In 1990 the world of supercars changed forever with the introduction of the Honda NSX. It was a new revolutionary Japanese supercar that was gunning for the Italians and Germans. Skip to 2016, and the NSX changed the supercar world once again. It was a high-tech hybrid supercar with an electric motor and a V6.
The NSX has always offered so much for so much less than the rest, it's a proper supercar. The new NSX is the best Japanese supercar money can buy right now. Or is it? The old one was a legend and there are many reasons why we would buy it over the new one.
10 The New NSX Is The Best: Value for Money
The new NSX provides great value for money. It starts at $157,000, which is a lot, however, it is more than $10,000 less than the Audi R8 and over $30,000 less than a McLaren 570s. It's just as fast as those two cars and just as good-looking too. It features a lot of tech as standard, and it's also quite reliable and easy to maintain.
There are just so many reasons why we want to drive the NSX and that's why it's such great value. It is fun to drive and so cool to look at.
9 We'd Rather Own An Old NSX: It's an Icon
The Honda NSX first-generation is a supercar icon no matter what anybody says. It was made to rival the likes of the Ferrari 348 and Porsche 911. Honda started development in 1984 for the NSX. The first-generation car was launched in 1990, and it was far cheaper and more reliable than any of its rivals from Europe. Production ended in 2005.
It was the first car ever to feature an aluminum semi-monocoque. It had a redline of 8,000 rpm, and it was developed by Honda's F1 team. The man who developed the McLaren F1, Gordon Murray, had one, and he loved it. It was a Japanese car that was a total gamechanger.
8 The New NSX Is The Best: The Technology
The old NSX featured some cool technology, but it's nothing like the new one. It features a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 500hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, as well as three electric motors, two in the front and one in the rear, pushing out 73hp and 76 lb-ft of torque, for a total output of 573hp and 476 lb-ft of torque.
The NSX is an all-wheel-drive supercar that can hit 60 in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 191 mph. It's a very advanced car that nobody seems to buy.
7 We'd Rather Own An Old NSX: A JDM Legend
The first-generation Honda NSX is a proper JDM car. The latest one is a brilliant Japanese car, but it's not made in Japan. It's made in Ohio. There's nothing wrong with that but what it does mean though is that it doesn't get the same JDM status as its grandfather. The old NSX was a proper JDM car and if you're going to talk about JDM legends, the NSX's name comes up.
This JDM icon also had so many cool body kits available for it. It was a proper 90s Japanese sports car that rivaled the likes of the Skyline GT-R and the Supra.
6 The New NSX Is The Best: The Performance
The old NSX was really quick back in its day, but it's nothing compared to the new one. The new NSX explodes to 60 in under 3 seconds and goes on to reach a top speed of 191 mph. It is absolutely insane, and it can easily keep up with its European rivals on both the straights and in corners.
The acceleration is instant thanks to a 9-speed dual-clutch gearbox and an AWD system. The power is put down very well.
5 We'd Rather Own An Old NSX: The Looks
The new NSX looks great, but the old one looks better. It looks so retro and so unique. It will one hundred percent get looks from people as it's so unique. It is just an icon and on the pre-facelift model, there are a pair of sexy pop-up headlights.
The NSX first-generation is just a legend. It looks like a race car and no matter how good the second-generation looks, the first-gen will always look better.
4 The New NSX Is The Best: Easy To Use
The new NSX is very easy to drive. It's a 9-speed auto with big comfy seats and a sat-nav. It even has an electric motor for better fuel consumption. It's a simple car to drive fast with AWD and lots of driver aids, anyone can drive it to its limit quite easily.
The NSX was always designed to be more comfortable than its rivals. But obviously, a car made in 2016 will be more user-friendly than one made in 1991.
3 We'd Rather Own An Old NSX: A Proper Drivers' Car
The old NSX was a proper driver's car. Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna helped develop it, and he is the reason why the chassis is 50% stiffer than it was before he got involved. After a test drive, he criticized the chassis, and luckily, Honda took this very seriously and improved the car immediately.
The NSX felt how a supercar should. It was built by expert engineers and people with experience designing and building Formula 1 cars and engines. It's a beauty to drive, and it has been perfect from the factory.
2 The New NSX Is The Best: Interior
The new NSX has a striking and organized interior. It is very well-built, and it puts some of its rivals to shame. It is quite an interesting interior as it's very driver-focused. The driver can easily access anything they need. From the gear-selector to the navigation. Though the optional cupholders are next to the passenger which is a bit of a stretch.
It is a luxury car, sold under the Acura luxury name in North America and China. It is in fact one of the best Acura cars ever made.
1 We'd Rather Own An Old NSX: It's Rising in Value
The old NSX is increasing in value each year. Manual NSX models, which are quite rare today, go for a lot of money.
The new NSX is depreciating because it is still quite a new car. The old NSX had to go through that too. But who doesn't want a car that they can not only enjoy but sell it more than what they pay for?