Donut Media Breaks Down Every Detail of the Original Acura NSX
Modified NA1 NSX showcases everything good about the original Honda supercar.
What would you do with $60,000? It’s a question asked by Donut Media host James Pumphrey. Sure, you could put a big down payment on a house, or knock out a chunk of those student loans. Or, you can buy a minty Acura NSX.
Pumphrey goes on to explain the origins of NSX. The history is steeped in motorsport, specifically, Formula One, where Honda was competing in the late 1980s. This drive to dominate motorsport led to an all-new road car. It had a mid-engine layout, rear wheel drive, and an innovative new engine technology called VTEC. That NS-X prototype evolved into the NSX production car.
Of course, Pumphrey goes on to liken bits and pieces of the NSX to other contemporary Honda products, especially inside. Though, it’s driver-focused intentions are impossible to ignore. Then, things go amusingly off the rails as Pumphrey recreates a knock-off improv scene in the NSX, clearly inspired by Initial D.
Though, no story of the original Honda supercar is complete without the obligatory Aryton Senna reference. Senna infamously thrashed a pre-production example on track and offered a few words on the setup of the car. The story also isn’t complete without reference to the original Gran Turismo video game, which showcased exotic Japanese sports cars to the North American audience, and was the impetus for the surge of the JDM culture wave that eventually took over here.
Then there’s the styling, which manages to be a perfect blend of 90s Japanese goodness, complete with pop-up headlights, while still managing to look quite contemporary today. In short, Pumphrey is in love with the NSX, just like us.