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For $33,500, Increase Your NSX Appeal
For $33,500, Increase Your NSX Appeal-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:07

As far as Goldilocks was concerned, Mama Bear was by far the dopest, and similarly, Acura’s NSX is considered by many to be just right. Today’s NSX pumps up its porridge, but has its seller set its price just wrong?

What do you think is the most desirable production car to ever come out of Japan? If you said Toyota’s limited production 2000GT then you just got all the investment bankers in the audience to start purring and rolling on their vast beds of money. That’s because Toyota’s lithe coupe today holds the record as the most expensive, one having recently sold for well over a million samolians, which as you know is a butt-load of samolians.

Of course, there are attributes other than rarity and price that drive greatness, and in addition to the 2000GT there are a number of Japanese cars that you might desire for their handling, looks, or a combination of factors. Datsun’s Fairlady line perhaps, that same company’s Skyline series, or maybe Mazda’s rotary RX-7, or roadster done right MX-5 might top your want list, as each of those is a worthy candidate in its own right.

I know what you’re thinking however, when it comes to Japanese cars the one that tops most everybody’s gimme, gimme, gimme list is Honda’s aluminum tour d’ force, the Acura NSX (cue angels singing on high).

The company's later 2000 may have had a higher output per litre, and been a proper convertible, but the NSX, with its mid-mounted engine, Ayrton Senna-massaged all-aluminum suspension, and dramatically handsome bodywork, is on paper and in the metal a far cooler car.

The NSX is really Marcia to the 2000’s Jan, which I guess would make the Civic Si spazzy Cindy. And remember, all of them had hair of gold, like their mother, the youngest one in curls.

Some people think that you can always improve on perfection, and hence today we have a that, while appearing stock on the outside, has some significant updates under the skin. Those will either increase its desirability, or if you are a traditionalist, will give you a big hairy box of the sads.

The biggest change here is to the 2,977-cc all-aluminum V6. The C30A as it came out of Takanezawa produced 270-bhp and 210 lb-ft of torque. That may not seem like a lot but it was more than enough to push the 2,975-lb coupe from zeroto sixty in about five and a half seconds, which ain’t half bad.

But just like Goldilocks and her ADHD, for some that isn’t good enough, and to boost those numbers this car has been fitted with a Comptech supercharger. That can pump up horsepower substantially - - and is a fairly straight forward installation. Along with the Whipple twin-screw, the puffer kit includes a re-mapped PROM and a new crank pulley. It also requires the use of a repositioned alternator, which apparently comes from a Prelude.

On this 140,000 miler, all that power is sent through a five-speed transaxle. Other mechanical upgrades on the car include Tein coil-overs at each corner and a set of black-painted TSW Mirabeaus wrapped in new Dunlops.

The custom work continues on the inside, with bespoke diamond pattern leather and suede seating surfaces and an aluminum shift knob that will serve to alternately blind you and burn the crap out of your right hand. I’d bring a snood on especially sunny days.

The ad says that the car wears a fresh coat of red (including the roof), and thankfully, the only exterior mods seem to be that, the aforementioned wheels, and a lowered stance, none of which are off-putting in my book.

But what about your book? If it happens to be Goldilocks and the Three Bears then I think it’s now time to decide if this custom NSX is to be considered just right at its $33,500 Buy It Now price. What do you think, would this car at that price make both you and Goldi happy? Or, is that amount just plain unbearable?

You decide!

out of Dubuque Iowa, or go if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

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