When the original NSX came out in 1990, everyone took notice. Literally everyone, from volume-oriented automakers to the cream of the crop in Maranello, Sant’Agata Bolognese, and Stuttgart. But as it’s often the case with a trailblazing car, the "NSX effect" faded away rather fast.
Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche all took notice, stepped up their game, and overshadowed Honda into trivialness. The Japanese automaker took eons to reimagine the NSX for the 21st century, and as you’re well aware, the second generation is one of the automaker’s biggest commercial flops.
For starters, it’s nowhere as revolutionary as the original. Secondly, the $156,000 price tag for the 2016 model year was - and still is - ludicrous by Porsche 911 standards. But most importantly, the U.S.-built NSX doesn’t have the brand recognition and performance to justify that ridiculous price.
Have a wild guess how many units were sold in 2020 over in the United States where Honda rebrands the NSX as an Acura. If you said 128, congratulations! The Nissan GT-R doesn’t fare too well either with 304 to its name, down from 1,730 in 2008 when the R35 was brand-spanking new.
The question is, which of these Japanese thrillers deserves your hard-earned money? According to Mat Watson of Carwow, the NSX is much easier to live with and to drive at the limit while the R35 has tons more personality.
“It’s more of an event to drive, and that’s what you want from a supercar. As we progress in the digital age, the NSX will start to feel a little old whereas the GT-R will be refreshingly archaic with its simple, mechanical, analog internal combustion engine. I love it, and that’s why it wins this test.”
I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. A few numbers to back up those claims wouldn’t hurt, and Watson is much obliged to offer them to us.
From zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), the 573-hp NSX needs 3.26 seconds while the 592-hp R35 rips the hybridized supercar to sheds in 3.01 seconds. Over the quarter-mile, the much older and less complex GT-R dominates the midship rival in 11.05 vs. 11.28 seconds.
Given this subjective and factual information, are you surprised that few people actually consider the NSX while the R35 still is relevant in 2021?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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