1995 Acura NSX Review: 320,000 Miles of Sports Car Perfection

The Acura NSX: A Japanese Exotic

• 💡 The 1995 Acura NSX is presented as a sublime sports car that offers an incredible driving experience, even 30 years after its release.
• 🚀 Launched in the early 90s, the NSX was Honda's answer to other Japanese sports cars and European mid-engine exotics, aiming for usability, practicality, and reliability.
• 🎯 It successfully rivaled cars like the Ferrari 348 and F355 by offering a similar mid-engine, exotic experience without the typical Italian car difficulties.
• 🏆 This particular NSX has over 320,000 miles, a testament to its exceptional dependability and a feat impossible for its European rivals of the era.

Quirks and Features of the NSX

• 🎨 The 1995 model year introduced a removable targa top, distinguishing it from earlier fixed-roof coupes.
• 🚀 Early NSXs had a black upper body section for a fighter-jet look, but by '95, the entire car was painted body color, including the door handles.
• 📡 A notable quirk is the automatic, extendable radio antenna that retracts when the radio is off, a common feature of Japanese cars from that period.
• 💡 The car features distinctive pop-up headlights, a design element that persisted until 2002.
• 📦 Practicality shines through with a rear trunk located behind the engine, a front trunk (though mostly occupied by a spare tire), and clever storage for the targa top above the engine cover.

Mid-Engine Design and Performance

• ⚙️ The NSX boasts a mid-engine layout, a key differentiator from other Japanese sports cars of the 90s like the Supra and RX7.
• 🐎 Early models, like this one, featured a 3.0L V6 engine (NA1) producing 270 horsepower, with later models (NA2) getting a 3.2L V6 with 290 horsepower.
• ⚖️ Despite not having V8 or V12 power like rivals, its relatively light weight (around 3,100 lbs) and perfect weight distribution provided fantastic dynamics.
• 🏎️ The driving experience is highlighted by an exceptional shifter feel, a superb chassis that remains flat and predictable in corners, and an aggressive, pleasing induction noise.

Interior and Driving Experience

• cockpit-like interior with heavily bolstered seats designed to keep the driver secure during spirited driving.
• 🕹️ Unique features include climate vents mounted on the door panels and unusual steering column controls housed in pods.
• 🚗 The gauge cluster is clear and functional, featuring a top-down car graphic that illuminates to indicate open compartments or potential issues like a burnt-out brake light.
• 🌟 Despite over 320,000 miles, the interior is remarkably well-preserved, suggesting a life primarily of highway miles and careful ownership.
• 💯 The NSX offers a compelling blend of exotic looks, a great driving experience, and affordable ownership, earning a DougScore of 56/100, identical to a previous NSX reviewed.