so i bought a new car.....

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01blacks4

Experienced Member
Joined
28 September 2004
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1,742
ok guys, i just bought a 92 nsx..love the car so far. i drove it 1500 miles home with no problems and i must say. Very comfotable car to drive, prolly the best ever. Contrair to what most beleive it is not the best handling but is very very nice...more power would help. which brings me to the next issue.
why is the car feel so heavy and slow? it seems like the engine even Rev's very very slowly. i have had people say i need gears, FI, LWFW. Will any of this help? i am looking for the car to FEEL quick, to have some grunt of some sort. it seems like now it is making all kinds of noise yet not really going anywhere. This by the way is how my wife described riding in the car. So help me out here how can i make this more fun for me to drive? i got home from picking it up and got back into my S4 and even though "what did i just buy?"
I love the car and see the potential, just looking to have it climb the RPM ladder a little faster. (FWIW i know it is a large rev band but so is the audi, only 900 rpm difference, and that car, even in neutral revs twice as fast as the nsx) not very scientific i know, use this as make the point of my concern. thanks for any input.

Marc
 
If all you're looking for is to rev faster, try a lightweight flywheel. Either that or just give your car to me.
 
There is a question I gotta ask, did you even drive the car before you bought it?

I for one would not get a car that I was unhappy with, buy it, and then start complaining about it on a forum.

I'm sure you'll get alot of interesting comments from our members.

Before bashing the car itself, how was the car treated by the previous owner?
 
RyRy210...I don’t feel I was bashing on the car at all, I think I even said that I love the car...seems you are doing the bashing....I was just noticing what I feel are some inadequacies in the car in its current form and what to do to help fix them. Yes I did drive the car before I bought this and a few others, both FI and NA; this has always been an underlying concern. so just to add my own interesting comments, before bashing myself why don’t you please give me some insight on my dilemma or keep your thought to yourself.

as far as the vette, yes they are fast but that is about all they have going for them.

please everyone lets not feel like i have insulted your children or something. Everyone here has one or two things on thier car, or house, or at work that they would like to change or make better. this is one of those things.
 
I know what you are talking about and it is lack of Torque. Remember, the NSX makes a lot less TQ than the S4. The NSX will really never push you back in the like a big V8. This doesn't make it slow, it just means it is different. If you lined the S4 up and the NSX up, I think you would see it is easily as fast, but just feels different.

Short gears will help on "feel" but in reality don't do much for actual 1/4 times.

FI will help for sure, but the car still does not make a ton of TQ. To me a CTSC just feels like a V8 instead of a V6. Same linear power delivery, but to me it is much more fun.

The 97 NSX will again "feel" a lot faster than a 92 because of 1) gearing 2) TQ. In reality, it is not THAT much quicker.

You might want to look at a low boost Turbo to get the feeling you really want. Currently though you don't have many options to really create a lot of TQ quickly. Factor X of course has the fastest, but most expensive solution.
 
Frankly, it sounds to me like you are using too high a gear. For maximum acceleration in the NSX, keep it in the lowest gear possible without exceeding redline. In a '92, that means first gear up to 45 mph, second gear up to 81 mph, third up to 114 mph, fourth up to 144 mph. So if you're doing 60 mph and you want to pass traffic quickly, don't just leave it in fifth gear or downshift to fourth; drop down to second gear. Same thing for off-the-line acceleration; keep it in first gear up to redline before upshifting to second.

You wouldn't want to drive this way all the time, of course; it will consume lots more gasoline than necessary. (Try 9 mpg on the racetrack.) For everyday driving, you're likely to leave it in fifth gear on the highway, and the highest gear possible (without lugging) most of the time, and it won't seem all that quick. But when you need the acceleration, it's available right there at the end of your right arm.

The NSX is wickedly quick overall, far far quicker than heavy cars like most Audis. You don't need to modify the NSX at all; even a bone stock early 3.0-liter NSX can out-accelerate a brand new Audi S4. What the NSX gives up in torque, it takes back in gearing and in lower weight. But it's only quick if you drive it that way. Leave it in fifth gear, and it will feel slow. Use lower gears to get maximum acceleration, and you'll understand what the NSX is all about. Try it.
 
While I do appreciate everyone’s info so far, I just want to clarify, I never said it was slow, just that it felt slow, I agree it is a TQ issue which I know is something that this car is not the best at, hence my reasoning for a quicker revving engine.
I realize that allot of people may not drive the car as you have described xtasy, but I assure you this is not the case, as far as lining up against the s4, I am not defending the car in the maniacal way that some people on here and the Audi forums do but I promise, it will not out accelerate the Audi, even being heavy and everything else you have spoken about it just will not happen. I do know this car well a I own 2 of the S4's
One is 99% stock the other is well over 400hp to the wheels and over 400lbs TQ, I realize that they are different machines and will not ever be similar enough for a true comparison.
I also plan on a low boost turbo setup...something around 400 hp or so..
This still hasten answer the question, is there a way to increase the speed in which the engine winds up?
It isn’t a TQ issue 100% because it is still slow with out any load, thus it is an ignition/engine weight issue
The LWFW sounds like an option what about crank pulleys? Knife edge crank?

Thanks for all the help guys.
 
01blacks4 said:
I promise, it will not out accelerate the Audi, even being heavy and everything else you have spoken about it just will not happen.
Click to expand...
That's just flat-out wrong. Maybe you've been hanging around those Audi forums too long.

The simple fact is this: the NSX will out-accelerate the Audi S4, if both cars are stock. That's not just me talking; that's what the major car magazines say. The 2004 Audi S4 has been shown in tests to do 0-60 in 5.4-5.5 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 14.0. The 3.0-liter '91-94 NSX Coupe typically does 5.2-5.3 and 13.8, and the 3.2-liter '97+ NSX does 4.8 and 13.3.

I would be happy to provide multiple magazine references for those numbers if you still refuse to believe them...
 
nsxtasy said:
The 2004 Audi S4 has been shown in tests to do 0-60 in 5.4-5.5 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 14.0. The 3.0-liter '91-94 NSX Coupe typically does 5.2-5.3 and 13.8, and the 3.2-liter '97+ NSX does 4.8 and 13.3.

I would be happy to provide multiple magazine references for those numbers
Click to expand...
2004 Audi S4
Road & Track, Dec 2003: 5.4 and 13.9
AutoWeek, Aug 30 2004: 5.4 and 14.0

3.0-liter '91-94 NSX
Car and Driver, Sep 1990: 5.2 and 13.8
Motor Trend, Dec 1990: 5.4 and 13.7

3.2-liter '97-04 NSX
Motor Trend, May 1997: 4.8 and 13.3 (NSX-T)
Car and Driver, Jul 1998: 4.5 and 12.9 (NSX Coupe)
 
Hello. I have driven pretty much every thing with wheels, including the Audi S4, and can tell you that the Audi feels faster because of the very significant kick of the twin turbos. But in all actuality it is only a 'feel' for the Audi. As far as the stopwatch is concerned, the NSX is faster and that cannot be denied when comparing stock to stock.

If you are looking for a car that kicks you in the a$$ with acceleration, then you should not have bought the NSX. That kick in the seat is reserved for foced induction and big motor cars. The NSX is fast in a different way. Considering your experience with twin turbo cars, this may be why you feel the way you do. I hope this helps.
 
01blacks4 said:
RyRy210...I don’t feel I was bashing on the car at all, I think I even said that I love the car...seems you are doing the bashing....I was just noticing what I feel are some inadequacies in the car in its current form and what to do to help fix them.
Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to offend you by using the word "bashing", but for some reason pointing out inadequacies in a car and bashing to me means the same thing.

01blacks4 said:
i got home from picking it up and got back into my S4 and even though "what did i just buy?"
I love the car and see the potential, just looking to have it climb the RPM ladder a little faster.
Click to expand...

Your "what did i just buy" comment was the reason why I posted the way I did. Seems like you have a love hate relationship with the car.

Again, I apologize if I offended you.
 
01blacks4 said:
why is the car feel so heavy and slow?
Click to expand...

congratulations on your new purchase.

This is the first time I ever heard a NSX owner use the word heavy and slow.

Perhaps, it might be running in 5 or 4 cylinders, that is the only thing I can think of, lack of power steering might also give you the illusion of been heavy car.

NSX has fairly flat torque curve, not powerful but it should feel light and quick with great throttle responds, if you in the correct gear.
 
01blacks4 said:
This still hasten answer the question, is there a way to increase the speed in which the engine winds up?
It isn’t a TQ issue 100% because it is still slow with out any load, thus it is an ignition/engine weight issue
The LWFW sounds like an option what about crank pulleys? Knife edge crank?

Thanks for all the help guys.
Click to expand...

I'd do the Flywheel and see what you think. In my Civic racecar I went from the stock 22# flywheel to a 7.5# aluminum flywheel. It revs like a sportbike. Literally.

Do some research on crank pulleys. They may be OK in an NSX engine, but I know that Civic motors have a tendency to puke main bearings within 10K miles of replacing the OE crank pulley.

Knife edgeing is an extreme operation for a street car. For the expense of doing that I think you'd get better gains out of bumping the compression and going with something like Type R cams.
 
If you have so many issues with the car, I would have personally waited a little longer before purchasing it. Don't see the logic in purchasing a car that you have so many "issues" with. I've owned a 94 and a 97, and I've never felt they were slow.

1. Just this past weekend, I test drove a new S4 (v8, non-turbo) and wasn't very impressed.

2. Felt very sluggish, heavy, etc.

3. Henceforth, I didn't buy the S4.
 
01blacks4 said:
While I do appreciate everyone’s info so far, I just want to clarify, I never said it was slow...

It isn’t a TQ issue 100% because it is still slow with out any load....
Click to expand...

:) ?????????????


Something sounds wrong. You and your wife don't weigh 300+ lbs each do you? :eek: That would make sense if the car feels slow to you. :D
Accepting your posts at face value I'd advise you to sell the car and move on. Mods aren't gonna do it for you.
You "prolly" would be happier adding some other car to your stable that can better measure up to your 400hp at the rear wheel Audi. :cool:
 
pbassjo said:
You and your wife don't weigh 300+ lbs each do you? :eek: That would make sense if the car feels slow to you. :D
Click to expand...
Even if you each weigh 300+ pounds, the NSX with both of you inside would still weigh less than an Audi S4 with no occupants...
 
just so we are all on the same page, xtasy, it is not the 04 s4, its the "old" 01 twin turbo, much different that the new one but please let me know what you find in your search as to what is posted.
as far as buying/selling the car and move on, i do like this car even with the TWO things that i have asked about. i am frankly alittle amazed that everyone fells this car is so perfect that there is no room for advancment, maybe that why they made it for so long?

hey thanks for all the kind words and helpfull input guys, it really did help.
oh yeah and its 330 and 285 lbs. not 300 each.
 
01blacks4 said:
i am frankly alittle amazed that everyone fells this car is so perfect that there is no room for advancment, maybe that why they made it for so long?
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt that, there are plenty of room for advancement, especially in the HP department, one reason why so many people on this forum have upgraded mods, supercharger, turbo, I/H/E etc.

Bone stock it is still a quick car, maybe slow compare to any other highly modded cars with 350+rwhp or more, but definitely not heavy (my Supra single turbo is much faster/violent), but felt like it weights twice as much when not making positive boost.
 
I think that I sort of understand what you felt and meant. At one point, I had an M3 (although this is not an S4, it is closer to the S4 than an NSX) and NSX at the same time. When I first drove the NSX, I was a bit surprised that it did not "feel" super-fast as I had imagined. Nevertheless, as I spent more time driving the car, I got used to the unique feel of power delivery that NSX provided. When I got back to the seat of M3 as well as my father-in-law's Porsche 996, although I definitely felt the low-end grunt of those cars, they certainly did not feel as FAST as my NSX (3.0). My wife agreed. My sister-in-law agreed. Even my father-in-law agreed. Those cars did not scare them as much as NSX did when driven hard.

Since then, I have driven numerous high-powered cars, but no car has struck me as a super-fast car as NSX does.

You may want to spend more time with your NSX. Also, make sure that there is nothing wrong with your car and you are pressing the pedal to the metal in the correct gear.
 
If you insist on spending money to address a problem that exists only in your head... Take the advice that others have given you: No mod will make your car feel faster while revving in neutral like a lightweight flywheel.

However, the zero-cost way to appreciate what you have is to unlearn whatever false association you have made between torque and fast - If you are going to obsess over numbers, at least obsess over the right ones: Torque to the wheels and weight for starters.

Now that you own an NSX, you should also be capable of defining it based on your first-hand experience (instead of using your experience to confirm the deficiencies you have heard or read about before). You should also consider the advice of others, particularly about how to drive the car (compared to others you have owned).

And sheesh - Forget about the stereotypes of members of this site and NSX owners, in general. The community is made up of individuals who think on their own.
 
I'll assume your question is legit and you're not baiting us, possible reasons for a slow-feeling NSX: you are used to more torque, you bought an automatic, you are used to forced induction, or there is something wrong with your car. Any number of possibilities including a bad TCS sensor may cause this feeling. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the correct assumtion Jim, The car does go into see Mark Basch on friday so we will see. Ojas, i have been considering the LWFW as i know the car will be needing a clutch so....
Also i was and am not Stereotyping the forum or its members i was just stating that the forum seemed to be living up to that reputation....i was waiting for these indivduals to speak up :)
 

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