G-man and the NSX logs some tracktime!

[G-man]

Hey gang, anyone out there miss me while I was gone?! I didn't think so.

Anyway, aside from working 60-80 hours a week like you all do, I have been spending a lot more time on the race track with my 2000 NSX. I tell you what, if you own an NSX and have never had the chance to get it out on the track, you really don't know what you are missing!

I am a member of VIR Club (Virginia International Raceway) Motorosport Country Club in Danville, VA. For those of you who have never seen the track, it is 3.3 miles and 19 turns of pure adrenaline! Members can log FREE track days. I was there recently for one of the free days and decided to take the 2000 NSX-T since my Porsche 911S was in the shop.

Thanksfully, there was another NSX owner that was there that day too, and he was able to give me the inside scoop on the track from the NSX point of view. For the sake of argument, lets just say that ones courage is likely to give out before the NSX will! The car is incredibly stable, very quick in 3rd gear (6 speed) and so fast it will make you want to carry more life insurance.

At VIR they have a 3,000 ft and a 4,000 ft straight that will allow NSX owners to get up to almost terminal velocity very quickly. The NSX has so much useable torque the Porsche 911s are having a hard time keeping up in the turns. It was not uncommon for a modified Porsche 911 to want to get by me on a few of the curves, but when the road opened up and you signal to let them by, they are nowhere in sight.

The VTEC engine revs strong and smooth. The car seems almost glued to the track the tires can get so sticky. The brakes are so unreal that some instructors riding with me would grab the handrail and scream to hit the brakes... but then the car would come to almost a complete stop 50-100 ft. from the entrance to the curve... if you dared take it to where you should brake, the instructors were white knuckling it all the way.

So, let's recap here... 2000 NSX-T: Outbrakes anything at the track that day. Out accelerates most anything without a Turbo in it coming out of the curves and keeps even the best of them at bay in the curves... hmmmm, sounds like someone in Engineering did their homework.

If you guys only get the chance to drive your NSX to work, you really are missing out! There is nothing better than driving the car the way it was intended to be driven in a totally safe and controlled environment with the focus on safety and fun.

The next FREE track day is August 25th, and you can bet that I will be there again... and this time... the Porsche stays in the garage.

------------------
Gordon G. Miller, III
Y2K NSX #51 Yellow/Black

[This message has been edited by G-man (edited 20 August 2000).]

 

[nsxtasy]

There is nothing better than driving the car the way it was intended to be driven in a totally safe and controlled environment with the focus on safety and fun.

That's the whole idea behind the track event at NSXPO, which includes instruction for those who have never driven on a racetrack before. And, of course, you get to see an entire track filled with NSX's.

 

[JChoice]

Uh Oh.

Until I read your post G-Man, I was going to try to keep the NSX off of the track. I have another car that I push to the limit out there.

Any risk of chips on the car?

 

[ChopsJazz]

Whenever I track my car I wear a bra. Actually, my NSX wears a bra. It keeps the chips to a minimum.
Gordon, now that you've found the thrill of the NSX on the track, how can you part with it? I suggest you find your money to invest by selling off something not so dear to you. Like a house or a porsche or a family member. We're gonna miss you.
Now, how can I get in on an ivestment with a 300% return rate?

 

[nsxtasy]

Any risk of chips on the car?

I haven't encountered any chips on my car in numerous (50+) track events. I suspect I've gotten more chips driving the interstates to and from the track than when I'm actually on the track itself.

I HAVE gotten numerous black marks - I'm not sure what they're from, but I suspect it's from chunks of rubber on the track getting kicked up by a car I'm following. But these marks buff off easily with some Zymol HD-Cleanse (I'm sure Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover and 3M Perfect-It Hand Glaze work equally well for these) and the car looks perfect again.

 

[Edo]

hey G-man, are you using the Stock Brake Pads/Rotor's?
I've got a '91 coupe (which if I remember right has smaller Rotor's)and I've found that the brake's arent really all that up to par. Coming down from 140+mph even light braking will get the Rotor's hot enough that they will start slight fade, and even start to feel kinda rough. I hear you guys rave and rave and rave about the NSX's braking and wonder if there is something wrong with my brakes..

 

[nsxtasy]

Coming down from 140+mph even light braking will get the Rotor's hot enough that they will start slight fade, and even start to feel kinda rough. I hear you guys rave and rave and rave about the NSX's braking and wonder if there is something wrong with my brakes..

Fade is due to the pads, not the rotors. The roughness is the beginning of "brake shudder". Both problems are described in the FAQ part of this website. There are various cures, including cooling ducts, aftermarket pads and rotors, and, for more money, bigger calipers (which may require bigger wheels).

There is nothing wrong with your brakes, it's just that driving on the track, or doing hard braking from 140, generates a lot of heat for ANY car's brakes.

 

[G-man]

Hey gang, thanks for the feedback.

First off, I can assure you that the car is fine on the track and off. As an extra measure of protection, I use either racers tape, or clear tape on all exposed intake points and front pieces that are likely to get chipped. I have to agree that the car is in more danger of getting nicked on the way to the track on the interstate than it is on the track.

The other thing to remember is that my car is a 2000. The comparison between the '91 brakes and the '00 brakes just can not be compared. The larger diameter rotors and the new compound pads make for truely AWESOME stopping power. I can out brake any 911 (up to but no including those pesky 1997 993 based twin turbos).

As far as selling my car goes, I am still considering its sale, because I would be a fool to turn down the opportunity to make another $500,000 with the proceed from the sale. The car is nice, but it ain't that nice.

For those who can't get enough, I have detailed accounts of last Friday's duel with a Ferrari 360 that you just don't want to miss. I will send the photos to Lud and let him post them where best suited. Needless to say the 2000 NSX held its own pretty well against a brand new 2001 Ferrari 360 Modena Coupe with the F1 transmission... even outgunned with 110 more hp, and the 1,000th of a second shifts of the F1 transmission! It was awesome! Oh, did I mention both of our cars were yellow!

More to come!

------------------
Gordon G. Miller, III
Y2K NSX #51 Yellow/Black

 

[ChopsJazz]

G-man, I have had a similar experience with an F355 with F1 shifters at Laguna Seca. I tried to get around him coming off of turn 11 heading onto the front straight. It turned into a drag race side by side down the straight, but I carried a little more speed through the corner so it took the whole length of the straight to finally get around him. It was fantastic to be able to hear that engine running flat out and shifting at redline right next to me! We both had passengers for that session and my car is slightly modified, making 271 rwhp.
In a post on this site you can be directed to find results of the NorCal Dyno Day. An F355 showed up and only posted 291 rwhp. That's a lot of drivetrain loss, if you ask me, and it explains why we were so evenly matched on the track.

[This message has been edited by ChopsJazz (edited 28 August 2000).]