Redesigned rear end treatment
Driver's Notebook: New Look, Old Favorite
April 2, 2002
During the test-drive, our yellow NSX, like the stripe down the center of the highway, stuck to every twist and turn. The engine, located amidships, provides excellent balance, along with a suspension setup biased to promote understeer, rather than a twitchy tail. A traction control system and limited slip differential also perform their parts when needed. While 290 hp isn’t what it used to be now that the Ferrari 360 Modena and Corvette Z06 have made 400 the magic number, the superslick, short-throw, 6-speed transmission, 8,000-rpm redline, and Honda VTEC variable valve timing combine to make maximum use of every pony on board. A side benefit of staying hard on the 3.2-liter V-6’s electronic throttle is the aural pleasure usually associated with a Ferrari at full song.
While Honda has already begun to lay its plans for a totally new NSX, possibly in 2004, the present edition nonetheless represents the ultimate refinement of an incredibly advanced original design. Yellow paint or not, the 2002 NSX still has what it takes to turn heads, and drivers’ hearts.
2002 ACURA NSX
-Engine: 3.2-liter, 24-valve dohc aluminum alloy V-6
-Power: 290 hp at 7,100 rpm
-Torque: 224 ft lbs at 5,500 rpm
-Zero-to-60 time: 4.9 seconds
-Transmission: 6-speed manual
-Wheelbase: 99.6 inches
-Curb weight: 3,153 pounds
-Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/
24 mpg highway
-Base Price: $89,000
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