove box and a small compartment under the arm rest — no map pockets. You best heed one pedestrian's advice on the cup holders. After witnessing us trying to shoehorn a 20-ounce soda bottle into the chintzy contraption between the seats, he interrupted his cell phone conversation to exclaim through our open passenger-side window: "Don't use the cup holders, don't use the cup holders, it's too nice of a car."
Turn the key, put it in first gear, ease off the clutch and all quibbles dissipate.
Performance
The NSX is grossly outmatched by today's supercars. To those who buy for bragging rights, its 290-hp V6 engine is wimpy compared to a 500-hp Ferrari F430 or a 505-hp Chevrolet Corvette Z06, which costs $24,000 less than the NSX.
The fact is this car has plenty of punch. And the variable valve intake technology (VTEC), which Honda pioneered on this vehicle and has subsequently added to every car in its lineup, is a light switch for thrust that flips on once the engine revs past 6,000 rpm.
Virtually everything about this car takes only a flick to get what you want. Don’t slam the trunk or rear glass canopy. Ease them down and press them till they latch. You don’t so much turn the wheel as nudge it to navigate curves.
It's the same thing with the lithe six-speed shifter and clutch, both of which work with precision and as fast or as slow as you’d like them to — put the rush on and they hustle, gears grabbing more quickly than anticipated, the clutch catapulting the car forward before you would’ve expected it to engage.
The one thing that requires liberal input is the gas pedal, but only to make the motor sing into VTEC territory and slingshot the NSX to 60 mph in five seconds. Use the throttle as if running errands in a compact car and you wouldn’t know there’s a V-shaped demon mounted transversely behind the seats. In this ride, both angels and devils sit over your shoulders, so to speak.
A four-speed automatic transmission is available at no extra cost but saps horsepower, dropping the total from 290 to 252. The EPA rates fuel consumption at 17 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway.
With its rear weight bias (40/60), technically, the NSX will fishtail if pushed too hard, but the threshold is astronomical, and likely won't get crossed unless deliberately.
The suspension thwarts any unwanted body lean in turns and doesn't punish on rough roads. It's a stiff ride, but bumps are well snubbed considering the taut suspension and tire size. As a result, driving the NSX on errands in town is actually pleasant.
Highway motoring can become jittery on rough surfaces and noises from the engine sometimes quietly invade, along with a little wind noise. But on the whole, the NSX is astoundingly comfortable and serene inside with windows up and roof on.
Wind buffets too hard with windows down. And when the roof is off, it becomes unpleasant around 60 mph. The chassis loses its rigidity sans ceiling and so jiggles and wiggles over bumps and potholes.
Personally, I'd buy a used fixed-roof model (last available in 2001), despite the intoxicating experience of open-air touring on a tree-lined back road at dusk. The fact that a perpetually cramped neck or overblown price wouldn't dissuade me is evidence of how truly stellar this car is.
2005 Acura NSX | Photo GalleryBy Matthew de Paula
You can lose yourself in the experience of driving an Acura NSX, which makes its telltale signs of age seem insignificant.
Passersby aren't immune to its magic either. Low and slinky, the car cuts a stunning profile that really stands out, despite 15 years of the same design. "Park it next to a Ferrari, and it'll hold its own," said one awestruck bystander to his friend on a New York City street corner. "It's gorgeous … lean on it a little and let us see what it can do," he urged from the curb.
With the traffic light turning green and no cars ahead, he got his wish. Fading cries of amazement were barely audible over the 290-horsepower V6 engine mounted behind the seats, spinning furiously toward its 8,000-rpm redline. The high-pitched exhaust note reverberating off of blurred houses sounds like a racecar's.
You can't help but smile in this thing. The NSX is an instant antidepressant — use your right foot to vary the dose.
This is a historic year for the NSX. Production of the current version will cease after December because too much retooling would be required to meet stringent 2006 emissions and equipment regulations, Acura says. The company is working on an NSX successor that will launch in three to four years and have a V10 engine.
The NSX was groundbreaking when it debuted in 1990 as a 1991 model. It featured exotic aluminum body panels to save weight, a high-tech engine with technology derived from Honda's Formula One racing program and head-turning looks. The fact that it remains competitive more than a decade after its introduction is a testament to what a marvel of automotive advancement it was when it first came out.
Equally adept at hot-lapping a racetrack as poking around town, the affable and reliable NSX proved that supercars needn't be uncomfortable and temperamental. Some would sniff at paying $89,000 for a Japanese sports car that has a basic design and technology dating back 13 years, especially because a new Porsche 911 costs $20,000 less and is lighter, more powerful and has a small back seat.
But consider that Acura sold only 8,854 NSXs in the U.S. since inception through June of this year, while Porsche sold as many 911s in 2004 alone. The exclusivity factor is irrefutable, even if on paper the NSX seems like a bad deal.
Still, this gracefully aging exotic has a lot going for it beyond being one of the most exclusive modern production cars in the world.
Exterior
The NSX has changed little over its long life. The only notable exterior tweaks came in 2002, when its original pop-up headlights were replaced with modern-looking fixed ones, along with a different front bumper and subtle changes to the taillights. The wheels also grew that year and morphed in design.
Its taillight treatment was considered modern and stylish when the car first came out. But today it seems dated. And although the fixed headlights with high-intensity discharge lamps contemporize the look, they weren't welcomed when first applied in 2002, having marred the car's cohesive look.
But all nit-picks fade when standing next to the slinky NSX. It is, as the effusive New Yorker on the corner said, gorgeous. Its curvy fenders mimic a Ferrari's, and the large wheels strike an aggressive stance.
"It looks like you could take a bite right out of it," said one admirer of our candy-apple red test vehicle. The glassy paint finish seemed of higher quality than that of a Ferrari F430.
As of 2002, all NSXs come with a removable roof panel that's easy to take off and stow in a convenient and ingenious tray underneath the rear glass canopy, just above the engine bay. If you have a strong back and arms, you can manage the panel by yourself, otherwise it's a two-person affair.
The trunk fits a surprising amount: in our case two backpacks, two duffels and some odds and ends — this despite the encroachment of a six-disk CD changer vertically mounted on the right wall.
Be careful what you put back there, though. The midmounted engine makes the trunk an oven, easily melting cosmetics.
A deflated spare tire is under the hood with some other mechanicals.
Interior
Inside, the NSX is leather-lined with impeccably stitched seams and attractive-looking seats that are comfortable to those less than 6 feet tall. People over that height won't find a comfortable position, unless the removable roof panel is safely in its storage tray.
See interior photos here.
The seats move fore and aft and the backs tilt, but that's it. You can't lower the seat cushion, which, if you're tall, means your head will either hit the ceiling or your lower back will have to slouch — or both. On trips longer than 45 minutes, taller drivers will suffer cramped necks after straining to keep head from hitting roof.
Shorter drivers will find that the seats fit like gloves and will have headroom to spare. Outward visibility is excellent.
Style-wise, the NSX's interior hasn't changed one bit in 15 years, save for color options. Since 2002, buyers can get the same palette inside and out, whether that be red on red (like our tester), blue on blue, yellow on yellow, white on white, grey on grey, black on black or orange on orange. There's also a conventional tan color and buyers can mix and match hues outside and in.
Like the taillight design, the interior styling betrays its age, but is so tastefully crafted, with every control so well placed, that it becomes of little concern.
There are woefully few storage bins, only a glove box and a small compartment under the arm rest — no map pockets. You best heed one pedestrian's advice on the cup holders. After witnessing us trying to shoehorn a 20-ounce soda bottle into the chintzy contraption between the seats, he interrupted his cell phone conversation to exclaim through our open passenger-side window: "Don't use the cup holders, don't use the cup holders, it's too nice of a car."
Turn the key, put it in first gear, ease off the clutch and all quibbles dissipate.
Performance
The NSX is grossly outmatched by today's supercars. To those who buy for bragging rights, its 290-hp V6 engine is wimpy compared to a 500-hp Ferrari F430 or a 505-hp Chevrolet Corvette Z06, which costs $24,000 less than the NSX.
The fact is this car has plenty of punch. And the variable valve intake technology (VTEC), which Honda pioneered on this vehicle and has subsequently added to every car in its lineup, is a light switch for thrust that flips on once the engine revs past 6,000 rpm.
Virtually everything about this car takes only a flick to get what you want. Don’t slam the trunk or rear glass canopy. Ease them down and press them till they latch. You don’t so much turn the wheel as nudge it to navigate curves.
It's the same thing with the lithe six-speed shifter and clutch, both of which work with precision and as fast or as slow as you’d like them to — put the rush on and they hustle, gears grabbing more quickly than anticipated, the clutch catapulting the car forward before you would’ve expected it to engage.
The one thing that requires liberal input is the gas pedal, but only to make the motor sing into VTEC territory and slingshot the NSX to 60 mph in five seconds. Use the throttle as if running errands in a compact car and you wouldn’t know there’s a V-shaped demon mounted transversely behind the seats. In this ride, both angels and devils sit over your shoulders, so to speak.
A four-speed automatic transmission is available at no extra cost but saps horsepower, dropping the total from 290 to 252. The EPA rates fuel consumption at 17 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway.
With its rear weight bias (40/60), technically, the NSX will fishtail if pushed too hard, but the threshold is astronomical, and likely won't get crossed unless deliberately.
The suspension thwarts any unwanted body lean in turns and doesn't punish on rough roads. It's a stiff ride, but bumps are well snubbed considering the taut suspension and tire size. As a result, driving the NSX on errands in town is actually pleasant.
Highway motoring can become jittery on rough surfaces and noises from the engine sometimes quietly invade, along with a little wind noise. But on the whole, the NSX is astoundingly comfortable and serene inside with windows up and roof on.
Wind buffets too hard with windows down. And when the roof is off, it becomes unpleasant around 60 mph. The chassis loses its rigidity sans ceiling and so jiggles and wiggles over bumps and potholes.
Personally, I'd buy a used fixed-roof model (last available in 2001), despite the intoxicating experience of open-air touring on a tree-lined back road at dusk. The fact that a perpetually cramped neck or overblown price wouldn't dissuade me is evidence of how truly stellar this car is.
