Well Blue, I have to say I have raced a NSX on the track at Calder raceway in Melbourne. Back in June when we had the first Victorian Honda Sports Car Club track day we had about 10 Integra Type Rs, 25 Stooks and a lone NSX at the track.

In my opinion the 'Teg is to the Stook what the Stook is to the NSX.

In other words the Type R is quicker round the twisties to about the same degree the Stook is quicker than the NSX. In a straight line the Stook will pull 6 car lengths and about 10mph over a Type R in a 50-125mph sprint down the straight. The NSX is about the same ahead of the Stook.

Overall there ain't much in it at the end of the day and I think the better driver will win most days of the week.

 

I test drove the nsx before I bought the stook, and if I had the extra money for the insurance and maintainance I would have bought the nsx.

 

Nimbus,
You must work hard for a living, man, because that's one sparse looking garage! Not even a calendar on the wall.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by akira3d:
[B]Nimbus, is your NSX midnight pearl?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SomethingWicked:
[B]Nimbus,
You must work hard for a living, man, because that's one sparse looking garage!

 

I've raced quite a few NSXs out at Phoenix International Raceway.

Surprisingly I have yet to find one that I couldnt pass (after my current set of mods including porterfield pads, bulletproof ducts, and A032R tires).

Being in Phoenix, we have a large amount of NSXs out here that are active out at the track (thanks RM Racing). Due to this, every race I do out at PIR there are always at least two NSXs. Oftentimes Comptech Supercharged.

I've been able to pass factory NSXs without any problem, the Superchagred NSXs are a bit more difficult. On the turns the S2000 can stick with all of them. However, PIR has a long straight (half of the oval), that begins out of a hairpin turn. With the hairpin I always exit with rpms low (approx 4000rpm). This is frustrating, an NSX, especially a supercharged on will pull hard on me here. I would then spend the rest of the lap catching up on the turns, just to lose again on the straights.

However, with the addition of A032R tires, this is no longer a problem. I can now stay well ahead on the turns and pass on the straights (they need to let off of the gas to keep traction, I just stay on the gas and pass on the inside).

Granted a lot of this is driver skill differences between drivers.

That I can think of, there have been at least 7 NSXs that I've raced against.
4+ stock ones
at least 2 Comptech superchaged (no problem beating)
and 1 Comptech superchaged with mag rims,large racing slicks, and the full brembo brake conversion (front/rear). This car I initially got killed by, however after my new tires,porterfield pads and bulletproof brake ducts I was able to beat it. Traction is key for beating a car with 150+ more HP than the S.

Unfortunately, no traction in the world will help me beat modified Vipers, cars that always kill me (I'll need the comptech SC for that one).

Note: my motor is stock, and suspension is stock.

I still believe that the NSX is a better handling car (faster car on the track), as I've seen comparisons with like drivers in Best Motoring Videos. However, every NSX driver that I've raced with evidentally was not able to extract all of the capabilities out of their car.

Odds are, if you can drive your S2000 well enough you'll have no problem beating any NSX you race (unless they are seriously good drivers).

Well, there's my experience here.

Ben

 

Ben, I think you're just a good driver. Although I don't live anywhere close to AZ, I do know the majority of the AZ NSX owners. None of them are really fast drivers or none of them drive close to 9/10's of their car's potential due to the fear of having the slightest damage to their $80k investment.
Is the fully modded supercharged NSX you're talking about a silver with the license plate "cruzmisle"?
The most important factor on the track is driver skill. I've seen a qualified race instructor in a Dodge Neon overtake an average Joe in a Dodge Viper before.
Check out this NSX race result that just happened last month at Lime Rock, CT. It beat its competitors by over 4 seconds in its class, and it beat both the race prepared/tubbed/none street legal GT1 class cars as well. http://www.emraracing.org/tt110300.htm

 

I have driven 95 NSX-T, 98 NSX-T, 00 NSX and 00 S2000 at the same track and on many of the same cloverleaf ramps. All in stock form. My conclusion is that:
1) the S2000 inspires more confidence than an NSX-T due to better suspension tuning. As a result, in less than familiar situations and around turns, the S2000 is likely to be a bit faster.
2) the NSX coupes are similar in terms of confidence inspiration compared to the S2000 but as others pointed out, unless you have a good driver, one is less likely to push an NSX to the limit as they are an S2000.
3) the NSX Zanardi edition (or an NSX with Zanardi or other well tuned aftermarket suspension) is more confidence inspiring and handles better than any stock NSX or NSX-T or S2000. Thus will be faster around turns.
4) in a straight line and above 30 mph, the S2000 is comparable to the pre-97 NSX's assuming ideal shifts in each car. From standstill this is also true and with appropriate clutch drop launches from standstill. With normal launches, the pre-97 NSX's are faster.
5) 97+ NSX-T or NSX coupes are faster in a straight line than an S2000.

All these impressions are with me as the driver. Nimbus in an S2000 will probably be faster than I in an NSX (whatever year) on a road course.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by s2ktaxi:
[B]I have driven 95 NSX-T, 98 NSX-T, 00 NSX and 00 S2000 at the same track and on many of the same cloverleaf ramps.

 

Nimbus,

The fully modded NSX was indeed the Cruise Missle. BTW, I think thats a great name for a plate. The owner Bill is a great guy too, I bought his old set of rear rims/slicks.

The Cruise Missle is damn fast, the car killed me the first event I raced with it. Every lap I'd fight back up to it in the turns just to get murdered on the straights again. It was my goal for the next event (two weeks ago) to beat this car. With the few mods I made, I finally was able to pass the damn thing. Sure was a lot of work though. That NSX was the most challenging of all the NSX's I've raced, some of the other Comptech SCed ones were (dare I say), easy to pass.

Like everyone (including myself) said, its all driver skill. Although I disagree with the statement that NSX owners drive more conservatively becaues their cars cost $80,000. I could barely afford my $32,000 S2000 and I drive it on the track the same way I'd drive a $80,000 NSX or a $500,000 Ferrari. The S2000 was without a doubt more difficult for me to obtain financially than probably any owner racing their NSX out on the track. The S2000 is my only/daily driver and although I drive it hard, I'm still fairly conservative out on the track and I'm sure there's still plenty of extra seconds that could be dropped in lap times.

BTW, the cruise missle is Bill's second NSX and is a track only car.

Ben