95VR6GTi's BESTuners Tryout Report: He is in!

  • Thread starter DuckRacer
  • 16 comments
  • 997 views

Is this tryout report worthy of BESTuners?


  • Total voters
    17
  • Poll closed .

DuckRacer

Premium
10,164
1997 Acura NSX Coupe
Formula Red
404hp@7100
299tq@5500

BESTuner: 95VR6GTi

Deep Forest Raceway:
1’17.691
No Driving Aids



Introduction:
This is my initial application to be a part of the BESTuners thread on gtplanet.net. I would like the reader to know that the set-up I am providing is supposed to accomplish 2 things. The first being a stable, fun to drive, performance set-up that is suitable for both experienced and amateur drivers alike. The second is the ability to transform the car back to its original stock form at any time by excluding non-removable parts regardless of their advantages in power and weight. My concentration when I tune cars is more “grip”, rather than “drift”. This gives the driver an easy set-up to change, if needed, while also displaying “grip” characteristics to those who usually do not drive in that way. (This intro was specifically for the BESTuners members and should not be displayed on the forum if it should make it there.)

Exterior:
Acura, Hondas “luxury” brand for the United States, offers cars ranging from the Integra-derived RSX to the Pilot cousin MDX. Among the alphabet soup of Acura’s automotive naming is the NSX Coupe. Almost identical to Honda’s 1997 version (strangely it is .2 inches shorter in length) it’s a little chunkier than its brother, outweighing it by 92 pounds. While the initial design of the car is somewhat dated, you might consider the phrase “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. I believe that is exactly what Honda was thinking. The lines, although sharp and precise, flow very well. These give the NSX a sleek, LM inspired design. The cabin sits comfortably in the center of the body, directly in front of the 3.2L DOHC V6, mid-mounted engine. Although current production of both the Acura and Honda NSX has ceased, this car is sure to stun and awe future generations with both its performance and styling.



Positives:
Let me be the first to tell you that this car drives as if it is on rails. It has the perfect amount of understeer and oversteer to allow the car to react quickly to the drivers reactions. Also, this car sounds great; the addition of the Racing Muffler and the Stage 3 NA tune, give the NSX a lovely growl down low and a wonderful scream at higher RPM’s.
When cornering, I find the NSX performs best when used in a slow-in fast-out technique. The first corner at Deep Forest Raceway (DFR) is a prime example of how well the NSX uses this style of driving. Because of the speed you carry from the straight, you might think you would have to brake earlier; this isn’t so. The brakes stop the NSX very quickly, allowing the nose to aim the car just to the right of the apex.
The NSX also holds its ground under fast cornering. The final corner before the start/finish line at Deep Forest is a corner that can be taken at very high speeds. I found it easiest to take at a slight drift, turning the wheel to the left AFTER braking but remaining in the same gear.



Negatives:
One of the big problems I have with this car is the power. After tuning to my specifications, the NSX only produces 404hp@7100 and a measly 299ft/lbs of torque @ 5500. This does allow for a car that handles great but not a pure race machine. Also, in 6th gear, the car does pull, but a higher transmission setting would require more power to the wheels.
Another quirk is the braking. Yes, I know I said it brakes well, but only in a straight line. If you do not control your braking properly while cornering the rear end WILL slide out. The section of the raceway in which you must be extremely careful is the blind, quick, switch-back corners after the first two tunnels. The elevation changes throw the car off balance and if you brake when the car is unstable, you can be sure that the rear end will slide out and hit a barrier.

Conclusion:
The NSX is a great car for someone who wants to perfect their Mid-engine driving techniques. Because this car is fairly wide and moderately heavy, it allows a driver to become comfortable with a MR drivetrain before moving on-to lighter, more unstable mid-engine vehicles like the AW11 MR2. By no means is this set-up perfect, I know many of the readers will find it difficult to believe I have omitted non-removable performance parts. Adding these will surely give this NSX more power and control. However, the set-up I have provided is relatively cheap and easy to maintain. Have fun with this car and inform me on any changes that should be made.

Modifications:
Racing Exhaust
NA Stage 3
Sports Chip
Racing Brakes
Brake Balancer
FC Transmission
TP Clutch
Racing Flywheel
FC Limited Slip
Racing Suspension
GT Wing
R3 Tires

Settings:
Brake Balancer: 7/11
FC Limited Slip: 24/36/23
FC Transmission: 12 (lengthened 6th gear slightly)
GT Wing: 12/17

Racing Suspension
Spring Rate: 10.3/12.4
Ride Height: 105/96
Shock Bound: 5/6
Shock Rebound: 7/8
Camber Angle: 1.9/2.2
Toe Angle: -1/1
Stabilizers: 4/5
 
Well, I'm not sure if this is legal because it is outside the report but I forgot to include that the NSX was equipped with the Body Refresher kit.

Votes, in my opinion, should include the fact that I forgot this.
 
I haven't tested your settings, but I will say that this looks pretty decent to me. Your descriptions seem well executed and relate to my own experience of driving NSX's in this game. My only gripe is I find the pictures uninspiring.
 
Sorry, I didnt know I wasnt supposed to vote for myself, I honestly didnt think about it before I did it. Sorry about that, you can go ahead and close the thread.

Although, I don't see how this really affects the overall outcome, but rules (even if they are not on the initial information page...) are rules and if I am not competent enough to follow them then the blame is solely on myself.

Hopefully the members can look past this and still give the report a fair score. If not, then I thank anyone who responds for their honesty of their post. I am sure it will help in any future reports that I compose.
 
There is a lot of stuff I like here but less than the stuff I dislike :(

Its very linear and more like a report than a review TBH.

The photography is uninspired.

In the Exterior paragraph there is a hint of good background information which is great, but its lacking any reason for inclusion. Why is the car shorter? Why might it be heavier and how might this affect your treatments?

The rest of the review suffers from a lack of story-telling. I dont get a sense of what it feels like or how much fun it might be to mess with this car because theres no expressive depiction of the reviewers processes, how the car reacted to those processes, and what sensations and experiences - gratifying or frustrating, exposed further challenges for the car and driver. Its just too 'matter of fact' for me. It needs soul.
 
Not that it's my place, but I wouldn't disqualify him for simply voting for himself. I joked around about that with Duck, and only then did I learn that it was a DQ. So if both 95VR6 and I didn't know...
 
Ok, I'm laying down my Duck Mallet now.

95VR6GTi is NOT DQed. He deserves a second chance. His vote will not be counted, but the tryout will still go underway.
 
ekmatt9
You are disqualified. You cheated the rules. Sorry, but you did not make it to GTPlanet's BESTuners...

I must admit, with replies like the one quoted above I am growing more and more interested in a WORSTuners every day.
 
ekmatt9
You are disqualified. You cheated the rules. Sorry, but you did not make it to GTPlanet's BESTuners...

what's that ekmatt? he didn't follow the rules? good to see you being diligent.
 
I really, really liked the fact that no non-reversable parts was added! I´ve been missing that! The pics are however, a bit on the boring side, and some (more) photoshopping would be nice.
Other than that, I like this one better then the others, so my vote is yes. It´s long enough, interesting and quite personal, wich is positive. It also has the right degree of technical information, too much can be boring.
 
I will, if I can get my printer working. :mad:

My only beefs are that the titles, such as "exterior", aren't bolded. Minor organization problem, but that's it, other than the pics don't really want me to drive the car. But everything else looks great.
 
I tested the settings, and they were... great. The NSX drove like I was on Tsukuba. Dead stable. A slight hint of understeer, but dead stable. It get's my stamp of approval. :sly: So I vote yes.
 

Latest Posts

Back