Car reviews

Introduction

The Honda NSX was designed as a direct competitor to the Italian supercars like Ferrari and Lamborghini. Honda's idea was to create a supercar that wouldn't suffer from the poor reliability of Italian alternatives and that would be more affordable than any other supercar ever built.

The company's management started toying with the idea of a 'cheap' supercar in mid 1980s when they even ordered a prototype car from Pininfarina design studio. However, it was only around 1989 when they committed to building the car.

Exterior & Interior

Although the initial prototype was built by Pininfarina, for the production model they created a dedicated in-house team. The car received every bit of know-how that Honda had accumulated during its decades of excellence. The NSX project even incorporated technology found on F1 cars and fighter jets and the result was impressive. The NSX is a very stylish car and although it does look different to its contemporary Ferraris, the NSX has an elegance and velocity in its design, so much so that no-one doubts its sports car status.

You would expect that a car that looks as good as the NSX would feature a comparably impressive interior design. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The NSXs interior is rather simple and bland. You won't find any futuristic extras that you'd normally see on a Ferrari. Of course, a 'peoples' supercar couldn't possibly have the same specification as the more expensive Italian cars, but a bit more flair and creativity would have been appreciated by the customers.

The design was slightly improved in 1998 and then again in 2002. The interior of the car, regardless of the age, is comfortable and practical. The anatomical seats provide a great grip and there's even a decent size boot space.

Drive

If you intend to drive enthusiastically in an NSX, extra skills would help but are not essential. It's quite an easy car to drive and is suitable for everyday life. The NSX is a great option for people who want to have a sporty car but cannot afford to own a 2nd car. It feels like a proper super car, you get the G-force when accelerating and braking. The cockpit is spacious and comfortable and it also provides above average visibility, which is often a problem in supercars.

Whatever they took from their F1 experience has paid off, the car possesses perfect grip and it is a joy to handle. The car is very confident around the corners and there's almost no body roll whatsoever.

Faults & Repairs

Although Hondas are very reliable, the NSX is a supercar and should be treated as one. On maintenance you'll be spending more than you'll spend on a family sedan, but the difference is not huge. The main thing that has to be kept in mind is that the NSX will need proper servicing after every 6,000 miles. The car is very sophisticated so if you decide to buy this Honda, you should buy from a specialist dealer or have someone very knowledgeable with you.