The First-Generation Honda NSX: Bold, Revolutionary, Incomparable

Penned by Honda rather than Pininfarina, the New Sportscar eXperimental premiered in February 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. Marketed under the Acura brand in the United States of America and Hong Kong, the midship sports car is rocking a full-width rear spoiler and much smoother design cues in comparison to competitors from the Prancing Horse of Maranello.

Although it originally gunned for the 328, the NSX went on to rival the 348 of 1989, which is the final mid-engined V8 sports car developed by Ferrari under Enzo’s direction. When Honda retired the long-lived NSX in 2005, the Italian automaker had already launched the incredible-sounding F430.

Manufactured at the Takanezawa R&D Plant through 2004, then the Suzuka R&D Plant through 2005, the New Sportscar eXperimental is the world’s first series-production car with all-aluminum unibody construction. There are conflicting reports over how much weight Honda has saved by using aluminum instead of chassis, but nevertheless, the curb weight of 1,370 kilograms (3,020 pounds) made it lighter than the Ferrari 348 of that era.

From the standpoint of suspension componentry, Honda didn’t cheap out. Double wishbones, forged control arms, and anti-roll bars are present at both ends of the V6-engined icon, which employs 282-millimeter brake discs on every corner. Augmented with ABS technology, these brakes are complemented by 15- and 16-inch forged alloys shod in Yokohamas.

Fed by a 70-liter fuel tank (make that 18.5 gallons), the V6 in the NSX is a very different animal from the V6 of the HP-X concept. Developed specifically for this application, the C30A is a 24-valve lump with variable valve timing and lift electronic control. Forged pistons and titanium connecting roods also need to be mentioned, along with a compression ratio of 10.2:1 and PGI electronic fuel injection. Capable of revving to 8,000 rpm, this mill boasts 270 hp at 7,100 rpm and 210 lb-ft (285 Nm) at 6,500 rpm.

The late Ayrton Senna had a big say in the car’s dynamics, together with CART legend Bobby Rahal and Satoru Nakajima, the first full-time Japanese Formula 1 driver and five-time Japanese Top Formula champion. Equipped as standard with a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, the NSX could be had with a four-speed automatic that came bundled with electric power steering. In addition to less driver involvement, the automatic had another downside to it: 18 fewer horsepower.

Capable of hitting 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in the mid-5s, the New Sportscar eXperimental showed Ferrari how it’s done for a lower sticker price. For the 1991 model year, the Acura-branded U.S. variant retailed at approximately $62k while the Ferrari 348 tb started at $101k.

The first performance-oriented version came in 1992 under the NSX-R moniker, a Japan-exclusive version that numbers only 483 examples. 1993 saw the introduction of a passenger-side airbag, less toe-in at the rear, and a different design for the center console. The first considerable development of the NSX came in 1994 with the introduction of the SportShift F-Matic. Essentially the same four-speed automatic as before, this transmission is rocking a small fingertip shifter right next to the windshield wipers stalk.

A targa-roofed variant, a.k.a. NSX-T, rolled out in 1995 with a slightly higher curb weight. By this moment, Honda dropped the ball as Ferrari wowed the world with the five-valve-per-cylinder V8 engine in the F355. The Japanese automaker responded with a 3.2-liter V6 in 1997, internally referred to as the C32B. Only available with a six-speed manual, this engine belts out 290 horsepower at 7,100 rpm and 224 lb-ft (304 Nm) at 5,500 rpm.

Automatic-equipped cars retained the 3.0-liter V6 with the same 252 hp as before. 1997 also saw the introduction of a different front spoiler and lighter panels here and there. Further blesses with larger brake discs, larger wheels, and improved software for the anti-lock braking system, the NSX still left much to be desired. The F355 wasn’t the only thorn in its side because 1997 is the year Porsche replaced the air-cooled 993 with the water-cooled 996.

Amid falling sales, a heavy facelift was introduced in 2002 with regular headlights, a stylistic change that was criticized at the time even though it was necessary due to safety regulations. Erroneously referred to as the NSX Type R, the NSX-R came back in 2002 exclusively in right-hand drive. The NSX-R GT, a homologation special that didn’t really help Honda in the 2005 Super GT Series, served as the final act of the first-generation NSX.

Definitely outdated when production came to a grinding halt, the halo sports car sold a little more than 18,600 units worldwide. Almost half of them, as in 8,997 examples of the breed, were delivered to customers in the U.S.