Drove a 98 saturday... WOW!

[Andrie Hartanto]

No, it isn't. Unless there are other mods that make it faster. The 4.55 R&P won't improve acceleration times as much as the extra 20 hp of the '97+. However, it may improve the perceived acceleration times due to reaching redline faster (albeit at a lower road speed).

1/4 mile times, in seconds:

Stock '91 13.67
'91 with 6-speed: 13.56
'91 with 4.55 R&P: 13.43
'91 with 6-speed and 4.55 R&P: 13.36

Stock '96 13.81
'96 with 6-speed: 13.70
'96 with 4.55 R&P: 13.57
'96 with 6-speed and 4.55 R&P: 13.50

Stock '97 Coupe: 13.24
Stock '97 NSX-T: 13.39
'97 Coupe with 4.55 R&P: 13.06
'97 NSX-T with 4.55 R&P: 13.20

It doesn't improve acceleration by much if you calculate it from standing start. However, at rolling start, it can be noticably different. Simply the fact that the car engine is subjected to less load due to taller gearing.

 

[nsxtasy]

It doesn't improve acceleration by much if you calculate it from standing start. However, at rolling start, it can be noticably different. Simply the fact that the car engine is subjected to less load due to taller gearing.

Sorry, Andrie, but even with a rolling start (say, from 10 mph), the '96 NSX-T with 6-speed and 4.55 R&P is not as fast as a '97.

 

[Andrie Hartanto]

Sorry, Andrie, but even with a rolling start (say, from 10 mph), the '96 NSX-T with 6-speed and 4.55 R&P is not as fast as a '97.

How do you know?

I tested it back to back, you know.

 

[JChoice]

I recall seeing newer acceleration calculations from Bob Butler in a past issue of NSX Driver - I'm not sure if the Prime numbers are the newest. Bob's numbers in the NSXD were more accurate because of the way he calculated acceleration.

I can't find the issue but I remember seeing a considerable improvement in performance from gearing in the quarter mile. Horsepower made a bigger difference of course but the gearing work certainly seemed worthwhile for me.

Honda thinks that the short gears + the R&P is a worthwhile upgrade. Afterall, it comes standard on the Type R.

I have the 4.23, short gears, and the lightened flywheel. I love the way the car feels now. It's definitely much more fun to drive. If anything, I encourage people to get a lightened flywheel. The gears are great but I'm not so sure if it was worth the $$.

 

[nsxtasy]

How do you know?

I know from Bob Butler's calculations.

I tested it back to back, you know.

Yes, and all you have are your perceptions, not any actual measurements. And even if you had measurements, they could be affected by differences in driver inputs from one run to another, which the calculations are not.

I recall seeing newer acceleration calculations from Bob Butler in a past issue of NSX Driver - I'm not sure if the Prime numbers are the newest.

The numbers I have been posting here are taken from Bob's newer acceleration calculations published in NSX Driver, not any that might be in the FAQ.

I can't find the issue but I remember seeing a considerable improvement in performance from gearing in the quarter mile. Horsepower made a bigger difference of course but the gearing work certainly seemed worthwhile for me.

Yes, that's consistent with Bob's numbers. No one is saying that the gearing changes don't help, overall; they do indeed improve acceleration. But the question asked, and answered, here, is whether the improvements resulting from the gearing changes are as great as the those resulting from the power increase. They aren't.

As to whether the improvement is "considerable", that's a subjective term. One person might term an improvement of a tenth of a second or two to be considerable, another person might not. The numbers (as published by Bob and shown in my earlier post) show exactly how much improvement there is.

Also keep in mind that actual improvement and perceived improvement may be two different things. It's like putting on a louder exhaust that doesn't change power; the actual acceleration may not be any different, but there may be a perception of improved acceleration due to the louder sound. Similarly, with gearing changes, there may be the perception of greater acceleration than actual because you reach redline sooner. However, to the extent that that is due to a lower road speed at redline, that part is perception; the actual improvement in acceleration (as reflected in the numbers) may be less than it is perceived to be. And, with gearing as well as exhausts, that perception may make a mod desirable, all by itself - beyond what the actual improvement is.

But the original question asked here was what causes the actual improvement in acceleration. And the answer is that the power difference causes more than the gearing difference.

The gears are great but I'm not so sure if it was worth the $$.

Cost (and value, or "bang for the buck") is yet another issue but that hasn't been raised here.