EXOTIC RACING SERIES CAR OF THE DAY: Acura NSX

Submitted by Kirk Pedersen on Wed, 2010-03-17 07:49

Here we go, folks, the last car in the Exotic Racing Series for Need for Speed SHIFT.

Originally conceived in 1984 as a development project between Honda and Pininfarina to build a mid-engine 2-liter V6 sports car, the Acura NSX didn’t hit showroom floors until 1990 and by then, everything had changed.  The final production NSX featured a 3-liter V6 with 270 horsepower, which provides solid sports car performance, with Honda’s strong VTEC technology shining through. NSX was the first Honda car in North America to receive the VTEC treatment.   Another Honda first for NSX was the addition of electronic throttle control, which made its debut on the platform in 1995.  With a 0-60 acceleration of only five seconds, NSX definitely has the guts to justify its price and supercar looks. NSX has a top speed of 165 mph and runs a 13.4-second ¼ mile, and coupled with its sub-3000-pound curb weight, this car is a serious performance machine.  Honda engineers researched NSX’s cockpit extensively, modeling it after the 360-degree accessibility of the F-16 fighter jet.  NSX was the first production vehicle in history to feature an all-aluminum chassis, suspension and body, and also featured an extruded aluminum frame.   Its aluminum construction saved NSX nearly 500 pounds of total weight, allowing engineers to focus more on the car’s handling and power.  With Honda achieving considerable success in racing, NSX was used by the company as a vehicle to show off some of the racing tools that could be applied to a ‘daily driver.’  Among those tools are a four-channel anti-lock braking system, titanium connecting rods in the engine to help with high-RPM acceleration, and a stiffened chassis, as per the recommendation of the late Ayrton Senna, who helped test the car as it made its way from concept to reality.  NSX represents a fusing of race technology with everyday performance better than any Honda car to date. Take one for a spin with Need for Speed SHIFT’s Exotic Racing Series, available tomorrow.  

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