Colin Sato's

Finishing First

Ever since it was introduced in 1991, the Acura NSX has been a bit of a sports car enigma. Can a car so reliable, so hassle free really be called an "exotic" car? There seems to be an unwritten rule that to qualify as an exotic car, you have to suffer character building breakdowns, and mysterious leaks from places unknown under the car. Since the NSX imposes few such penalties on its owners, there are those who question the cars pedigree and mission in life.

Mr. Honda told his design team to provide Acura with "a limited production, hand-built, exotic, mid-engine sports car that set new standards for performance, refinement, reliability and drivability." The engineers at Honda were determined to design and build this "New Sports car eXperiment." They decided that the car would embody everything they had learned at the racing circuits of Formula 1 and would be styled after the F-16 jet fighter. The result was the 1991 NSX.

In order to meet these goals, Acura built an all-new assembly plant at the site of the Honda proving grounds in Toguchi, Japan. This plant would be different from most other assembly plants. The unfinished bodies would be moved from station to station on dollies instead of the usual assembly line. This would allow each craftsman to use as much time as necessary to insure the car would be perfect and consistent.

Each NSX is a product of meticulous design and all the components that go into this remarkable car are carefully crafted to meet the highest standards. Chassis, Engine and Ergonomics all excel.

Chassis:

The goal of the advanced chassis design for the NSX was light weight. With this in mind, aluminum was specified for the body as well as the suspension pieces. This use of aluminum for the entire unit body allows the engineers to meet the goals for strength and rigidity while keeping the chassis light. The unfinished chassis weighs only 462 pounds including the doors, trunk and hood. The final finishing involves 27 painstaking steps. The NSX undergoes electro-deposition of a special chromate anti-corrosion primer, followed by a slow bake to bond the material permanently to the aluminum. Anti-chipping primer is applied and baked, then four coats of finish material, each baked and hand sanded are applied, thus insuring a glass-like durable finish.

Engine:

The engine that powers the NSX is of the most sophisticated engines ever designed for a production car. Some of the noteworthy features include:

An all-aluminum engine for lighter weight, improved efficiency, and better acceleration.

Titanium connecting rods, a production car first for smoother high RPM performance.

The first application of our race proven VTEC technology in a production car.

I've spoken of this technology many times before, but it is so revolutionary it's worth mentioning again. Especially since our competition has started to tout their versions of variable valve timing. These systems only vary the timing, they do not change valve lift or duration like our VTEC system does.

In a major departure from mass-produced engines, each NSX V-6 is built from start to end by one mechanic. He is never rushed, and freely chooses his own parts, carefully weighing them for a perfect match. For 1998 the engine was enlarged to 3.2 liters. From this modest increase in displacement we achieved a meaningful increase in horsepower to 290, but more importantly an increase in torque. The car does a much better job of pinning the occupants into the seat than ever before.

Ergonomics:

What can we say...this may be to most user friendly super car ever built! Most mid-engined cars suffer the same compromises, limited rearward visibility, and limited leg and headroom. However careful design and engineering has eliminated these problems. Additionally, Acura engineers paid special attention to the ergonomic details like the placement of the various switches. This insured that all the controls like the radio and a/c would be within easy reach of the driver.

Careful improvements to this car have kept it fresh and exciting. 1999 saw the introduction of the Alex Zanardi edition that celebrates his two PPG ChampCar drivers titles. This limited edition, (only 50 made) serves up a lighter chassis, a race tuned suspension and is avaliable in any color so long as its Formula Red!

We have one of these special cars in stock, please stop by our showroom to see our beautiful 6-speed Berlina Black NSX-T. To assist with ownership, Acura has some very special lease rates that could surprise you! Mostly you’ll just want to marvel at a car that 8 years after its debut, is still considered the best all-around sports cars ever made.

This had to be one of the most difficult newsletters I’ve done in a while. First of all, I hope you noticed that I have changed the format of the newsletter. I’ve wanted a different look for quite some time now, and with the completion of my Web site, I was able to divert some free time to designing a new look for Finishing First!

The second reason this one was so challenging was because there is so much to say about the NSX, I had a hard time narrowing the information down. Many of the things that make the NSX so special are very technical in nature, these details are fascinating but hard to distill down to "one line." For those of you who "thrive" on the details, I’ll have more available on my web page.

As you read this newsletter, you’ll find my Web page in its nearly completed form available for browsing. This will always be a work in progress but for now go to: home.hawaii.rr.com/colinsato to read my past newsletters, see pictures of Franceen and I, our cars, intrests, hobbies, and of course Bart.

That’s all for now, but please remember me if anyone you know is in the market for a new or used car (please remember I can sell Hondas from our Pflueger Honda store too). I make every effort to make all my customers feel comfortable and I hope that buying or leasing a car from me is a fun and pleasurable experiance.

If you refer someone to me, please call me in advance so we can set up a time to get together. If they end up purchasing a car, as a courtesy, we will thank you with a check for $100.00 or a gift certificate to Roy’s, your choice. Don’t hesitate to call me on my cellular 255-1255, that’s why I have it, and it’s also the best place to leave me a message. Thank you for all your support!