It’s not just the noise that’s grabbed me though, even if the archaic albeit clean-cut dashboard is rather take-it-or-leave-it. Devoid of any multifunction whatsoever, the Alcantara steering wheel feels so immediate in both feel and placement. It’s angled so directly at my chest that old YouTube clips of Honda F1 cars and hot laps of the McLaren MP4/4 around Monaco start flicking through my head. There’s hardly a more ridiculous comparison than my good self and Senna, but the knowledge that the three-time champ was instrumental in developing the aluminium chassis beneath me begins to grow in significance. Even if the surprising thickness of the car mat means I keep getting it caught under the throttle with my right heel…
I’m enjoying this. The sense of nostalgia is starting to build, the bubbling potential beneath the surface amidst the civility of the cabin difficult to ignore. Though I’ve been cautious so far with the American-spec MPH speedometer and as the traffic is beginning to thin, I gradually pick up speed. There’s a turning to my right that heads out into the desert down a couple of winding stretches, and I can feel my patience snap. Time to see what the hype is all about.
The result, as I start my run, is initially underwhelming. A gentleman’s agreement between Japanese manufacturers back in the 90s meant the NSX’s V6 was limited to just 280bhp and torque to 217lb ft, placing the 0-100kph time towards the six seconds mark: even despite a 1410kg kerb weight, today the NSX could be outgunned by a reasonably well-kept Volkswagen Golf R. As a result, acceleration from the lower revs is steady at best. An upshift brings with it a tangible rock in the cabin, but there’s little in the way of energy below mid-range. Only once the rev needle swings past 4200rpm does the V6 come alive.
The engine roar finds a new sharp note, and there’s a spike in punch from the throttle as ‘linear’ gives way to ‘aggressive’ before the 8000rpm redline. In the lower revs, the Honda maintains a quiet civility, but above that lies a 90s Ferrari-bating energy.
Still though, despite the renewed energy of the acceleration, the mid-engined V6 is not the blue ribbon winner, for that would be the steering. There’s a stunning balance to the NSX mid-corner that beggars belief. Low centre of gravity and clever weight distribution means a fluidity (providing you keep the revs up) that can be fully exploited through the long sweeper. Keep feeding the power in and though the front end is loaded up, there’s no trace of understeer to deal with.
“A gentleman’s agreement between Japanese manufacturers back in the 90s meant the NSX’s V6 was limited to just 280bhp and torque to 217lb ft: today the NSX could be outgunned by a reasonably well-kept VW Golf R”
Indeed, the chuckable nature of the NSX and the level of grip at the front means the rears soon begin to twitch, with little electric nannying preventing them from snapping sideways. Fortunately the lack of power steering means feedback from the front end is beautifully accurate, offering an engagement that modern supercars can’t replicate. At low speeds, this lack of power assistance makes three-point turns a good workout for your shoulders. And yet there’s a magnificent balance between the tautened body control and supple damping. I’m reminded though that this performance comes from a car now 26 years old as the ‘fuel low’ light starts blinking on the dashboard.
By the time the camera car has caught up, I’m several runs in, the soft hiss from the stereo completely obliterated by the V6 scream at high revs. I can feel a knot of tension starting to build in my right shoulder blade, an after effect of the physical nature of the steering. My right foot, having been bent around the centre console for several hours, has now fallen asleep, my brain has banned internal mathematics as night descends and the ratio between kilometres and miles completely escapes me. Even the fuel gauge has started reminding me that I’ve gone slightly overboard this afternoon.
It’s all been worth it though, providing a peak into this iconic ‘90s supercar. On roads like these, the magnificence of a time now gone begins to assert itself. There’s little give in the steering but sensational amounts of grip and poise through the corners. The acceleration may be sub-par by today’s standards but there’s plenty of drama in the high revs. And the soundtrack, from a V6 of all things, is about as throaty and magnificent a tone I’ve come across yet. It’s an equation that makes me re-consider the weight of expectation lauded on the new NSX. Make no mistake, it is enormous.
This morning, I’d respected the NSX’s reputation, yet never experienced it firsthand nor considered it a ‘must do’. Now, with the sound of that V6 still ringing in my ear, the superb balance and lofty handling capabilities still resonating, I wonder whether my 90s self missed a trick. Whether aligning myself with the Delta on SEGA’s desert stage over the NSX on Laguna Seca was the right way to go.
Technical specifications available on page 3
