Car of the Day: Acura NSX

Often times I find myself thinking about the future, and as a car guy, that typically means endless hours spent perusing the internet for incredibly impractical used sports cars that my brilliant, dashing, well-traveled, and extraordinarily wealthy future self could potentially buy. A few weeks ago I became particularly intrigued by the thought of owning what was—until the launch of the Lexus LFA—the sexiest sports car to ever come out of Japan: the NSX.

A lot of people seem to hate on the NSX for it's sub-300 horsepower rating, but let's not forget what it was up against back in '91: Corvettes and Carreras at the time were putting out 250 bhp, and even Ferrari's 358 only made 300. Unfortunately for the 270 horsepower Acura, one year after its release Chevy's new LT1 V8 debuted in the C4, matching the Corvette's power with that of the 358—which sounded impressive until Dodge unleashed their 400 bhp Viper that same year. 

The years went on and power numbers rose across the board until the NSX was killed off in 2005 when comparably priced Corvettes were making upwards of 400 horsepower—not to mention the new Viper's 500—while the NSX seemed like it was still watching reruns of Darkwing Duck on betamax with its 290 bhp.

Not to worry though, yesterday's over-engineered future car is today's bargain, right? Well—slight problem: You can get yourself into a C4 Vette for the price of a handful of jellybeans and a used handkerchief, but if you want to park 3000 lbs. of aluminum Acura in your garage you'll be looking at upwards of $25k; double that if don't want the flip-up headlights.

For whatever reason though, none of this is enough to stop me from lusting after one. A properly set-up, lightweight, as-much-power-as-you-need exotic lite. Now seven years out of production, a used example is a cheaper alternative to a new Cayman R or Evora S with a sleek yet understated body that's not quite as ostentatious as a McLamberrari. The addition of a steering wheel and shift knob from the JDM-only NSX-R easily turns the interior into one of my absolute favorites, and makes a C6 ZR-1's look like a parts-bin sourced afterthought (which it probably is). Not only that, but with Acura's everyday supercar you get Honda reliability—plus titanium connecting rods.

Bring on the second gen! 

Honda NSX-R Interior [photo cred: netcarshow.com]

C6 Corvette ZR-1 Interior [photo cred: zorly.com]

Save the Manuals?

Not very long ago it may have seemed like manuals were here to stay. Their competition, the automatic transmission, had been absolute garbage since the dawn of the automobile—how so many people put up with them for so long is beyond me. Their delayed responses to input were intolerable, and they were so inefficient they could rob your engine of 5% more power over a standard trans, not to mention several MPGs. Pair one with an early drive-by-wire throttle system and the response was so slow and cumbersome you'd feel like you were driving the Curiousity rover. They were, and still are, a terrible curse bestowed upon untold scores of automobiles.

The Buick Reatta — Only available with a 4-speed automatic.

But those days are over, and the classic slushbox is finally being phased out. Every manufacturer from Ferrari to Ford is cramming the latest 13-speed quadruple clutch 'automated manual' into their newest models. They shift as fast as you can blink, and they know what gear you want before you do. They rev-match perfectly, and should you find yourself stuck in traffic you won't develop a case of tennis elbow in your knee—nevertheless, the enthusiast crowd isn't impressed.

Unfortunately, it wasn't just oddball 80s Buicks that lost their clutch pedals.

Arguments against the new automatics have flooded the web, and I just want touch on a few of the most popular to play a little Devil's advocate:

Dual-clutchs are too expensive! — Remember what a flat screen TV cost 10 years ago? New technologies always start expensive until enough well-off people pay for them. Once they do, the R&D can be done that enables manufacturers to bring the price down. Arguing that a car like the GT-R is undesirable because its transmission can be expensive to repair would be like telling a McLaren engineer that the MP4-12C is cool, but you'd rather it have a solid rear axle with leaf springs and a carburetor . . . Cars like the McLaren and GT-R pave the way for the technologies that later become available in cars we can actually, maybe, someday afford. 

Manuals promote driver attentiveness! — Many seem to be arguing that we should keep stick around because you can't text, shave, read, or put on make-up while trying to operate one. Not only can you do all those things while driving stick (don't ask me how I know), but even if you couldn't, it wouldn't do anything to lessen the number of distracted drivers on the road. The majority of people who succumb to these distractions would never buy a stick car in the first place. To them, driving isn't driving, it's commuting. It's taking a bus or a train except they're in control—though they wish they didn't have to be. 

Automatics require no skill! — Does your car have ABS? Power steering? Power brakes? Synchros? Radial tires? A locking diff? Yes? Then you may want to step back and reevaluate your argument. If it's skill you're after, perhaps Ford's Model T is the car for you. No ECU to steal your prestige here! You'll have to manually control the ignition timing as you drive—you may want to start doing some bicep curls though, hand-crank starters are a bitch. 

Automatics mean no control! — An older automatic or semi-automatic transmission would change gears based on RPM or throttle position regardless of your selected preference, but today's automated manuals typically have manual modes that put you back in true control.

Automatics aren't fun! — I could not agree more—but, did people not say the same thing about AWD? A new, expensive technology that, arguably, takes less skill to drive? And now we revere cars like the Audi Sport Quattro and Porsche's 959 as some of the greatest cars in automotive history. Cars that—even with the added weight of their AWD systems as a handicap—proved not only to be fast as hell, but damn fun too.

Believe it or not, Karl Benz's 1886 Patent-Motorwagen got 25 mpg, but its puny 1.5L fuel tank
meant for very short trips between fill ups. 

Whether or not the manual transmission is one of those technologies that's so good we keep it around long after its performance has been surpassed by new technologies is a hard question to answer. But, for the same reasons that people still drive rear- and front-wheel drive cars—not to mention ride horses and fixed-gear bicycles—I don't think we have to worry too much about losing our beloved transmissions.

We'll just have to pay more for them . . . 

AR

Photoshops created by Auto Reverie with photos used from:

Stamfordhistory.org
4wheelnews.com
Air-and-space.com
Media.salon.com
Naflaskodum.blog.is
Biography.com
Mplsrealtor.com
Web.educastur.princast.es
Latenightwithjimmyfallon.com

Priority Check

When the R35 Nissan GT-R first came out back in 2008 it was so outlandishly fast that just about everyone, apart from the most hardcore JDM fanboys, began scrutinizing the car to its absolute core.

Nissan's Godzilla [photo cred: torquenews.com]

First, Porsche accused them of running racing slicks instead of OEM tires, followed shortly by the news that the launch control system would void your warranty and blowup your gearbox. Well, it turned out they weren't running slicks, and by mid-2009 they had remedied the launch control issues. By now, the critics just started calling it ugly—which it is—but that doesn't mean it's slow; and although most people have given up and accepted the fact that the GT-R is just ridiculously fast, there are still some holdouts, and they've got quite the argument: 

The GT-R's numerous computer-controlled performance systems take all of the fun out of driving.

A pretty profound criticism coming from a group of people who've never set foot in a GT-R.

(Forget for now that the introduction of new technologies into automobiles and their effects on the driving experience is a whole other topic to get into . . . more on that later)

All bench racing aside, Nissan simply blew everyone's mind with its mildly affordable tech-savvy super car. 

Between that and the new all-electric Leaf, Nissan has put itself at the forefront of automotive technology, bested only by the likes of Tesla and Fisker. 

A Fisker Karma with a roof covered in solar panels—the future is now and looks so cool.

So what's next for Nissan?

Bring back the 240sx?

Perhaps use its status as a renowned global auto manufacturer to develop– oh, I don't know, an electric sports car that could give a Tesla Roadster a run for its money, yet cost 30% less?

Or even better, use the lessons learned building the R35 GT-R and Leaf to build an updated version of the ultra-rare and ultra-insane R390 road car and chase down Porsche's new 918 Spyder?

One of Nissan's 2 street legal R390 road cars [photo cred: istenbizony.hu]

Nope. 

Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn had something different in mind . . . 

And now, we don't get a new R390, 370Z EV, or even a 240SX—we get this:

The Juke-R [photo cred: the-car-guide.net]

The 100% useless Juke-R hyper-crossover . . .

Nissan, you've proven you're capable of making cars go fast, now please use your powers for good, and stop wasting everyone's time with this pointless engineering exercise. Build something that will truly get people excited about the brand and have Porsche begging for mercy. Something with sex appeal, that isn't just on par with modern super cars, but blows them out of the water. 

I really hope that the oil sheikhs Nissan is building these monstrosities for have invested millions into Nissan, because if not, I truly do not understand this car's existence.

In any case, it's certainly an interesting way to run a car company. Perhaps if Pontiac had built their concept Aztek-R their brand might still be around today . . .

The Pontiac Aztek-R concept took drivetrain and suspension components from the 638hp supercharged Corvette ZR-1 and shoehorned them into the Aztek's chassis.

The Aztek-R is only slightly completely fictional, yet exactly as absurd as the Juke-R, with the exception being that you could totally camp in it:

AR

Alphabet Soup

NASA HPDE in an SVT.

It has always been so easy for me to find an excuse not to do a weekend-long track event. 

I don't have the time.

I don't have the money.

My tires will disintegrate. 

I'll fry my brakes.

My car is 15 years old, has 123,000 miles, and I don't have a trailer . . .

Well, I finally ran out of excuses (a.k.a. grew a pair) and I have to say, it was absolutely stellar. 

When NASA (that's National Auto Sport Association—Neil deGrasse Tyson was not involved unfortunately) holds an event like this, it's not just novices and their instructors on the track all weekend, the big boys come out to race—for real. The cars here are totally insane.

Art.

Don't know much about this car besides DO WANT.

This alleged 900-horsepower twin-turbo Mustang was utterly deafening at WOT and unbelievably fast. 

And since this particular event was held at an uber-exclusive country club that, on any other day, would be totally private, there were some incredible machines amongst the paddocks.

Like what you see? You can rent each and every one of them at the Autobahn. Plus the garage in the background is chock-full of everything from Porsche race cars, to classic Ferraris, to the BMW 1 Series M, and Audi R8. 

It seems like nothing is off limits at these events...

Slicks so sticky they levitate boulders, strut tower braces with integrated breather filters, and Vettes with front wings.

Or how about this absolutely insane carbon fiber wide body Z4 with a dog box? 

Drivers in HPDE (high performance driving education/event) are working their way up a classing system consisting of 4 different skill levels—once you pass the fourth you're ready for time trials. All groups in HPDE have classroom sessions in-between their 20-minute run groups, and beginners will always run with an instructor. When you add it all up, the combination makes for an unbeatable learning environment.

Speaking of learning environments, this was the classroom at the Autobahn.

If you're a beginner you will be surprised how well your car can perform stock, and by the end of the weekend you will want to completely rearrange—or maybe even delete—your totally fiscally irresponsible car-parts wish list.(some tires and brake pads that will survive an entire weekend of track driving are highly recommended though)


By the end of the weekend I felt like I was hauling. I had passed nearly every driver in my group including several M3s, a supercharged Roush Mustang, and a couple C6 Corvettes. I was averaging over 70 mph around the track and feeling real good. At one point a couple of the Vette owners came over to check out the treadwear rating on my tires expecting to see R-comps, and saying, "you're really cookin' out there!" That was a pretty big ego boost for me considering I was going easy on my brakes and shifting 1000 rpm short of redline (4-year-old Hawk HPS pads, 123,000 mile motor, and no trailer, remember?). Alas, they were just the novices. Compare my times to those of the real race drivers, and I'm right around the slow end of the spec Miatas—Bollocks.

Reading about it not doin' it for you? Watch the video here.

There are so many things to love about a weekend at the track.

The sounds of open-header muscle cars, the smell of 103 octane, the simple metal creases that all come together to form the most gorgeous machinery you'll never be able to afford, and some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. They'll offer you their spare parts and tools, or a helping hand to get you back out on the track. And should you ever run out of elbow grease, they'll be there to give you a ride back to your hotel. The friendliness and camaraderie here is what makes events like this such a treat. So please don't be a freeloading mooch who only brought a change of underwear. Remember to be damn grateful when someone lets you borrow their stuff, and always return the favor! 

NASA provided dinner Saturday night. Salad, green beans,
bread, casserole, cookies and brownies—hell yes.

A fellow racer toasted the wheel bearing on his
 Miata, but with our powers combined (and a loaned
spare wheel bearing) he was back on track the
next day!

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. Even though I was averaging less than 9 mpg at the track and I had to spend 5 hours detailing all of the bug guts, brake dust, and rubber scuffs from flying tire chunks off my car, it was absolutely, 100%, totally worth it.

Now go do it. You won't regret it.

Always flog responsibly — Get a good night's sleep

Special thanks to my buddy Mike G. who I met through the MSU Racing Club. He told me about the event and was kind/crazy enough to be my instructor for the whole weekend — Thanks Mike!

Mike in his Lancer (one of his many, many race cars)

AR

Aging

One of the most unfortunate things about life as a living organism is the process of aging. And unless your name is Heidi Klum, you can look forward to many fine years of balding, wrinkles, weight gain, bone loss, and liver spots.

If you eat healthy, exercise, and generously apply your SPF 50, maybe you can slow down the process, but there's no stopping it. 

Thankfully, most cars tend to age more gracefully than we do. And while they may get dinged up, become faded, or even rusty, that sexy young Porsche that you fell in love with 10 years ago won't ever end up looking like this: 

Erin Wurm's 'Fat Car'

There is another kind of aging in the automotive world though. It's the kind that turned a once-prominent sports-car maker of the 90s from this: 

230 bhp, AWD, turbo Celica GT-Four — 200 bhp, mid-engine MR-2 Turbo — 320 bhp Supra Turbo

To this: 

But now, with the help of Subaru, and the introduction of the new FR-S/GT-86/BRZ, Toyota is finally getting back into the game. Both Subaru and Toyota have completely reinvigorated their brands with the introduction of their new lightweight, balanced, RWD, sports coupe. It's the rebirth of affordable automotive fun with its 200 horsepower 2.0L Boxer inline-4 for just under $25,500. And judging by the public's reaction so far, it's going to be a hit—which is strange, considering how a car with nearly identical specifications was just recently scrapped by its manufacturer after eight years of production.

It was the same price, lighter, with more horsepower and torque—surprisingly, considering its engine—and even had a second set of rear-hinged doors for easy access to the back seats.

Likely to become the last rotary-powered car ever mass-produced, Mazda’s rev-happy RX-8 was killed off this year. The little 1.3L Wankel motor just couldn’t live up to today’s strict emissions standards, nor the general public’s tepid response to an underpowered, gas-hungry sports car with a spirograph for an engine.

So, why is the FR-S faring so much better? 

39% better fuel economy certainly helps, but it’s biggest advantage might be that its older brother isn't a twin-turbocharged, Corvette-killing legend. Living up to a 30-year-old Corolla with less horsepower than a Prius is lot easier than being as bad ass as this:

Rev Speed's FD RX-7 on Tsukuba [photo cred: Modified.com]

Check out the stats:

If you’re in the market for an FR-S or BRZ, consider that you can find an early, low-mileage
RX-8 for less than $10,000. Whereas a new BRZ will set you back at least $25,500. If you go the Mazda route, you’re left with an extra $15k for gas in the identical-, if not better-performing
RX-8. Which means if gas costs $5/gal, you would have to drive your BRZ 193,750 miles before you started to actually save any money on fuel. . . Just sayin’. [See the math]

The BRZ STI on the other hand . . .

I need one.

It’s as if Honda’s S2000 has been reincarnated as a Subaru, and the flimsy ragtop got left somewhere in purgatory. It even has a place to put luggage besides your passenger’s lap—praise Buddha!

In any case, serious props to Subaru and Toyota/Scion for bringing us this glorious machine.

And a word to the guys at Mazda and Honda: 

Give us back the RX-8. Exchange the Wankel for a Mazdaspeed3 motor and call it the Mazdaspeed8—Done.

Honda, fill the mammoth gap between the Civic Si and the perpetually conceptual NSX (preferably with something that doesn’t suck).

Sincerely, 

AR

8 Years

Remember 2004? 

Things sucked.

Bush was president – again,

Gas prices topped the once unthinkable $2/gal mark, 

And I had to close down my totally bitchin’ Myspace account – how was I supposed to make new friends on a social network with no ‘poke’ function!?

Luckily though, things weren’t so bad for us hoons. Honda was still making sports cars, Porsche brought us the exquisite Carrera GT, and Ford’s Special Vehicle Team delivered another year of the glorious ‘Terminator.‘ Known to most as the SVT Cobra, it was the mightiest of Mustangs with its 390 horsepower supercharged 4.6L V8. 

It became the undisputed king of the pony cars – although the fact that the Camaro and Trans Am were both dead, and the Challenger had been out of the picture since the beginning of the disco-era might have had something to do with it . . .

Fun fact: Yes, there was a second-gen Challenger made between '78-'83, and yes, I've chosen to negate it, like most things
made in the 80s.

So what was a 390 horsepower Mustang to do with itself besides mock its embarrassingly slow little brother? 

Enter Subaru’s blue and gold rally rocket:

Unleashed onto the shores of North America in 2004, Subaru’s WRX STI was a potent machine. Even though it had 90 fewer horsepower, the Subaru's AWD system and light weight gave it enough of an edge to outrun Ford’s boosted muscle car at the strip and the track (HotRod Magazine). To the horror of muscle car fanatics everywhere, it was beginning to look like there might actually be a replacement for displacement.

Fast-forward a few years to Car and Driver’s 2011 Lightning Lap competition though, and the tables have turned. The new Mustang lapped Virginia International Raceway a full second and a half faster than the STI – worth noting here, is that this was the base Mustang. Yes – the log-axle, V6-powered, secretary’s Mustang just beat the turbocharged, Terminator-killer of yesteryear. Could you imagine if a base Mustang had beaten an STI in 2004? All of NASIOC would still be trying to un-bunch their Monster-brand panties.

Over the last 8 years, Ford’s Cobra has grown up into Shelby’s 662 horsepower, 200-plus-mph monster. Even the GT and V6 models are both up 100 horsepower from their 2004 brethren. Meanwhile, the STI has picked up an impressively stagnant 5 horsepower – woof.

AR