There is a certain Merc driver that might still cut the cake in the 2010 F1 season!
There is a certain Merc driver that might still cut the cake in the 2010 F1 season!
BTW, no offence but we have to be honest here. A N'ring lap time of 8:38 is Golf IV R32 or Merc SL500 time, i.e. slower than Focus RS, Astra VXR, Subaru Impreza (04, vanilla), Audi TTS, Nissan 350Z, BMW 335i, Audi S5, Jag XKR, Lotus Exige S, Lexus IS-F, Merc C63AMG (nevermind Black Series Mercs), and almost every BMW M (even a Z3M roadster from 98), Audi RS, Porsche (even a vanilla Boxster) and Evo (even an evo VI from 1999, nevermind the X), a full 1'12'' slower than the GT-R, etc etc etc. It's practically slower than any decent modern car today. The 13-mile Nordschleife is plenty for any car to show what it's really made of.
http://www.fastestlaps.com/track2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCrburgring_lap_times
This is not a nice surprise as it really seems to struggle with modern cars (and some others that are 10+ years old, see times for Z3M, evo VI or Porsche 993), I just didn't think the NSX would be so far down the list. Sorry chaps, but unless someone has a coherent explanation, I think I'd prefer not to own a truly beautiful car but which is slower than a factory-tuned Vauxhall Astra or Ford Focus or any Porsche built since the late 90s (993, 986 onwards).
What about the C6 'vette, even the "basic" non-Z06 is way up there (40" quicker than the NSX). Yet another surprise...
Last edited by Unregistered; 28-12-2009 at 08:32 PM.
I still consider my 997 and SL500, even my classic air cooled 911 as "transport" but i bought into the NSX as a little bit of motoring history and enjoy running it. When it comes to comparing lap times why not just get yourself a GTR or the like. The NSX is a 20 year old platform, like i say if its not in the blood!
You fail to see that the car in question was an older 1997 car that was stock.
Look at the times of both NSX-R, I think you had a Specsavers moment there chap!
You can make a beautiful, exotic car faster yet you can't make a Focus, Astra or mainstream Merc beatiful and exotic ( unless we are talking SLR )
Take an 02 plus NSX, drop the spare, drop the Exhaust and fit a hi flowing exhaust with free flowing cats and you are cooking. Take a healthy 3.0 NSX fit a low boost SC and then you are on fire.
Oh and don't forget that with fairly stock 3.0 NSX people have achieved over 180 MPH GPS confirmed.
Have you driven and NSX yest or are you still quoting from mags and others opinions.
One more from that site you quoted:
http://www.fastestlaps.com/car45c483184b697.html
Platinum Member
Originally Posted by marylebone
There should be a rule about NR lap times. They do not belong on these kinds of threads, or on this forum full stop. This isn't a dig at anyone. My point is, perhaps a surprising one for a performance car forum is that for 99.9% of performance car owners, lap time shouldn't matter at all.
Most of us do most of our driving on A and B roads, perhaps a tiny bit on track and some will take our cars abroad and do some touring.
Now, what I can never understand is why people keep buying cars based on how they compare on paper.
It's a weak guide at best. Personally, I'm much more concerned about; ride, sound, ocassion, dynamics, build etc etc. whether a Vauxhall astra is faster around a German toll road has never mattered to me, and when I'm out driving, it's never been the nagging thought that's screwed up my enjoyment.
If you've ever done a track day, I guarantee you there's a mk1 mini that's out lapping 95% of the new exotica out on track. Or a DC2 being held up through the bends by a resonably well driven 911, RS4, M3 etc.
The NSX is a superbly built work of art. It ticks most of the boxes for people who really appreciate cars. Sound, dynamics, build, performance, etc etc.
you can go out and buy a VXR, an Exige, a Z3 or even an imprezza. But they aren't and will never be special. they're disposable modern sports expresses with little or no character and average build quality. They will vent money from your wallet and will provide no sense of ocassion whilst they're doing it.
The final point about the 993 is wrong. The NSX was always a more capable vehicle. If you read any review from the 90's that becomes pretty clear. The 996 incarnation was barely faster and suffered lots of engine issues.
The bottom line however is that the NSX is much greater than the sum of it's parts and it's impossible to give a proper appraisal unless you've driven one.
I had NSX's for the best part of five years, fancied a change so bought a 997S. Initial feelings are that it's a backward step. It's faster in a straight line, but the balance isn't there. However, it's early days so hopefully I'll bond with it. I imagine it'll be better at some stuff and not so good at others.
I guess it just comes down to what's important in your world. I could never own a Z06 because it's badly built and that's important to me.
Cheers,
James.
I am Godzilla, you are Japan!
We're opening pandora's box if we get into modifications so let's just leave that...
I'm not after a jet fighter here but the lap time is that of Merc SL500 and Golf IV R32, and those are not exactly supercars as far as I'm aware. NSXs are not readily available for test drives and the N'ring figures are official times set by professional race drivers in a controlled environment, so I wouldn't readily dismiss these official figures as irrelevant. A few secs up and down doesn't matter, but the difference is quite considerable.
Bottom line is that you have to test drive the car yourself, fully agree, and sorry if I pissed you chaps off, just trying to be honest here. Really like the car but the hard fact is that it is slower, unless the test was carried with the handbrake engaged! It was a marvel when it appeared but let's not expect the unexpectable 20 years on.
Thanks Mr.P, this is exactly the kind of productive feedback I was looking for. Cheers. C6 not my cup of tea either but maybe worth a drive, I had a big surprise with the evo X, wouldn't own it long term either though. I know you all love your cars but there's no need to get violent. It's just cars we're talking!
Any other feedback from people who have owned 02+ NSXs in the past and who are now driving "modern" cars? (anyone except the user who posts an irrelevant message as "unregistered" at 12:09, to then quote that to post a second message at 12:10, not a minute later, this time as a registered user, pretending to be two different people. Are children allowed in here or what?)
Last edited by Unregistered; 30-12-2009 at 12:25 PM.
Please go an drive an NSX whichevr one you were contemplating, then write your impressions.
The rest is just like school boys kids bragging about banging celebrities etc!
I will, I will, don't get all geared up again...AR!
Any other feedback from people who have owned 02+ NSXs in the past and who are now driving "modern" cars?
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