Question #2. What was your first impressions when you first time saw an X?

[Jett]

The first one I ever saw was parked in Severna Park, Maryland. It was a red 1991, and I think it belonged to Pat Sajak who has a home in that area (his wife is from that county).

I thought it was drop-dead gorgeous. The smooth flowing lines just blew me away. I didn't even consider owning one until about ten years later when I happened to see a used black automatic for sale in Florida. I arranged for a purchase, flew down, and picked it up. The main relay failed on the way back when I was in North Carolina. I had it flatbedded to an Acura dealer and the tech brought the main relay back to life by tapping on it. The dealership didn't have a main relay in stock, so the tech told me that I might get home by tapping on the relay when it went out. I left the dealership and the relay dropped out about a mile from there. I revived it by tapping it and drove the rest of the way home with no more trouble. When I got home, I searched the internet and discovered NSXPrime while searching for information on the main relay, which incidentally I had fixed at an electronics repair shop by having the tech resolder the connections. The same relay is still in the car.

That black automatic now has 134,000 miles on it, 86,000 of them put on by me in five and a half years.:wink:

 

[TURBO2GO]

My favorite part was the rear wing and how it blended into the fenders. God I thought that was a gorgeous design detail. So what do I do 15 years later when I actually buy one? Take out my favorite part and put in a hideous R wing. :biggrin:

 

[VegasSpeed]

I thought, "Damn this is a cool car. I really want one." then I saw the price is said, "WTF?" This a lot of money for a Honda. Back when they first came out I couldn't understand the prices. $90k for a NSX with no V8 in late 90s early 2000 didn't make much sense. When they first came out it was still cool to have the V6 but later on I thought to myself, "Why not beef up the engine?"

 

[HotWls]

I had seen NSX's from a distance prior to my first test drive and have always been in awe at the looks of the car. I remember my first and only test drive of one, it was 1998 and I saw a red 94 coupe sitting in a car lot on my way to work. I stopped to inquire about the price only, and the salesman practically begged me to take it out. (I found out later it was an excuse for him to drive it as well since he had never driven one). Finally I said ok, surprised that they would let anyone take it out. The salesman had to drive it away from the dealership and in a few short blocks I think he tried to grind all 5 gears.
We stopped to switch seats next to an onramp to I-5 south. Before I knew it I was going 90+ toward the Marquam bridge. It was insane quick and once we got by my work downtown I stopped at a red light and realized I was looking up at a Volkswagen Jetta. That’s when I was hooked 100% on finding the right one.

 

[enesexdreamer]

First time I saw an NSX it was lust at first sight. I would fantasize about all the good times I would have with it. Now that I'm love, I'm still trying to full fill those little fantasies and then some:biggrin:

 

[Paul91]

The funny thing is, when I see another NSX on the road, it seems so much lower than mine. There is something about seeing another one that strangely reminds you how small and low these cars are. I guess seeing mine every day doesn't have the same effect. But when I see another one...the appreciation goes right back up for me!:smile:

 

[Tanto2]

Wow, I'm not going to popular here. The wing caught my eye right away, and then the interior looked awesome, but they always had them up on pedestals in those days. I have been a BIG mid engine fan for a long time, so I did like the form follows function design somewhat, but overall I was not all that impressed. I thought "nice little car if you could get a wrecked one cheap and stuff a real engine in there". 270 HP for that money was outrageous to anyone but the very well healed or the Honda faithful. Adding HP in those days was almost impossible, Honda is known for tight safety factors, and getting big rubber under a honda was always a problem, so I wrote it off(not that I could afford one at that point anyway). The magazine articles never gave it the kudo's it deserved, therefore not beckoning a test drive. And the dealers would hardly let you near one, the idiots. I only drove a used one as a fluke, and boy was I surprised, and I owned it three days later. Honda really screwed up by not courting the magazines better and getting more comparisons with 911's. To ego infested americans, magazine opionion is HUGE. And they should have brought the R here, just seeing the impressive R numbers would have created a great Halo effect that Honda still hasn't gotten. And probably never will IMO. Just glad I've got mine.

 

[docjohn]

first time I saw an X was playing tic tac toe with my grandfather:tongue:

 

[gdae]

Honda really screwed up by not courting the magazines better and getting more comparisons with 911's. To ego infested americans, magazine opionion is HUGE.

I don't know, Tanto2 ... it looks like we have different memories. To me it seemed like the magazines raved over the NSX for years and years. I've got a rack full of automotive magazines with NSXes on the cover, and in the comparisons inside, the NSX always did well for itself.

 

[oscar_driver]

I wil share my first impression also:

When the NSx came to life i used to live in Brazil (i was 12) and NEVER ever saw one (i know Senna had one) it was legend itself and for me my dream car from magazines/videos/etc etc .. then in 2000 when i came to US for the first time i saw one, it was @ the Miami International auto show, but the one i saw it wasn't the Acura sample but one parked right outside, i WIL NEVER forget, i was walking and i told my GF, HOLD IT, there's an exotic car there maybe a Bugatti or something, I remember like yesterday thinking and telling her, WHOA this is sweet, so small, so sexy yet so refined, I told her, IT MUST BE ITALIAN, IT GOT TO BE ITALIAN, this is no north american-german-or japanesse car ,, then i looked inside and i saw "ACURA" and i was WHAT? .... she had an integra and i told her, wait a second (i got very confused for some seconds since we don't know what the hell it's "acura" in europe or south america) then i realized yes it an NSX, a Honda NSX .. man, that car was super dirty and with the horrible small wheels, but me, I WAS ABSOLUTELY in love (and converted) then a week later i saw an S2k and i also Loved, .... i thought it was a Z8 from the distance, but the impact could never be the same as the NSX did, i still daydream about a NSX and i'm almost there again, i chose to buy a house 1st + have kids etc B4 my NSX but i am getting again ready!
OScar

PS: i know has no power like a freaking base Corvette but in the NSX case for me it's more like a option than brute i have the fastest car thing, it might be the fact that i was a HUGE F1 fan in the glorious 80's

 

[westernb4]

The magazine articles never gave it the kudo's it deserved, therefore not beckoning a test drive.

Car and Driver has always been glowing in its praise of the NSX, from the car's first release up to the present time.

I trust their opinions and their evaluations played a strong role in leading to my purchase of my NSX.

 

[Tanto2]

I don't know, Tanto2 ... it looks like we have different memories. To me it seemed like the magazines raved over the NSX for years and years. I've got a rack full of automotive magazines with NSXes on the cover, and in the comparisons inside, the NSX always did well for itself.

When I read magazine articles, I look for the embedded "code" that tells one what the author really thinks about the car, generally ignoring the final para's. IMO only maybe three articles out of twenty or so the first ten years were anywhere near what one found in 911 articles. Like I said, I had no idea it handled with F-cars until I drove it. Thats how the nsx got the moniker of "the most mis-understood sports car". I too believe I have every article published in the US for the first 10 years. Just look the zillions of 911 articles by comparison. IMO they just didn't court the media. I love their humbleness, but it doesn't sell cars. And the US gears REALLY hurt the performance numbers. Americans go right to the perf charts, and except for braking, we were screwed there. Just my personal observations, not meant to be combative.

 

[gdae]

Nah, didn't read it as combative.:smile:
I think I'll use this topic as a good reason to go home an re-read my old magazines ... try to see it from your angle.

 

[Bear]

Re: Question #2. What was your first impressions when you first time saw an NSX?

1991 at a NJ Acura dealer. It was red and it was cordoned off like an art masterpiece. I was awestruck by the car, the presenation and the magazine reviews. That very same car is probably still around and maybe owned by someone on this group.

 

[blvnhim]

Quote from 1991 Motor Trend magazine: "It's the best sportscar the world has ever produced. Any time. Any place. Any price."

 

[prestonmay]

It was love at first site (Callaway Vette 2nd choice at the time)

WOW, but is it really worth the 80k price tag???

My mom wanted to test drive one. At the time the dealership wanted 5k dep before you test drove....