At the end of the eighties of the last century, Honda could boast of a brilliant sporting honors both on two and four wheels. If we stick to the Formula 1 world championship, the engines of the Japanese manufacturer have powered the cars of the world champion in 1987 (Nelson Piquet and Williams Honda), and 1988 (Ayrton Senna with McLaren Honda). But Honda needed a prestige sports model, an image of its power on the circuits that on the street would match its rival on the track: Ferrari.
It is in this context that in February 1989, at the Chicago Motor Show, a pre-series model is presented under the name of Acura NS-X: Acura is the luxury brand of Honda and NS-X stands for New Sportcar. experimental.
The origin of the project dates back to 1984, when Honda carried out a systematic analysis of the market and possible solutions for its own response to the notion of a sport model. At the 1984 London Motor Show, a prototype called HP-X appears, which was nothing more than the acronym for Honda Pininfarina e-Xperimental, and at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, the EXE, another prototype created in collaboration with MG-Rover ( Honda was a partner, then, of the British firm) is another step.
Its excellent behavior reveals a careful work of putting to paint in circuit
The idea is taking shape. The objective is to obtain dynamic performance of the highest level in all domains, to be able to rival the Italian and German “divas”, but not to “martyr” the owner: a series of requirements must be respected in terms of ease of use, comfort , and without having to be tied to costly and ongoing maintenance.
It is clear that Ferrari’s approach with its 308, 328 and 348 marked the right path. But, the Honda NSX, already officially launched in 1990, both in design and technology, appears with its own personality. More than twenty exclusive innovations are incorporated. Among them, its aluminum monocoque stands out, a first for a street model that entails a costly process but allows for a reduction in weight compared to steel. And other solutions from the experience of the brand in Formula 1.
The difficult bet on aluminum
The idea of an aluminum monocoque (and other parts such as suspension arms), becomes, we are talking about forty years ago, a challenge for the engineers led by Shigeri Uehara, considered the father of this model. Aluminum is a material with multiple advantages (low weight, does not rust…) but it posed serious problems such as welding or stamping. Finally, the collaboration between the brand’s engineers and suppliers, a job of several months and unlimited hours that led many technicians to sleep in the factory itself, came to fruition with the development of five different specific aluminum alloys for the Sling.
Aerodynamics was another of the most careful chapters
The extensive use of this material made it possible to save two hundred kilos. Of course, this did not translate so dramatically into the car’s final weight due to the incorporation of abundant equipment including automated air conditioning, electrically adjustable leather seats, cruise control, airbag (miniaturized thanks to a novel material) in the center of the steering wheel, stereo, four-way anti-lock brakes, stability control (happily disconnectable), more electrical controls such as those for power windows, exterior mirrors, door locks, antenna…. This is common in any sports car today, at that time it was a revolution. In total, the NSX weighed 1,370 or 1,410 kilos depending on whether it had a manual or automatic gearbox. The distribution of weights, key in behavior, was preponderant over the hindquarters (58%).
A V6 engine
Like Ferrari, at Honda the engine is the heart, and racing is the source of inspiration. Thus, the engine of the Japanese sports car, installed in a central transverse position, was a beautiful 3-liter V6 with 24 valves. Built in aluminium, with steel sleeves and titanium connecting rods, the power supply was entrusted to a Honda PGM-F1 sequential injection, and each of the six platinum electrode spark plugs had its own individual direct ignition system. Optimized in power and torque according to the speed of rotation thanks to various mechanisms (such as the V-Tec variable distribution system) it offered 274 CV at 7300 rpm, 700 from the beginning of the red zone of the rev counter. The power to weight ratio was very close to the Ferrari 348 and the Porsche Carrera 2.
The V6 engine was placed in a transverse central position
In terms of performance, the brand indicated an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 5.9 seconds, the kilometer in standing start covered in 13.9 seconds, and a maximum speed of 270 km / h.
Senna, Suzuka y Nurburgring
An important chapter in this story would be the set-up. In this phase, the Japanese circuit of Suzuka played a key role. There, since February 1989, the car was undergoing a test program that coincided with the tests of the McLaren and Honda teams, with the Formula 1 single-seater, and none other than Ayrton Senna. The technicians did not miss the opportunity and asked the Brazilian to get behind the wheel of the NSX. Senna criticized the lack of rigidity of the monocoque, key when it comes to achieving a good job of the suspensions. Honda engineers took good note of the pilot’s considerations. Another part of the testing program took place in the fearsome “Green Hell”, on the old Nurburgring track, where Honda would establish a working base for several months.
The image of the NSX has been forever linked to that of Ayrton Senna
And the truth is that the final result, its behavior, revealed all this careful work: the Honda was a worthy rival to the Ferrari 348 (300 hp) and the Porsche Carrera 2 (250 hp), and with one difference: it was less delicate of driving on a track, in the opinion of pilots who tried it at the time. And understand that talking about behavior on the track is important because the Honda was, like the Ferrari and the Porsche, one of the few sports cars that allowed themselves the luxury of shooting on a circuit without exposing their weaknesses.
For manufacturing, which began in June 1990, Honda also took the utmost care. This is how it was built in the Tochigi pilot factory created for the NSX, employing two hundred hand-picked people with a minimum of ten years’ experience on the assembly line. In principle, they assembled, almost by hand, twenty-five units a day. And this work would also be up to the objectives of the brand, a reliable sports car, with a simpler and cheaper maintenance than that of its rivals, as well as a more adjusted consumption.
Apart from the dynamic behavior, the well-being of the occupants was taken care of
In the international presentation to the press at the Suzuka circuit, Ayrton Senna was present. By the way, that Honda would give the Brazilian three NSX for his personal use, and one of them, after his death in 1994, would be kept by his family.
Almost nineteen thousand units of the Honda NSX were manufactured until 2005, the year in which the life of this first generation of a sports car that is part of one of the most outstanding chapters in the history of the brand created by Soichiro Honda, and which has also been linked forever to the figure of a legend, Ayrton Senna.