- 2,428
- England
- Lewis_Hamilton_
Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread
- Thread starter McClarenDesign
- 6,930 comments
- 1,128,670 views
- 2,647
Beater or sleeper: NSX? Guess I don't understand the title of the thread.
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
The thread is typically for cars that you'd normally pass by. Even though this might not fall under either category, it is important to use as a baseline for desirability.
Think of it as a calibration tool.
- 2,121
- Chicago
- mustang622006
The new cotw is out!
Is it Japanese...yes
Is it FF...no
Is it fast... oh yeah
How fast...
How about a 2:18.300 at Suzuka.
Another shot, trying to get the glare off the screen.
I stuck around for a 5 lap event against pro ai and not only bettered my TT time once, but twice...2:17.991
Fast & loose, just the way I like them.
Okay, so she is Japanese...again...but she is a Japanese hyper-car, so I guess I can't really complain.
That was easy.
I'm not sure why so many people have been complaining about the MR cars in GT6, I think they were worse in GT5. I found the NSX fairly predictable and the slide was easy to control. But then, I grew up racin' and roddin' late 60's and early 70's American muscle cars so I am used to running sideways. I think they call it drifting now a days, back in my day we just called it driving 👍
I love the esses, now if they would just get all these speed bumps out of my way...
As far as styling goes, well, they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. From the b-pillar forward I like, even it is getting a bit long in tooth after all these years. I just hate the way the back end flattens out though, never been a big fan. I don't care for the wing either and you can't tell me that thing is high enough to catch any air coming over that big, rounded greenhouse either. Which might go a long way in explaining why the rear end is so loose. All that being said, with performance like this, I can deal with the looks.
Slithering through the esses.
I am not sure how GT6 chooses your opponents for the arcade races, the last couple of weeks I had to fight for every position. With the NSX at Suzuka...not so much. seriously, an Audi RS-6 is the fastest car they put up against an NSX? The Audi did surprise me though, she held her own running down that long straight, but I had no problems cutting inside and taking P1 at turn 1, lap 2. After that it was just a 4 lap tt.
This is going to be tight.
You call this competition, c'mon PD.
Isn't there a rule about leaving a lane open when being passed?
Turn one, lap two, it's all over now!
Drifting the hairpin.
Beater or sleeper...c'mon it's a hyper-car, are you kidding?
That was fun, but can we please have something not Japanese next week
Is it Japanese...yes
Is it FF...no
Is it fast... oh yeah
How fast...
How about a 2:18.300 at Suzuka.
Another shot, trying to get the glare off the screen.
I stuck around for a 5 lap event against pro ai and not only bettered my TT time once, but twice...2:17.991
2001 Honda NSX
Fast & loose, just the way I like them.
Okay, so she is Japanese...again...but she is a Japanese hyper-car, so I guess I can't really complain.
That was easy.
I'm not sure why so many people have been complaining about the MR cars in GT6, I think they were worse in GT5. I found the NSX fairly predictable and the slide was easy to control. But then, I grew up racin' and roddin' late 60's and early 70's American muscle cars so I am used to running sideways. I think they call it drifting now a days, back in my day we just called it driving 👍
I love the esses, now if they would just get all these speed bumps out of my way...
As far as styling goes, well, they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. From the b-pillar forward I like, even it is getting a bit long in tooth after all these years. I just hate the way the back end flattens out though, never been a big fan. I don't care for the wing either and you can't tell me that thing is high enough to catch any air coming over that big, rounded greenhouse either. Which might go a long way in explaining why the rear end is so loose. All that being said, with performance like this, I can deal with the looks.
Slithering through the esses.
I am not sure how GT6 chooses your opponents for the arcade races, the last couple of weeks I had to fight for every position. With the NSX at Suzuka...not so much. seriously, an Audi RS-6 is the fastest car they put up against an NSX? The Audi did surprise me though, she held her own running down that long straight, but I had no problems cutting inside and taking P1 at turn 1, lap 2. After that it was just a 4 lap tt.
This is going to be tight.
You call this competition, c'mon PD.
Isn't there a rule about leaving a lane open when being passed?
Turn one, lap two, it's all over now!
Drifting the hairpin.
Beater or sleeper...c'mon it's a hyper-car, are you kidding?
That was fun, but can we please have something not Japanese next week
- 1,965
- wocsoM
This, im sure you're familiar with, and if you aren't, just look at the title
Anyway when i finished my 2nd race today, some random person gave me, of all things, a Golden envelope, and in said envelope it had a message saying
"You must now go back to the racetrack you raced on the race before this one, to meet your opposition, after you have met them, read the other side of the message"
At first, i thought they got delivered the message to the wrong people, but when i went back to Fuji Speedway F, i noticed a familiar face on the 1st turn
Yeees, it is the car from last week a sucessor the the AE86, and its also less "boxy" than it.
And wouldn't you believe it, there was a yet another familiar face halfway through the track
"Do i really have to see this thing AGAIN?" i thought to myself, but i let it go past me, but then i figured something out.
"Wait a minute... both of them, are Japanese FF cars, and not just random ones, they are the ones from earlier weeks, back for revenge, and they are in white... Oh no is this next one the one i think it is?"
This question didn't remain unanswered for long, but the only thing that i was right about...
Is that it was white
"Hang on, i think it is wha- Nope, nope it isn't."
The only logical explanation i have for this one, is that they couldn't find a Primera, that or it broke down.
So then i looked at the other side of the letter.
And of all things it could be...
"So you have meet your opponents, and you will ignore the fact that they are infact "opponents" since you are gonna see if you + the 3 other blokes can beat a time set by a 450pp Skyline on... Chamonix East!"
I was thinking this would be impossible to get a NSX to do rallying, but conviniently enough, it can rally!
The time set by the random Skyline was 1.36.113, which was probably, not hard to beat.
You see, the 3 other vehicles were tuned(detuned in the case of the 3rd one) to 463pp, however they gave no tuning for me, leaving me at 457pp, something i would call unfair, but they did it because they thought that 457 was good enough for a MR car.
First, the BZ-R set its time, 1.33.452 which was a quite reasonable time for such a car.
The "HondAbomination" went shortly after, and its time made me stand by my point, the time it managed to complete the lap with, was 1.35.487
"If they beat it anyway, why give them 463pp? it could have been a better challenge" i thought to myself, but the next one answered the question
The,
And then, last, but POSSIBLY the least, my Honda NSX had a go.
It is rather convinient, as the ones that thought of this challenge took a photo of OUR cars going around the course, which gives me something to show
I was mostly aiming to beat the Skyline's time, or at least the Carlton's, but with the time of 1.34.283, it ended up beating the Skyilne, AND the Accord!
The Results
Skyline: 1.36.113
1st place: BZ-R (1.33.452)
2nd place: NSX (1.34.283)
3rd place: Accord (1.35.487)
LOSER: Carlton (1.37.223)
So there we are, what have we learned?
A couple of things really.
The NSX can rally.
The BZ-R is the best Japanese FF on this thread of all time
The Accord is Meh.
And DEAR GOD DO NOT BUY A CARLTON FOR RALLYING PURPOSES!
- 3,417
- NJ
- Rave2Grave
Guys this is crazy but, I tested the '02 NSX Type-R a few weeks ago and got a 2:17.739 and wanted to re-do it and the best I could manage is 2:17.772.
Slower by .033 seconds.
I can't do any better. Maybe I just suck.
Slower by .033 seconds.
I can't do any better. Maybe I just suck.
- 379
- PNW
- Zenmervolt
(Apologies in advance, this got huge...)
"Don't meet your heroes."
I've heard this advice often, but, if I'm honest, I've never really understood it. At least, not in practice. Maybe I'm better at choosing my heroes than most. Maybe I've just been incredibly lucky. Or maybe my exes have all been right and I'm just too bloody stubborn to admit that I was wrong. OK, so it's probably that last one.
Regardless of the reason, meeting my heroes has gone well for me. Maybe the third-generation RX-7 Turbo wasn't quite as fast as I'd imagined it to be in my adolescent fantasies, but it was still a delightfully communicative car. And then there was the 365 GTB/4 which was simply perfect in every way; precisely the "elder statesman" of supercars that I'd expected it to be. Sure, the CTR had tried to kill me. A lot. But it was a fun sort of near-death experience.
With these sorts of experiences behind me then, it's little wonder that I could barely contain my excitement when I was told to report to Willow Springs to drive another of my childhood heroes, the Acura NSX.
Stepping onto the tarmac I'm greeted by a 2001 NSX in Monza Red Pearl. In the interest of full disclosure I have to admit that I've never been the biggest fan of the 2001 refresh. It's not that I find it ugly, nor that I don't appreciate the simplicity and lighter weight of the fixed headlights. But, being a child of the '80s, there's just something about pop-up headlights that forever signals "sportscar" to my brain. Not that I'm about to turn down a chance to pilot a car just because it's a bit bug-eyed. The particular car in question is a bit special. Despite being a Japanese-market Type S, the engine has been massaged to produce a US-spec 290 hp instead of the JDM 276. It's not likely to be a meaningful difference, but I can't help but like how it combines the best stock chassis with the best stock engine of the model year. Other than the very lightly massaged engine, the car is stone stock.
First up is the Streets of Willow, quite possibly my favorite short track. After a little bit of juvenile exuberance on the skidpad, where I'm surprised to find that I can't quite make the standard Sport Hard tires spin with a clutch-dump launch, I'm off to the track proper. Foreigner's "Dirty White Boy" comes up on the stereo as I cross the start-finish line for my first lap and I can't help but be amused at how inappropriate it seems in a car as legendarily refined as the NSX. Doesn't stop me from turning the stereo up a couple notches though.
Down the straight and through the kink I can feel the car drift a little as I set up for the braking point into turn 2. I'm expecting the back end to get light after the behaviour through the kink (turn 1), but most of what I find is understeer during braking. I keep it on the track and make a mental note. Winning my ever-present mental battle with turn 3 and avoiding the first curbing to hit the late apex rewards me with good behavior from the 13-year-old NSX and a smooth exit. Turns 4 and 5 are uneventful and the slight twitch in turn 6 is both normal and easily caught. I botch the entry into the Fishbowl (turn 8) by forgetting about the understeer under braking again which leads to the classic blunder at Streets. I try to make up time through the 9-10-11 complex without feeling it out first.
When you get it right, the 9-10-11 complex looks easy. Carry just a little too much speed through turn 9 and you're busy trying to settle the car on exit, which leads to carrying more than a little too much speed through turn 10 because any heavy braking would upset the car even more. And then you hit the off-camber turn 11, which shrugs you right off the outside. Somehow the NSX manages this with only a 90 degree spin and just barely avoids putting a wheel off the asphalt thanks to a luckily-placed service road.
Suitably humbled, I get down to the business of putting some laps together that don't look as though they were driven by a complete idiot. After a while I'm laying down somewhat relaxed laps in the 1:19.xxx range and the 9-10-11 complex is solved as I find the car's preferred braking and turn-in points. Not a bad morning. If I had my way with the car I'd probably shift the brake balance a little bit to the rear and add just a hint of front toe-out for a bit more turn-in, but I'm very impressed with how predictable the car is. A driver with a sensitive enough right foot could probably dance the car quite nicely through a high-speed sweeper.
When I make that comment to my host in the paddock afterwards he simply smiles and points me towards Big Willow, where the car now sits with fresh tires and a full tank of fuel. Nice. Turn 1 tells me I was absolutely correct as the Type S almost immediately sets up a mild 4-wheel drift through the corner, sliding almost imperceptibly sideways and holding that attitude even with the throttle down. No smokey bornouts, no tires screaming in protest, just a beautifully controllable run through the corner and through Rabbit Ear which follows. I'm feeling pretty good when my old nemesis Balcony (turn 4) raises its head. The NSX does nothing wrong, but my nerves fail me and I turn in too early, exiting far too slowly as I have to correct my line mid-corner. The NSX does it's best to save me, serenely running flat-out through turns 5, 6, and 7, and dancing lightly through turn 8, the big 900-foot-radius sweeper that's the fastest corner on the course.
In fact, the NSX does so well that I forget about the abrupt decrease in turn 9's radius and the poor car is treated to a brief off-road excursion as we run wide. All-in-all, not the best way for me to show my thanks to a car that's doing its best to make me look good.
My head back on straight I'm soon putting together consistent laps. My line through Balcony still isn't consistent, but that's not the Honda's fault. The understeer during braking in tight corners I noticed at Streets isn't an issue at Big Willow. Through the sweepers the NSX almost feels a bit like the CTR. Except that where the CTR wanted me to die, the NSX merely wants me to play. The back end of this car may slide, but it doesn't let go unless the driver does something very ham-fisted.
As the day comes to a close, I steel myself for the unfortunate duty of returning the Type S's keys to my host when, to my great surprise, he refuses the keys and hands me a slip of paper. It's an airplane ticket. In my name. To Milan. Which can only mean one thing. My new mid-engined friend and I are going to Monza. No wonder they'd told me to have a bag packed.
Monza has always been one of my favorite tracks. Maybe it's a remnant of reading about Porsche using the old banking for its record-breaking 24-hour run with the Carrera RSR back in '67, but there's something about the track that just oozes automotive history. Plus it's fast.
The NSX loves this track. Whether it's hard braking for the chicanes or powering out of Lesmos or Ascari the car is calm and composed. There is a bit of an incident where, once again, I trust the car too much and, carrying too much speed into Lesmos 2, I put one of the back wheels off as we drift wide. Even the NSX can't save me from that and we do a neat little 180. Which somehow manages to entirely avoid contact with the inside wall, leaving us none the worse for wear. Even when things go wrong, this car still somehow manages to save me.
On the flight back home, I can't help but reflect on my time with the car. It's 290 horsepower is very nearly out-gunned by the V6 in today's Accord and its day-to-day livability is no longer unique among high-end sportscars. Yet, somehow, it still makes me want it. My ideal NSX is still one of the '97 through '00 models with the improved engine and chassis combined with the classic pop-up headlights, but that wouldn't stop me from taking someone up on their offer if they handed me the keys to an '01+ model again.
Specs:
Displacement: 3,179 cc
Power: 289 hp @7,100 RPM
Torque: 235 ft-lbs @ 5,500 RPM
Weight: 2,910 pounds
Top Speed: 183 mph (as measured at la Sarthe, without chicanes)
"Don't meet your heroes."
I've heard this advice often, but, if I'm honest, I've never really understood it. At least, not in practice. Maybe I'm better at choosing my heroes than most. Maybe I've just been incredibly lucky. Or maybe my exes have all been right and I'm just too bloody stubborn to admit that I was wrong. OK, so it's probably that last one.
Regardless of the reason, meeting my heroes has gone well for me. Maybe the third-generation RX-7 Turbo wasn't quite as fast as I'd imagined it to be in my adolescent fantasies, but it was still a delightfully communicative car. And then there was the 365 GTB/4 which was simply perfect in every way; precisely the "elder statesman" of supercars that I'd expected it to be. Sure, the CTR had tried to kill me. A lot. But it was a fun sort of near-death experience.
With these sorts of experiences behind me then, it's little wonder that I could barely contain my excitement when I was told to report to Willow Springs to drive another of my childhood heroes, the Acura NSX.
Stepping onto the tarmac I'm greeted by a 2001 NSX in Monza Red Pearl. In the interest of full disclosure I have to admit that I've never been the biggest fan of the 2001 refresh. It's not that I find it ugly, nor that I don't appreciate the simplicity and lighter weight of the fixed headlights. But, being a child of the '80s, there's just something about pop-up headlights that forever signals "sportscar" to my brain. Not that I'm about to turn down a chance to pilot a car just because it's a bit bug-eyed. The particular car in question is a bit special. Despite being a Japanese-market Type S, the engine has been massaged to produce a US-spec 290 hp instead of the JDM 276. It's not likely to be a meaningful difference, but I can't help but like how it combines the best stock chassis with the best stock engine of the model year. Other than the very lightly massaged engine, the car is stone stock.
First up is the Streets of Willow, quite possibly my favorite short track. After a little bit of juvenile exuberance on the skidpad, where I'm surprised to find that I can't quite make the standard Sport Hard tires spin with a clutch-dump launch, I'm off to the track proper. Foreigner's "Dirty White Boy" comes up on the stereo as I cross the start-finish line for my first lap and I can't help but be amused at how inappropriate it seems in a car as legendarily refined as the NSX. Doesn't stop me from turning the stereo up a couple notches though.
Down the straight and through the kink I can feel the car drift a little as I set up for the braking point into turn 2. I'm expecting the back end to get light after the behaviour through the kink (turn 1), but most of what I find is understeer during braking. I keep it on the track and make a mental note. Winning my ever-present mental battle with turn 3 and avoiding the first curbing to hit the late apex rewards me with good behavior from the 13-year-old NSX and a smooth exit. Turns 4 and 5 are uneventful and the slight twitch in turn 6 is both normal and easily caught. I botch the entry into the Fishbowl (turn 8) by forgetting about the understeer under braking again which leads to the classic blunder at Streets. I try to make up time through the 9-10-11 complex without feeling it out first.
When you get it right, the 9-10-11 complex looks easy. Carry just a little too much speed through turn 9 and you're busy trying to settle the car on exit, which leads to carrying more than a little too much speed through turn 10 because any heavy braking would upset the car even more. And then you hit the off-camber turn 11, which shrugs you right off the outside. Somehow the NSX manages this with only a 90 degree spin and just barely avoids putting a wheel off the asphalt thanks to a luckily-placed service road.
Suitably humbled, I get down to the business of putting some laps together that don't look as though they were driven by a complete idiot. After a while I'm laying down somewhat relaxed laps in the 1:19.xxx range and the 9-10-11 complex is solved as I find the car's preferred braking and turn-in points. Not a bad morning. If I had my way with the car I'd probably shift the brake balance a little bit to the rear and add just a hint of front toe-out for a bit more turn-in, but I'm very impressed with how predictable the car is. A driver with a sensitive enough right foot could probably dance the car quite nicely through a high-speed sweeper.
When I make that comment to my host in the paddock afterwards he simply smiles and points me towards Big Willow, where the car now sits with fresh tires and a full tank of fuel. Nice. Turn 1 tells me I was absolutely correct as the Type S almost immediately sets up a mild 4-wheel drift through the corner, sliding almost imperceptibly sideways and holding that attitude even with the throttle down. No smokey bornouts, no tires screaming in protest, just a beautifully controllable run through the corner and through Rabbit Ear which follows. I'm feeling pretty good when my old nemesis Balcony (turn 4) raises its head. The NSX does nothing wrong, but my nerves fail me and I turn in too early, exiting far too slowly as I have to correct my line mid-corner. The NSX does it's best to save me, serenely running flat-out through turns 5, 6, and 7, and dancing lightly through turn 8, the big 900-foot-radius sweeper that's the fastest corner on the course.
In fact, the NSX does so well that I forget about the abrupt decrease in turn 9's radius and the poor car is treated to a brief off-road excursion as we run wide. All-in-all, not the best way for me to show my thanks to a car that's doing its best to make me look good.
My head back on straight I'm soon putting together consistent laps. My line through Balcony still isn't consistent, but that's not the Honda's fault. The understeer during braking in tight corners I noticed at Streets isn't an issue at Big Willow. Through the sweepers the NSX almost feels a bit like the CTR. Except that where the CTR wanted me to die, the NSX merely wants me to play. The back end of this car may slide, but it doesn't let go unless the driver does something very ham-fisted.
As the day comes to a close, I steel myself for the unfortunate duty of returning the Type S's keys to my host when, to my great surprise, he refuses the keys and hands me a slip of paper. It's an airplane ticket. In my name. To Milan. Which can only mean one thing. My new mid-engined friend and I are going to Monza. No wonder they'd told me to have a bag packed.
Monza has always been one of my favorite tracks. Maybe it's a remnant of reading about Porsche using the old banking for its record-breaking 24-hour run with the Carrera RSR back in '67, but there's something about the track that just oozes automotive history. Plus it's fast.
The NSX loves this track. Whether it's hard braking for the chicanes or powering out of Lesmos or Ascari the car is calm and composed. There is a bit of an incident where, once again, I trust the car too much and, carrying too much speed into Lesmos 2, I put one of the back wheels off as we drift wide. Even the NSX can't save me from that and we do a neat little 180. Which somehow manages to entirely avoid contact with the inside wall, leaving us none the worse for wear. Even when things go wrong, this car still somehow manages to save me.
On the flight back home, I can't help but reflect on my time with the car. It's 290 horsepower is very nearly out-gunned by the V6 in today's Accord and its day-to-day livability is no longer unique among high-end sportscars. Yet, somehow, it still makes me want it. My ideal NSX is still one of the '97 through '00 models with the improved engine and chassis combined with the classic pop-up headlights, but that wouldn't stop me from taking someone up on their offer if they handed me the keys to an '01+ model again.
Specs:
Displacement: 3,179 cc
Power: 289 hp @7,100 RPM
Torque: 235 ft-lbs @ 5,500 RPM
Weight: 2,910 pounds
Top Speed: 183 mph (as measured at la Sarthe, without chicanes)
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
Last edited:
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
Never Such Xcitement...
This is what NSX should stand for! The improvements in this gen of Japan's famous sports car may have tamed her a little, but she screams Take Me To The Limit One More Time instead of just singing some famous wedding tune. So far, this car gets my vote for GT6 COTW's most fun car to RACE with. So much so, that the warnings of restore body rigidity are starting to overtake my service crew's normal recommendations.
Let's hope our next car brings even half of the smiles and fun factor as the NSX!
Cheers
This is what NSX should stand for! The improvements in this gen of Japan's famous sports car may have tamed her a little, but she screams Take Me To The Limit One More Time instead of just singing some famous wedding tune. So far, this car gets my vote for GT6 COTW's most fun car to RACE with. So much so, that the warnings of restore body rigidity are starting to overtake my service crew's normal recommendations.
Let's hope our next car brings even half of the smiles and fun factor as the NSX!
Cheers
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
-McClarenDesign's-
Super Best Friends Super Aguri Super Review of the Car of the Week
"He didn't want to beat me, metaphorically he wanted to destroy me." -Alain Prost
Super Best Friends Super Aguri Super Review of the Car of the Week
"He didn't want to beat me, metaphorically he wanted to destroy me." -Alain Prost
Week 9: 2001 Acura/Honda NSX vs 1993 Acura/Honda NSX
Men don't cry. It isn't that we're incapable of emotion, it's because crying implies weakness, and weakness simply will not be tolerated amongst the pack. Since man's first encounter with a dinner that wasn't first planted, any notion of expressing discomfort amidst hardship is strictly forbidden. Doing so only shows everyone that you aren't as strong as they are, and may very well end up being the one that gets everyone killed. While not exactly as elegant as something written by Hawking or Einstein, the theory does hold some merit. It's not difficult to imagine how successful you'd be sneaking up on a jaguar while sniveling about a broken nail. Instead of hunting dinner, you'd likely find that the roles were reversed, with a giant feline ready to use your soon-to-be corpse as a plaything.
Just because a few millenniums have past doesn't necessarily mean that anything has changed. If anything, evolution has rewarded such behavior, creating Alpha males bent on conquering anything in site just to prove their machismo. At some point someone thought it a good idea that men stop killing each other just for kicks and invented sports, the thought being that a reward would be more satisfying that murdering one's opponent. Today that tradition continues, with over-rewarded Alpha males clashing on various fields, often violently, just to prove their superiority over the male standing next to them. And just like our cave dwelling days, there's still no crying allowed, even in baseball.
Because I'm discussing this topic, I'm bound to appear as being sexist. In today's age of political correctness, it's considered taboo to discuss the differences between the sexes. But facts are facts, and the truth of the matter is that fundamentally there are many differences between the two. While women apply 10,000 different health and beauty products to attract a suitable mate, men just bash whatever happens to be near by with a stick or club. Instead of pondering the aesthetics of matching or contrasting colors and patterns, we use the biggest tools available to erect a structure for those very same colors and patterns, but mostly just for shelter. Despite countless years of progression and evolution, we still play the same illogical games in order to attract a mate, and the different sexes go about this in very different, observable ways.
Much like logic, justice plays absolutely no role in how we go about our business, because society simply doesn't have time for it. For instance, when I was told that we'd be testing our fourth Japanese car in a row, I had every right to bitch, moan and complain. But I can't. Doing so would immediately lead to accusations of being weak, at best, and this column doesn't seem the appropriate place to prove that I do not, in fact, have sand in my vagina. Although I haven't witnessed my best friend's head being blown off on the battlefield or managed to nail my hand to a wall, it is expected of me to carry on in the same manner, unfazed. No matter the hardship or difficulty, showing discomfort proves weakness, and I'm not about to start now.
According to Polyphony Digital (via Translator-san):
Translator-san
You might imagine that I'd be overjoyed once I heard that we'd be testing not one, but two NSXs. Surely I'd be happy about moving on past the front-wheel drive shenanigans that I've been moaning about endlessly for the past few months. While a certain part of that may be true, this is by no means easy for several reasons. The first of which is the NSX's reputation to get a little bit tail happy when pushed to the limit, and the last of which are the associations that go with this car. Although we've been at this for quite some time, this is by far the hardest review I've ever had to give, though I shall endeavor to soldier on and do my best. While the performance aspects are difficult, they aren't impossible to manage. It's the history built into the car that provides the biggest obstacle, the only apt comparison being a visit to the Sistine Chapel while critiquing Michelangelo. It isn't difficult appreciating the beauty, but it is quite hard not to get emotional about it.
In 1983 Honda made it's return to Formula 1 with Spirit Racing, after withdrawing from the sport in 1968 with the death of Jo Schlesser, foretold by John Surtees when he labeled it a "deathtrap" earlier in the year. The ridiculous funds spent in motor racing often require some measure of justification, so to showcase the trickle-down relationship between its Formula 1 and road cars, Honda commissioned Pininfarina to design a sports car that would rival Ferrari and Porsche the following year. Much as they had with Spirit Racing in developing their F1 engines, the HP-X concept car was developed with the amount of secrecy that would make Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works look like a public convenience store. Lead by Chief Designer Ken Okuyama and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara, Honda allegedly experimented with roughly 20 different layouts and configurations before settling on the mid-engine layout we have today. They also studied monocoque construction materials and assembly, exotic engine materials and principles, all while harnessing the talent they'd acquired in Indycar Champion Bobby Rahal and F1 aces Satoru Nakajima and...
Nope... not going to... Stiff upper lip...
Performance (as purchased): February 21, 2014, Berlina Black (Black) *'93 Honda NSX
Displacement: 2,997 cc
Max. Power: 270 HP @ 7,000 rpm
Max. Torque: 226.9 ft-lb @ 5,500 rpm
Drivetrain: MR
Length: 174.4 in., Height: 46.1 in., Width: 71.3 in., Weight: 1,350 kg
Tires: Sports (Hard)
Performance Points: 446
Mileage: 85.6 mi
The circuit of choice for our test was Honda's test track, the infamous Suzuka Circuit. Designed in 1962, it's been the home of the Japanese Gran Prix for many years. Championships have been decided here many times, and it's also the home of our very own Super Best Friends Super Aguri. From the HP-X Concept Car to the NS-X prototype, having both the '93 and '01 models here seems appropriate enough. Given the NSX's racing provenance, it's safe to assume that this car has been around this track more than the Earth around the sun. As I'm being briefed about the track, one warning became redundantly clear: we weren't there to break any records. Of the 155,000 available seats, we'd be filling precisely zero, so there was absolutely nothing to gain by gambling.
After a quick warm up, I did a hot lap to establish a baseline for performance. On my hot lap, going into the First Curve wasn't a problem, it was the exit that nearly got me, giant plumes of white smoke as evidence of attempted radial homicide. The S Curves were handled a lot easier than I had anticipated, and the nose had absolutely no problems pointing in the right direction. Anti-banked, Denger and Dunlop posed no threat flat out, while 130R required a bit of feathering for a stable entry. 130R ended in yet another puff of smoke, the tyres complacent but very compliant. Given the NSX's reputation for tail happiness, I expected some slide exiting the Hairpin, but with proper throttle application the tyres held up and propelled the car with no sign of drama. Likewise, Spoon is typically tricky, but the NSX stayed mostly flat throughout, shrugging of the challenge and still not sweating. The tail finally slid a little at the exit of the backstretch, but once again the car gave plenty of feedback to know that it wasn't a terminal slide and could be easily corrected. Heaving braking and a twitch at Casio, then a quick jaunt across the start/finish line to the tune of 2:24.702.
Although the '93 had a few nervous twitches, it certainly wasn't as "too easy to drive" as Tiff Needell once suggested. Perhaps he hadn't actually found the gas pedal? And don't let those little puffs of smoke fool you, throughout the lap the '93 NSX gave more constant news than an all-day cable news network. If I entered a turn too fast, it'd let me know. Harsh input into or out of a turn? If it wasn't the suspension, steering or chassis keeping me updated, it was the tyres singing a chorus of the damned. Reputation would have you believe that the '93 NSX was nervous, but correct application disproves that by displaying it's responsiveness. It isn't a crackhead going cold turkey, it's more like a sports agent that can actually show you the money. Even though I'm no Formula 1 super star, the time established felt respectable.
After my lap in the black '93, I found it difficult to see how Honda could improve upon an already winning formula. By sourcing Pininfarina early in development, matching the Italians in desireable styling was almost guaranteed. Coupled with Formula 1 and Indycar talent to tackle the handling and suspension characteristics, I find it hard to believe that it could get much better. That's like saying "thanks for turning this water into wine, Jesus, but I think I could do it with a better bouquet." How can you possibly improve the machine when your best testing and measuring equipment isn't around anymore?
No, I promised I... is someone cutting an onion around here?
According to Polyphony Digital (via Translator-san):
Translator-san
Soichiro Honda was never one to let the tragedies around him ruin his day. In 1944 he had a plant destroyed by a B-29, the next year another flattened by an earthquake. Despite the ravages of World War II destroying practically everything around him, he could still be found riding his bicycles around town by day and drinking with Geisha by night. Like any man, he didn't cry about his company being reduced to rubble, he sold the salvage and used the proceeds to build generators and engines. Although it took some time, Honda didn't stop working after losing their best talent and close friend, they "put it up to eleven."
Aside from the obvious visual differences between the two, the first big change is noticed the moment you start the engine. Ditching the pop-up headlights in favor of lenses is a giant improvement in the I-have-to-live-with-it sort of way, and as nearly every early model Corvette owner will attest, a lot cheaper in the long run. While that same Corvette can be found on the side of the road after 100,000 miles, even the '93 still runs like a Swiss watch twenty years later with absolutely no recalls. While the black '93 NSX sounded like a jaguar locked inside a tiny cage, this one sounds more high strung despite only a hundred extra revs at peak horsepower.
Performance (as purchased): February 21, 2014, New Formula Red (Red) *'01 Honda NSX
Displacement: 3.179 cc
Max. Power: 289 HP @ 7,100 rpm
Max. Torque: 235.4 ft-lb @ 5,500 rpm
Drivetrain: MR
Length: 174.4 in., Height: 46.1 in., Width: 71.3 in., Weight: 1,340 kg
Tires: Sports (Hard)
Performance Points: 457
Mileage: 181.7 mi
In 1997, engineers went mad and started massaging and improving the powerplant, adding even more strength and power. The exhaust was now stronger, lighter, and more efficient, while even more exotic materials like fiber-reinforced metal (FRM) found their way in as well. An extra 182 cc yielded approximately 20 more horses, but the way that those horses were delivered required rethinking even more components. Bigger brakes all around helped reign in the horses, but those too, required increasing the wheels from 15 and 16 in. wheels to 17s. In August of 1998, those modifications were enough to drop the 0-60 mph time by three tenths, at least according to Car and Driver. I typically zone out whenever manufacturers claim that their latest model is "even better than the last", but now I'm honestly intrigued by what the extra horsepower, bigger wheels and brakes, and 10 fewer kilograms are capable of.
I wouldn't have to wait very long. When I returned from my cool-down lap, the Super Best Friends had the red '01 ready to go. Thankfully changes to the interior were minimal, so everything was exactly where it should be, or where I last left it. On my flying lap, I remembered the smoke from exiting the First Curve and prepared for the same sensation fractions of a second before the exit, only this time there wasn't any smoke. The tyres still kept me informed about the available grip left, but the new suspension kept everything planted and pointed in the right direction with even less effort than the '93 before. At the hairpin I found perhaps 10-20 feet of more grip, allowing me to put the power down that much quicker. There were still traces of smoke here and there, but that's only because I was able to carry more momentum through the corners, psychologically rewarding me for pushing harder. When all was said and done, 2:19.899 was on the clock, and almost 5 full seconds were in the bank!
During my cool-down lap and on my way back to the paddock, I had a quiet moment of reflection about what had just happened, the NSX's engine barely audible in the background. I hadn't seen the time yet, but I already knew that this was much faster than the black '93 model, no immediate need to quantify exactly how much, just faster. But... and I know this is odd... I wasn't exactly happy about it. When the NSX was introduced, many Europeans criticized it for lacking character and passion. How they arrived to that conclusion is beyond any measure of reason or logic. Some said it wasn't a supercar because it didn't set out to kill it's driver, but back then that was the typical standard of measurement. Of course, the only people I can think of that believe in losing one's head as a sign of "passion" are the French, and they hardly speak for the whole of Europe.
When I got out of the car, I was greeted by a few Honda representatives as well as Super Aguri, both anxious to hear my first impressions of the cars. Although I had nothing but positive things to say about each, I did my best to decipher and disguise the state of melancholy that appeared within my soul when it was over. Driving the two back to back was like night and day, and during the course of a lifetime, it's only natural to expect improvement and advancement. True enough, the NSX had become more capable, the hard work of it's dedicated craftsmen and technicians had paid off in spades, more than those five seconds are capable in showing in videos or through telemetry. I went faster, so what the hell is wrong with me?!
After we left the track the crew went out for sushi and saki while I returned back to the hotel with all of the equipment. Tonight would be the last night of our consecutive run in Japan, and I should be feeling at least 300 different other emotions instead of the state of confusion that I was actually in. I'd been briefed about each by very knowledgeable people beforehand, well aware of the changes between the two. But when it was over, I couldn't quite tell what that change was or if I even liked it. Instead of dreading the return home to whatever drama awaits, I sat by the pool in a nearly comatose state. I'd been hired to test two very similar cars, but suddenly I found that I couldn't really talk about either without returning exactly to my emotional and mental confusion. I went faster, why couldn't I be happy with that?
In that short time... did I change? Was it something I did? Something I didn't do?
At some inappropriate hour during the night, the crew stumbled back to their respective beds, eager to greet the hangovers and layovers that awaited within hours. Meanwhile, I obsessively scoured the video tapes, first watching the hot laps, then every lap in an effort to sort out my head. Although I was expected to convey my impressions to you, I knew then that it'd never be possible if I came home a complete basket case, trapped within my own mind much like Robert Pirsig once found himself. When the in-car footage failed to yield any answers, I soon moved onto the next angle, followed by the next.
A few minutes before dawn, I tore myself away from the viewing screen, and stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. Also outside was the hotel manager, fluent in English as many of the Japanese are. He must've noticed my confusion, striking up a conversation that I'll never forget. I started telling him about driving the black '93, then the red '01 before coming straight back to the problem of what I thought about the whole mess. The Japanese are ardent Formula 1 fans, rivaling the Tifosi in sheer numbers that makes Italy look like local fan club. I've avoided mentioning Senna this entire time, as every NSX conversation eventually leads to him anyway and there's nothing more that I could add that hasn't already been said before. It wasn't until Manager-san mentioned him that things started to make sense.
After I tested the black NSX, I couldn't fathom how Honda could manage to improve it. When the NS-X project began, it was Senna that suggested an improvement in rigidity was vital to its success. Along with Rahal and Nakajima, Senna also gave handling feedback. Therefore, he was equally responsible for the fun that I had as Honda was. Even though it was faster, the '01 felt a but muted, a bit more neutral and conservative than the '93, and I wasn't exactly sure that the numbness would be something that Senna would've signed off on. Sure, I was able to carry more momentum, but the cost turned out to be the hair-raising excitement that was tuned into the '93. Although better in every quantifiable way, the differences between the two were as different as Senna and Rahal, Indycar and Formula 1.
After that conversation, everything was a lot more clear. Despite adding more horsepower, more acceleration, more stopping and more speed, the ultimate sacrifice had been the soul that was originally crafted into it by the feedback of Senna. After the tragic events of Imola, his absence was still being felt, and here it was also on display. The fact that you'll never match the talent of Ayrton shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, but having obtainable access to his soul was just as good. Considering that, the $90,000 original sticker prices hardly seems unreasonable, and it's still only a quarter of what Enzo would've charged you for an inferior car. Although I very much appreciate going faster, sometimes that simply isn't enough.
Which is odd, coming from a man. Factoring in how Senna changed F1 and Honda changed the supercar, expectations have also changed. Convention would have you believe that so-called "pay drivers" lack talent, and that supercars should be jet set performance machines made completely out of unobtanium, styled by Picaso with Pinkeye, then trained to recklessly murder anyone unfortunate enough to shell out the small fortune just to own one. Yet the facts are that Senna was a "pay driver", the NSX proved that supercars can and should be obtainable, useable and safe, and Honda proved that you didn't need to gouge out an eye just to look at one. The NSX also proved that you didn't need the ridiculous neanderthal machismo. There's no need to "man up" when you're already the Alpha, and the combination of Honda, Senna and the NSX wasn't going to replicated. In 2006, there was no NSX.
It has been said that "it takes a big man to admit when he's wrong". So when I tell you that I haven't shed a single tear about the loss of Senna during this review, I lied each time.
*The views and opinions expressed in this review do not necessarily reflect those of the manufacturer, the publisher, GTPlanet.net or it's members, nor anyone with an IQ above 3. If you have a history of epilepsy or seizures, consult a doctor before use. Certain patterns may trigger seizures with no prior history. Underage sale is strictly prohibited. Before using see the instruction manual included with your system for more details. For previous reviews, please visit: McClarenDesign's Very Serious SLS AMG Reviews of the Car of the Week N Stuff. Void where prohibited. All videos were filmed before a live studio audience. Car setup monitored by Dark Lion Racing's GT6 Tunes and Tricks app on Android, as administered by Super Best Friends Super Aguri. Contains wheat and soy ingredients. No goats were harmed in the making of this review that we are aware of. This product may cause significant hair loss, headaches, and damage to the immune system. Best wishes to Michael Schumacher! To advertise, contact McClarenDesign@gmail.com. If not completely satisfied, please return the unused portion for a full refund. If overseas, please include additional postage. Some assembly required.
-Super Previous Super Reviews-
Insightful... but bollocks: Introduction To Failure (or How I went from a Very Serious SLS AMG to Super Best Friends Super Aguri)Week 1: '10 Peugeot RCZ
Week 2: '88 Volvo 240 GLT Estate
Week 3: '87 Buick Regal GNX
Week 4: '57 BMW 507 vs '55 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
Week 5: '72 Alpine A110 1600s vs '72 Alpine A110 1600s (15th Anniversary Edition) vs '73 Alpine A110 1600s
Week 6: '90 Nissan Primera 2.0Te / Infiniti G20
Week 7: '03 Acura CL 3.2 Type-S / Honda Accord Coupe EX
Week 8: '98 Toyota Sprinter Trueno BZ-R / Corolla Levin BZ-R
Week 10: STAY TUNED!
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- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
Congratulations MustangManiac!
Alright. Let's see you do better than that.
1967 Chevrolet El Camino SS 396!
Beater or sleeper...c'mon it's a hyper-car, are you kidding?
That was fun, but can we please have something not Japanese next week
Alright. Let's see you do better than that.
1967 Chevrolet El Camino SS 396!
- 2,833
- Lincoln
- Victory_Reign93
- Linthium Reign
Congratulations MustangManiac!
Alright. Let's see you do better than that.
1967 Chevrolet El Camino SS 396!
This will be quite fun due to the factory Powerglide 2 speed transmission and the fact this has some serious power fully built to the tune of 750+hp. Plus you can turn it into a wagon.
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
Muahahaha... Excellent. I had bought this quite a while ago just because it's almost as old as I am, and it just brings back a ton of memories. Should be interesting to see what it can do in online racing as I've never tried it that way. Nice pick CaminoManiac! Ummm, I mean Mustang 
Oh and by the by Mc, if you really want a beer keg in the back of your Camino for a gas tank, bring it up here to Canada. We kind of have this thing for anything related to our favourite beverage...
Cheers
Oh and by the by Mc, if you really want a beer keg in the back of your Camino for a gas tank, bring it up here to Canada. We kind of have this thing for anything related to our favourite beverage...
Cheers
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- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
By far, the hardest review I've ever had to do.
Next week I'll tell you about the El Camino that tried to kill me twice in the same day. If you guys dig the review, please, pretty please share a link on your social media of choice. It'd really mean a lot to me.
Next week I'll tell you about the El Camino that tried to kill me twice in the same day. If you guys dig the review, please, pretty please share a link on your social media of choice. It'd really mean a lot to me.
- 2,121
- Chicago
- mustang622006
1967 Chevrolet El Camino SS 396
I love the mods available for this car and the colors.
I used to own a 1970 El Camino SS with a 454, that thing was a monster. Completely useless in the snow and not much better in the wet. You could light up the rear tires on an on-ramp going 50mph shifting from 3rd to 4th! Lots of fun...and lots of trouble
As I told MD, I was just looking for an excuse to check this one out and what better time than here at cotw? I figured since I was bringing it home to the good ol USofA with a uniquely American vehicle that I might as well take her to an American track with a rather unique "twist" of it's own. Where else, but Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca?Dropping into the infamous "corkscrew", officially turns 8 - 8a, nearly a 6 story plunge.
By the numbers:
stock: 276hp - 454pp
light: 276hp - 448pp
tuned: 437hp - 487pp
You may have noticed that there is an extra entry this week, the "light" listing. I wanted to do something to address a few issues, namely handling and those long draw out gears in the 2 speed box, but not increase the power. I upgraded the rubber one step to SM, added a race soft suspension and installed a custom gearbox. I also added 100 kilos of something or another in the back...all the way to the rear. This shifted the ratio from the stock 54/46 to a much better 51/49. Not only did I not increase the power, but it dropped from 453pp to 448pp.
The pass for the lead.
Laguna Seca TT, best of 5 laps:
stock - 1:47.465
light - 1:42.910
tuned - 1:34.977
This one tail happy Chevy.
Laguna Seca 5 lap vs pro ai:
stock - P2 / total 9:02.267 / best 1:47.125
light - P1 / total 8:42.070 / best 1:43.164
tuned- P1 / total 8:05.776 / best 1:35.372
I thought I finally got some competition with the tuned ride, a Jag XK, Skyline GTR and last weeks NSX, but they proved no match for the big Chevy V8.
The light mods bringing home the win.
The stock ride, as expected is very tail happy, especially with little weight in the back giving a split of 54/46 front to rear. The big block 396 has plenty of power on tap, it's just a bit difficult to put to max use with the weight distribution. The extremely long gearing with 2 speed box is totally unsuited for the track and simply adds to the power management woes. Not to mention the ride height and soft suspension, again, to be expected...it is a truck after all.
Last weeks cotw, meet this weeks cotw.
My light mod car was an attempt to address the issues with the stock ride. I upgraded the rubber one notch to help with grip. I would have preferred a stiffer suspension, but chose race soft since I was running Laguna Seca, race hard would probably run well at a flatter track. I was going to go with a 5 speed trans, but the only option to the 2 speed was full custom. Adding the weight and putting it all the way to the rear drastically helped the handling, even lowering the pp I was able to knock nearly 5 seconds off my best lap. It didn't completely dial out the push when you went hard into a corner, but that was easily addressed with your right foot. You just want to make sure you have enough tarmac in the outside lane as you exit the corner.
As a Jag lover I find this picture a bit offensive, as a Camino driver...not so much.
As far as the tuned ride goes, well, she is much more the beast I remember my 70' model being! Crazy fast, tons of power, sideways all day long, what more can you ask for? She handled the extra power much better than I thought she would. I am not sure how much of that is attributed to the RH rubber, the suspension or the down force that the tonnneau cover/rear wing should produce, but this car could literally be driven with your right foot...who needs a steering wheel anyway
This must be the smoking section.
This has to be one of the most fun rides I have come across yet in GT6. Admittedly, with the slow updates from PD I have been taking my time getting through the game, I still have two races left so I haven't spent a lot of time buying and playing just for fun. Fortunately that is what we have cotw for 👍 I think what surprises me most is how similar this car is to last weeks when one would think you couldn't find two more opposite vehicles. I mean, we got a 40+ year old American truck and a much newer Japanese hyper-car yet I find myself using nearly identical driving technique to go fast...using the over abundance of power to drive with the rear end. I don't think I am done with this car, as a matter of fact, I know I am not...I ran the American Muscle race at Spa last night. Since I drive her like I do the NSX I just may have to take her out to Suzuka and see what kind of times I can post there.
Screamin' up the hill for the checkers.
Verdict:
Sleeper all the way, c'mon, it's a truck and has a wood grain panel on the tail gate
- 11,334
- The 51st state of america
- sparkytooth50001
I MUST BUY ONE OF THESE
As soon as I'm done with the GT3 cars though.
As soon as I'm done with the GT3 cars though.
- 2,833
- Lincoln
- Victory_Reign93
- Linthium Reign
Do you want it more than your LFA(s)?
If you get the Camino and if you can, feel free to join the COTW shoot out on Tuesday at 10PM CST ( 4:00AM on Wednesday for me and Lewis_Hamilton
). Just message McClarenDesign on PSN.
- 11,334
- The 51st state of america
- sparkytooth50001
I already have my LFAs.Do you want it more than your LFA(s)?
If you get the Camino and if you can, feel free to join the COTW shoot out on Tuesday at 10PM CST ( 4:00AM on Wednesday for me and Lewis_Hamilton
I'll be there if I can.
- 12,893
- Divided States of America
- MikuHime80
Sleeper. I've beaten many, and can drift uber-boss like in the Camino
- 379
- PNW
- Zenmervolt
El Camino! The front is like a car, the back is like a truck; the front is where you drive, the back is where you... Ahem, moving on.
To say that I've never been a fan of the El Camino would be an understatement. I could blame it on the tacky faux wood strip on the tailgate, but there's more to it. The El Camino is, simply, a knock-off. It's a me-too car that haphazardly rushed into production as a response to Ford's earlier, and successful, Ranchero. Even the name, "El Camino," is an imitation of the Ford's own Spanish name. And while the Ranchero evolved through seven generations in its 22-year production run, the El Camino saw only five generations in its 25 years of production.
So, the El Camino is a knock-off, updated less frequently than Ford's original and allowed to languish without meaningful updates in its final form for nearly a decade. Hell, the Ranchero even had the largest available engine, Ford's 460 cubic inch stump-pulling monster. Sure the 460 was decidedly a "truck engine" and not a muscle car screamer, but it could pull your house off its foundation if you asked it to. And yet, despite all this, it's the El Camino whose memory survives today, overshadowing its superior inspiration. Last week I met one of my automotive heroes. This week I'm meeting one of my villains.
In person, I have to admit that, aside from the aforementioned tacky faux wood on the tailgate and a somewhat "nose up" stance somewhat common to the period, the 1967 incarnation of the El Camino is at least handsome. In a perfect example of how disjointed American automotive production could be in the late 1960s, several reputable restoration guides insist that the "SS" option, while present on the Chevelle in '67, did not appear on the El Camino until 1968. General Motors seems to believe otherwise, however, and I'm inclined to believe them. Regardless of who's right, the SS-only hood and grill are nice touches.
Yes, it's a 396. No, it's not the good one.
One thing that everyone agrees on, however, is that even in 1967 the El Camino was still being offered with the two-speed Powerglide transmission. The Ranchero had dropped its two-speed automatic entirely at the end of '59, and had offered 3-speed units since it's introduction in '57. In the El Camino, however, the ancient Powerglide would soldier on as the base automatic until 1973. A determined buyer could demand the 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 as early as '65, but it seems whoever bought this car originally wasn't terribly interested in getting the latest and greatest. As further evidenced by the decision to get the weaker 325 hp "L35" version of the 396 V8 instead of the more potent, 350 horsepower "L34" variant.
The truly hot 375 hp "L78" version that Chevelle buyers could opt for wasn't offered on the El Camino. Which is really a shame. After all, with the two-speed Powerglide sapping all the torque anyway it's not as though wheelspin would have been a problem. Then again, with the rampant rumors about the special-order L78 engine being under-rated by the factory, maybe it would have.
By now, I'm sure most of you are shouting at me to shut up with the history lessons and get on to actually driving the bloody thing. Fine. Sliding into the bench seat is easy and the V8 "whumps" to life, settling down to a decent burble at idle. Pulling away you're immediately struck by a feeling of mass. I've always described cars with 3-speed automatics as feeling just like a 5-speed, except starting in 2nd and then never shifting into 5th on the freeway. The Powerglide is much the same except that now it feels like starting in 3rd. No wonder the big old American V8s were set up to hit their torque peak early; if they weren't the cars would never have managed to get off the line. Still, even the weakest 396 has torque and lots of it, so the acceleration manages to avoid being glacial. Of course, it doesn't exactly feel like over 400 ft-lbs either.
"Donuts"
Shockingly, the requisite attempt at donuts at Streets of Willow was nothing short of laughable. Between the Powerglide's way-too-tall first gear, the stock peg leg (open differential), and a chassis that wants to understeer the best I could manage were big, lazy circles as the inside rear tire broke loose, both front tires ploughed sideways, and the outside rear wheel never even heated up, placidly holding the line and keeping the car from spinning. Of course, given that the bench seat has all the lateral support of my grandmother's porch swing it's possible that all this understeer is a safety feature.
Seriously. How do you manage to understeer while attempting donuts?
On the track itself, corner-entry understeer is the order of the day. There's a faint hint of power oversteer near redline in first (between about 65 and 75 mph) that does allow a bit of throttle steering, but, unlike last week's NSX which danced to small adjustments in mid-corner throttle, the El Camino needs more authoritative changes in throttle position to get it to alter its line. The inside rear tire wants to spin on corner exit, but the outside tire simply holds on and all you really end up with is slightly less understeer. Overall, the chassis wants desperately to keep going straight and even the massive low-end torque can't quite overcome the 2-speed's tall gearing to really get some power oversteer going. With a 5-speed, or even a 4-speed, power oversteer would be an issue and more delicate throttle control would be necessary, but as it is this thing just doesn't want to turn.
When all is said and done I can reliably turn laps in the 1:24.2xx range at Streets of Willow. This is a bit more than 4.3 seconds slower than last week's NSX, but it's also 2.5 seconds faster than the second-generation RX-7 Turbo I put through its paces here a few weeks ago. The 9-10-11 complex runs smoothly with this car since the threat of trailing throttle oversteer just isn't there, though the entry into turn 2, like the entry into the Fishbowl, is somewhat hampered by the necessity of getting the braking done before turning in which makes the car feel slower than it is.
The deep red looked almost black in the early morning shadows.
Next door at Big Willow the impression remains the same. Understeer at entry, a half-hearted attempt at letting the driver use power to balance the car mid-corner, and the inside rear wheel trying desperately to light itself up on corner exit. As at Streets, however, the El Camino is nothing if not benignly predictable and laps in the 1:30.4xx range are soon being rattled off in succession. The Chevy likes Big Willow more than Streets and times here are only 3.8 seconds off the NSX's pace from last week.
The sun wasn't really square...
Leaving the track and heading home (my editors inform me that last week's trip to Monza blew the budget for any similar shenanigans this week - I regret nothing) I can't help but feel a bit conflicted about the El Camino. The part of me that's a Blue Oval man still wants to hate the Chevy for the way it managed to overshadow the Ranchero. The part of me that once owned a Betamax machine is telling me to let it go and accept that success does not always come to the superior option. The aesthetician in me has to admit that the '67 was a pretty good looking vehicle, especially with the SS touches (so what if the hood "vents" were non-functional).
The owner did have some photos from an earlier trip to the Nurburgring though.
But mostly the engineer in me wants to yank out that Powerglide and put in a proper M22 "Rock Crusher." The legendary Muncie M22 4-speed is all this car really needs to be instantly fun. OK, throwing a positraction rear end on in place of that peg leg is probably necessary too. But overall that's about it. Sure, the heavy nose means understeer, but the reality is that this is a car that's let down between the engine and the wheels. If whoever bought the car initially had optioned it properly, I might have truly enjoyed it.
In the end, I have to admit a grudging respect for the '67 El Camino. But I don't have to like it.
I still want my Ranchero...
Specs:
Displacement: 6,394 cc
Power: 325 hp @5,000 RPM
Torque: 410 ft-lbs @ 3,500 RPM
Weight: 3,236 pounds
Top Speed: 144 mph (as measured at la Sarthe, without chicanes, shockingly NOT bouncing off the rev limiter, but only just)
Gallery: http://imgur.com/a/fqXeA/all
- 1,835
- New york
- IvIaster__Shake_
That's what I did to my Elky. M22 with 3.54 rear-end, LSD, bumped power to 375 for the solid lifter 396, and upgraded rubber to comfort soft. Very fun cruiser and lots of power, with lots of wheelspin as well.
- 830
- Michigan
- JackRyanWMU
- SpeedyDB55
Whenever I see a newer model full-size pickup on the road, I'm reminded of The Incredible Hulk; they're massive, powerful, ungainly......and completely and utterly stupid. Today's full size pickups dwarf their older brothers, getting larger through the years as each company has strived to make their truck "bigger than the other guy." The end result has been that all the practicality has been designed out of them; just try to reach over the side of a current Silverado or Ram and pick up a toolbox from the bed; only the Shaquille O'Neal sized are capable of the feat. It's become so ridiculous that Ford now installs a ladder in the tailgates of its pickups just so people with legs shorter than Andre the Giant's are capable of climbing into the bed.
I can recognize and acknowledge the utility of pickups as much as anyone, but why can't they be as fun to drive as a car?
Why can't there be a modern El Camino?
(Yes, the Ranchero came first. Go-Bots also came before the Transformers, guess which one is way cooler? ;p )
The '67 El Camino SS is a brutish sort of car, even the Buick Grand National is refined in comparision. But like the Grand National, this car proves that big and brutish has its charms. A two-speed transmission may seem downright archaic in the modern era of eight and nine-speeds, but on Grand Valley East the car never was never in danger of banging uselessly against its rev limiter. Its handling certainly wasn't as sharp as the Primera or the Corolla, but while those cars had me struggling to stay awake, the throaty rumble of the 396 V8 in the El Camino was the thing of dreams. The car does love to wheelspin and smoke its tires, thanks in no small part to the lack of weight of an empty bed. But while wheelspin in the NSX-R had me worried of a horrible crash, the same phenomenon brought a big grin to my face in the El Camino.
And finally, big and brutish doesn't have to mean slow. In a revelation that's sure to make a BMW fan do a spit take of his latte, the El Camino lapped GVE in a best time of 1:18.115, easily displacing the '05 330i for the second fastest time I've managed since Grand Valley became my COTW test track. And considering this car can be had for just 30,000 credits and tuned to a horsepower level that would make a ZR1 blush, it's definitely a Sleeper; although those who tune up this beast are recommended to have several cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the bed to combat the ludricrous amounts of wheelspin that come once the car is tuned up.
So why doesn't GM make a modern day El Camino? Well, actually they do, it's just sold in Australia and called the Holden Maloo. So then, why not bring the Maloo to America and call it the El Camino?
Sadly, I suspect its the same reason why compact pickups like the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma lag behind their full-size brethren in sales and the Ford Ranger has bitten the dust. Even though those pickups can do 85% of what full-sizes can and offer better operating economics, those who buy pickups simply want "the bigger truck." (They'll also bring up "Off-Road Capabality" as a defense as well, in spite of the fact that the vast majority of them will never drive their F-150 or Silverado down anything rougher than a dirt road.)
How strange it is, that a car that's such a brilliant middle ground between the fun of a sports car and the practically of a pickup seemingly has no place in today's market. Strange, and rather a shame, I would say.
I can recognize and acknowledge the utility of pickups as much as anyone, but why can't they be as fun to drive as a car?
Why can't there be a modern El Camino?
(Yes, the Ranchero came first. Go-Bots also came before the Transformers, guess which one is way cooler? ;p )
The '67 El Camino SS is a brutish sort of car, even the Buick Grand National is refined in comparision. But like the Grand National, this car proves that big and brutish has its charms. A two-speed transmission may seem downright archaic in the modern era of eight and nine-speeds, but on Grand Valley East the car never was never in danger of banging uselessly against its rev limiter. Its handling certainly wasn't as sharp as the Primera or the Corolla, but while those cars had me struggling to stay awake, the throaty rumble of the 396 V8 in the El Camino was the thing of dreams. The car does love to wheelspin and smoke its tires, thanks in no small part to the lack of weight of an empty bed. But while wheelspin in the NSX-R had me worried of a horrible crash, the same phenomenon brought a big grin to my face in the El Camino.
And finally, big and brutish doesn't have to mean slow. In a revelation that's sure to make a BMW fan do a spit take of his latte, the El Camino lapped GVE in a best time of 1:18.115, easily displacing the '05 330i for the second fastest time I've managed since Grand Valley became my COTW test track. And considering this car can be had for just 30,000 credits and tuned to a horsepower level that would make a ZR1 blush, it's definitely a Sleeper; although those who tune up this beast are recommended to have several cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the bed to combat the ludricrous amounts of wheelspin that come once the car is tuned up.
So why doesn't GM make a modern day El Camino? Well, actually they do, it's just sold in Australia and called the Holden Maloo. So then, why not bring the Maloo to America and call it the El Camino?
Sadly, I suspect its the same reason why compact pickups like the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma lag behind their full-size brethren in sales and the Ford Ranger has bitten the dust. Even though those pickups can do 85% of what full-sizes can and offer better operating economics, those who buy pickups simply want "the bigger truck." (They'll also bring up "Off-Road Capabality" as a defense as well, in spite of the fact that the vast majority of them will never drive their F-150 or Silverado down anything rougher than a dirt road.)
How strange it is, that a car that's such a brilliant middle ground between the fun of a sports car and the practically of a pickup seemingly has no place in today's market. Strange, and rather a shame, I would say.
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- 379
- PNW
- Zenmervolt
Yes, but was an El Camino ever driven by a Bond villain? The Ranchero was.
Also, Elvis owned a Ranchero. 
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- 2,121
- Chicago
- mustang622006
I told you the tuned El Camino was fast
Beat the NSX at Suzuka TT by .68 seconds 👍
Got my best time yet at the 5 lap Suzuka race, just shy of breaking into the 2:15's
Beat the NSX at Suzuka TT by .68 seconds 👍
Got my best time yet at the 5 lap Suzuka race, just shy of breaking into the 2:15's
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
I told you the tuned El Camino was fast
View attachment 124522
Beat the NSX at Suzuka TT by .68 seconds 👍
I'm not convinced. I'll defer this one to @Vic Reign93.
- 2,833
- Lincoln
- Victory_Reign93
- Linthium Reign
Why thank you McClaren.
What PP was your El Camino just out of curiosity? Also tyres and SRF?I told you the tuned El Camino was fast
View attachment 124522
Beat the NSX at Suzuka TT by .68 seconds 👍
View attachment 124523
Got my best time yet at the 5 lap Suzuka race, just shy of breaking into the 2:15's
- 2,121
- Chicago
- mustang622006
Why thank you McClaren.
What PP was your El Camino just out of curiosity? Also tyres and SRF?
437hp/487pp
full custom trans - default setting
full tuned suspension - lowered
100K ballast, full rear giving 51/49 front/rear distribution
RH tires
aids = abs 1
