1991-2005 Acura NSX: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

What some observers considered to be Acura's "Ferrari-fighter" went on sale in summer 1990, accompanied by considerable fanfare. Part of that fanfare had to do with price, because this new entrant from Honda's luxury division was the most expensive Japanese-brand car on the U.S. market. Because of its instant popularity,too, dealers began to sell them for more than sticker price. An all-out midengine sports car, the new NSX 2-passenger coupe had a body and suspension made of aluminum. Transversely mounted in the middle, between the seats and ahead of the rear axle, was an aluminum 3.0-liter V6 engine, with dual overhead cams and variable valve timing. All of the initial NSX coupes had 5-speed manual transmissions, and the V6 produced 270 horsepower. When a 4-speed automatic transmission arrived a few months later, the engine in that model dipped to 252 horsepower. An NSX could accelerate to 60 mph in a swift 5.6 seconds, according to its maker, and run a quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds. Acura intended to offer no more than 3000 cars per year in the U.S. market. Chassis features included a fully independent suspension, antilock all-disc brakes, traction control, Yokohama A-022 tires (205/50ZR15 in front and 225/50ZR16 out back) on forged aluminum wheels. Acura claimed to be the first manufacturer to offer electrically driven power steering, but it was available only on models with the automatic transmission. Standard equipment included a driver's airbag, leather upholstery, air conditioning, 4 speaker Acura/Bose stereo system power windows, power locks, a tilt steering wheel, and automatic climate control.