Andrew Frankel – The Honda That Taught the Supercar Establishment

To understand its impact you have also to understand the context of the time. Back in 1990 there were no Audi supercars and no McLaren road cars of any kind. Its opposition was the Porsche 911 in its effective but ugly rubber bumper 964 guise, the beautiful but tricky Ferrari 348 and the already ancient Lotus Esprit. And the NSX came along and made them all look silly.

It took years, decades actually, but today and only off the record, there are engineers at Maranello who will talk about the NSX effect. Back then all we needed to do was wait for its next car. The F355 was meant only to be a facelift of the 348, but thanks in no small part to the NSX, it was the most comprehensively improved in history, turning the worst Ferrari I’ve ever driven into what still ranks among the very best. Moreover, if you look at Ferraris made since, while some have been better than others, there’s not been a single duffer among them. Thank Honda for that, or at least for helping Maranello realise that great looks and that badge were no longer enough.

What was so good about the NSX? Almost everything. On an emotional level it had a V6 that sounded better than a Ferrari V8 and, with an 8000rpm red line, revved higher too. Its gearbox was like a rifle bolt, its performance good enough. And its handling was sublime, thanks to its lightweight construction and unbelievably expensive components like forged aluminium wishbones. What’s more it was spacious, had a reasonable sized boot and was sufficiently good in the ride and refinement departments to make long journeys a joy, not a chore.

Of course there was stuff we didn’t know about the NSX back on those early road based drives, like its rear suspension was set with so much toe it could wear through a set of tyres in 5000 miles flat or less, or that while it was great on the limit it was pretty merciless towards those who strayed beyond.

But to me, it was the future and it gave me one of the drives of my life. Aged 24, I took one across Wales at speeds I shudder to think about today, marvelling at its poise, pressing that extraordinary motor to the limiter in as many gears as I could, realising I was seeing the future.

A few weeks back I drove another old NSX, but this time one right from the other end of production with a 3.2-litre engine, six speed gearbox and ugly Perspex light bubbles. And while most old cars I revisit having tested them when new tend to disappoint, the NSX had lot not one whit of its charm. I was completely besotted.

Of course there are NSXs and there are NSXs. The automatics are to be avoided, not only because the gearbox is awful, but because they came with detuned engines and first generation electric power steering. I’m not sure I’d want a targa-topped NSX either. But a simple, manual NSX coupe? It’s a car I’ve always wanted and, having just driven an all new NSX, never more than now. Prices appear to start at around £30,000 and my bet is they’re only heading one way from there.