How NSX Got Its Place In History?

Honda NSX, produced in America under the name Acura NSX, is included in the list of the best Japanese cars. It bears the status of a legendary sports car and is a source of pride for many owners. Let’s figure out together how this supercar became a symbol of the Japanese automobile industry and was able to take its honorable place in history.

Why is the NSX called a Legendary Car?

Many motorists call the NSX a legendary car. This became possible due to many factors influencing people’s perception of this sports car. Today, you can only buy a used or salvage NSX since the production of new models stopped in 2022. Nevertheless, this car remains popular and in demand.

Experts call innovation one of the main reasons for the popularity of the NSX. This model was the first sports car with an aluminum body. Using the NSX as an example, many famous automakers (for example, Jaguar, Ferrari and others) also began producing their cars with a base made of a similar material. The second reason for the popularity of this model is its exclusivity.

Over the 15 years of production of this sports car, only about 9 thousand units were produced, which automatically turned the NSX into a relatively rare car. In addition, some of its varieties were made in 5-10 pieces, adding exclusivity to the model. Each such car cost up to half a million dollars and was sold exclusively at high-status car auctions.

An important reason why the NSX began to be called a genuinely excellent sports car is the involvement of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna in working on the car. This Brazilian racing driver helped Honda refine the NSX test model. He tested it on the famous Japanese Suzuka circuit and gave the developers many recommendations for improving the car. Senna’s authority and knowledge, as well as his status as a people’s favorite, helped the NSX become famous worldwide and turn it into an almost ideal sports car. Similar test runs were carried out in Japan and at other circuits. For example, at the Nurburgring (Germany), the NSX demonstrated its excellent maneuverability and good handling, which was quite rare for sports models of the past.

Its high reliability is the next factor that allowed the NSX to become a legendary sports car. It became possible thanks to the painstaking work of the developers, who refined every detail to perfection. As a result, even with very active use, this car could function without breakdowns for many years. High reliability also allowed the NSX to become the most durable sports car in the world. This vehicle is also known for its unsurpassed aerodynamics. To achieve this, the developers studied US military aircraft in detail and used the information obtained to create the NSX. The car accelerates smoothly and minimizes air resistance thanks to its non-standard shape. This positively affects driver comfort and makes the vehicle’s behavior more predictable.

The Emergence and Development of NSX

The history of the NSX goes back over 30 years. From the first days of its existence to the present day, this transport has been constantly improved and adapted to modern automotive trends. It successfully passed several difficult stages and deservedly received the status of a legendary vehicle.

1984-2005

Even though the first NSX became available to customers in 1990, their development has continued since 1984. Over six years, the HP-X concept was created, allowing the creation of a genuinely innovative sports car. After some time, its name was adjusted and made NS-X (“New Sportscar eXperimental”).

This is precisely the name given to the new car, removing the “-” from it. The first version of the sports car from Honda had an aluminum body, a 3-liter V6 engine, and a 5-speed gearbox (manual). In 1994, the latter was replaced by SportShift (F-Matic). It was an innovative gearbox (4 speeds), which made it possible to move the lever to switch from manual to automatic.

In 1997, Honda NSX received a slight update over the base model. This was an increase in engine capacity from 3 to 3.2 liters. Thanks to this, two modifications appeared. The first was called NA1 (3-liter), and the second was called NA2 (3.2-liter). The next major update had to wait until 2002. That’s when the NSX lost its famous pop-up headlights. After three years, production of this model was discontinued. The reason for this was the desire of Honda (Acura) to create a second-generation sports car and make it the best of the best.

After 2005

Work on the new generation NSX did not begin immediately after information about its possible creation appeared. Initially, Honda (Acura) expected sales to start in 2010. For this purpose, a prototype of the future sports car, which received a V10 engine, was created. It was tested on various tracks, but it never reached production.

The official version voiced by Honda was the poor economic situation and the lack of suitable conditions for production. In the first months of 2011, talk of the possible appearance of the NSX began to appear in the media. However, the creation of a new sports car was officially announced only a few weeks before the end of the year. In 2015, the world saw the production model of the NSX. It went on sale only in 2016.

Manufacturers did not change the name of the famous sports car but corrected the decoding. NSX now stood for “New Sports eXperience”. This is not the only thing that has changed. If Gen1 models were produced in Japan, then Gen2 models were made in the USA. The new car received a V6 engine (3.5 l) and three electric motors (2 of them were part of the transmission), as well as a 9-speed transmission (automatic). The NSX body remains aluminum. 

Moreover, some of its parts were made of other lightweight materials that had not previously been used to create vehicles. In 2021, the NSX Type S appeared, which differed from the one described above with higher engine power. The NSX models were discontinued in 2022.

The Future of the NSX

Even though the NSX has not been produced since 2022, it is too early to end this car’s history. In a few years, the legend may be revived. Naturally, this will be a slightly different car, which the developers will adapt to modern realities. Nevertheless, it will bear its legendary name and could become the third generation of NSX.

Whatever the new NSX is, it will be an electric car. This is explained not only by modern trends in automobile production but also by Acura’s development direction. Relatively recently, it released its new electric vehicle. It was the second generation ZDX crossover, which will go on sale in the first quarter of 2024. Many people call the release of this car an attempt to replace the NSX with a more popular model these days. Despite this, I hope that the ZDX will become a test version; taking it as a basis, Acura will create an updated third-generation NSX.

Japan has given the world many car models that have become legendary and taken their place in history. However, among all the famous supercars of the past and present, special attention is always paid to the NSX. Many people call this model ideal in every sense of the word. It has an attractive appearance and excellent characteristics and is distinguished by reliability, safety, and comfort. In addition, the NSX links the past and the present. All this makes the car unique and worthy of a high place in ranking the best vehicles in history.