In the 90's, a sports car came from Japan to match the best that was made in Europe – I would even say better! Even with less power, the NSX embarrassed many models with little horses on the symbol…
There are days when it's worth the mental effort to remember the already distant 90's, when Honda decided to give Western manufacturers a monumental beating. We lived in a time when issues such as anti-pollution rules, concerns about consumption, or the sovereign debt crisis were things for people with little to think about. Mainly in Japan, leader of economic growth, there was an authentic “sports car” fever.
“A car that is said to have an almost telepathic chassis. Just thinking about where we wanted to go and the trajectory happened almost by magic"
At that time, the launch of sports models in Japan was only comparable with the rats' reproduction pace. It was around this time that models like the Mazda RX-7, Mistsubishi 3000GT, Nissan 300ZX, Skyline GT-R – not forgetting the Toyota Supra, among many others, saw the light of day. And the list could go on…
But in the midst of this sea of overwhelming power and performance, there was one that stood out for its efficiency, precision and sharpness: the Honda NSX. One of the best born and most distinguished Japanese sportsmen of the 90's.
Compared to its Japanese and European rivals at the time, the NSX might not even be the most powerful – not least because in fact it wasn't. But the truth is that this factor has not inhibited him from giving a “beating the old Portuguese style” to all his opponents.
Honda concentrated all its knowledge about engineering (and good taste…) in a model that, after collecting so many successes, would earn the nickname of “Japanese Ferrari”. With the big difference that, unlike the Ferraris of the time, Honda owners didn't have to drive around with a mechanic in the trunk and the service number in their wallet – lest the devil weave them… As if this weren't enough, the reliable NSX cost a fraction of the price of the fancy Ferrari.
The NSX was therefore a difficult mix to match. It maintained the reliability of any common Honda but behaved, whether on the road or on a circuit, like few others. And it was precisely in this field that the Japanese super sports car made all the difference to the competition.
Thanks to the central placement of its engine – a practically hand-built V6 unit! – and its “monocoque” aluminum structure (an absolute novelty in production cars), the NSX curved curves and made “shoes” on mountain roads. It made up with a chassis for what it lacked in an engine. Not that it was amorphous, but given the power numbers of its competitors it was at a disadvantage.
A car that is said to have an almost telepathic chassis. Just thinking about where we wanted to go and the trajectory happened almost by magic. This fact is not unrelated to the help of one Ayrton Senna, who, through countless laps he made at the Suzuka circuit, gave invaluable help to the Japanese engineers in the final set-up of the car.
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The result? Most sports cars of the time when compared directly with the NSX, resembled donkey carts bending. European cars included…! To the point where Honda's technical superiority in designing the NSX has embarrassed many engineers over there in a land called Maranello, Italy. Have you ever heard of it?It was all these credentials (low cost, reliability, and performance) that kept the model in operation from 1991 to 2005, practically without any changes. Apparently Honda is tempted to repeat the feat…