Ten Days of Affordable Exotics-Day 3: Acura NSX

Every gearhead wants to drive something unique. We yearn for the thrill of g-sled acceleration, the feel of cornering as though on rails, and styling that makes you the envy of everyone at Cars and Coffee. This usually means an exotic or nearly exotic car. The thrill of being shoved back in your seat, hearing the wail of a high performance engine, as the scenery outside your window blurs, as you watch the speedometer tell you you’re approaching warp speed, it’s an experience few others eclipse. The problem, for most of us, is that exotic car experience is usually accompanied by a hefty price tag, and that job working at Uncle Plucky’s House of Chicken hasn’t impressed your loan officer enough to finance a new Aventador. So, how do the true car geeks among us scratch that itch to go fast, corner hard, and look cool without selling off our first born? Look for those rare-but-attainable affordable exotics. As the average price for a new car is just over $33,500, I have tried to find exotics with an entry price around $40,000. Compared with the sticker of the 2018 Ford GT (around $450,000), Porsche 911 Turbo ($159,200 base), Ferrari 488 ($245,400), and the Lamborghini Aventador ($399,500), $40k begins to look like an absolute bargain.

Acura NSX 1990-2005- Designed with the intent of going head-to-head with Ferrari’s V8 line, the New Sportscar eXperimental originally began life as a 2.0 liter, mid-engine V6 design project. The idea was to build a car that would meet or exceed that of the Ferraris, with reliability and a lower price. The NSX benefitted from well-developed aerodynamics, an interior inspired by the styling of the cockpit of the F-16 fighter jet, an all-aluminum body (the first production car to feature one), aluminum chassis, and engine. In the later stages of development, Honda tapped no other than Ayrton Senna for his expertise and advice. Power came from Honda’s 3.0 liter VTEC V-6, and was routed through either a 5-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Initially, the NSX could only be had in coupe form, but in 1995, a targa model bowed. In 1997, the car saw in the introduction of a 3.2 liter VTEC motor, boosting horsepower from 270 to 290, and dropping 0-60 times from 5.5 seconds to 4.7.

Pros: As is typical of Honda (Acura’s parent company) products, the NSX proved itself to be very robust and reliable. It is not uncommon to see these mid-engine rockets with well over 100,000 miles on the clock. They are reasonably inexpensive to maintain in comparison with other cars of similar layout and performance. There are few maintenance concerns to watch for when buying a used NSX. The model has remained popular in automotive enthusiast circles, and for good reason. They return very good performance, are reliable, unique, exotic in appearance, and don’t cost a fortune to maintain, unlike some similar Italian offerings. It seems these first generation NSXs may be seeing a minor price spike corresponding with the introduction of the 2017 NSX.

Cons: Despite being one of the most reliable exotic cars of all time, there are a handful of maintenance issues one must take into consideration when purchasing a used NSX. The clutch design was smaller than it should have been. From the factory, the NSX had a bit smaller clutch than it probably should have. As a result, the clutches only last about 40,000-50,000 miles, or about half that of your average Honda. As with most any other Honda or Acura, the NSX needs to have the water pump and timing belt replaced between 80,000 and 90,000 miles. ABS sensors and accumulator should be inspected, and early models should have the A/C evaporators checked. The final, and most notorious item to check is the snap ring on 1991 and 1992 manual transmission cars. The snap ring failure is limited to transmission numbers J4A4-1003542 through J4A4-1005978. You cannot tell by the VIN, as the transmissions were not installed in numerical order. You must physically check the transmission number. From the website nsxprime.com:

“The snap ring is a very thin metal ring which holds the countershaft from moving in the transmission case. Since the transmission gears are not straight cut, when the main shaft gets power from the engine the cut in the gears makes the shafts want to move back and forth in relation to each other.

Snap ring failure is a result of the stresses put on it by an improperly manufactured transmission case. The snap ring itself is not the cause of the problem, just the symptom. There is a groove in the case which is cut too wide on some transmissions. This allows the snap ring to twist as the countershaft moves back and forth under load. The more load, the more twist.”

Verdict: If you want a reliable mid-engine exotic, there are few others that will match the performance and reliability of the NSX. With some ultra-low-mile examples now selling for more than the original sticker, now is the time to buy. Be sure to have an Acura dealer do a thorough pre-purchase inspection to avoid expensive repairs or possible heartbreak.

P.S., Recently, NSX prices have shot up. If you want one, now is the time.

Ten Days of Affordable Exotics-Day 2: Corvette ZR-1

Every gearhead wants to drive something unique. We yearn for the thrill of g-sled acceleration, the feel of cornering as though on rails, and styling that makes you the envy of everyone at Cars and Coffee. This usually means an exotic or nearly exotic car. The thrill of being shoved back in your seat, hearing the wail of a high performance engine, as the scenery outside your window blurs, as you watch the speedometer tell you you’re approaching warp speed, it’s an experience few others eclipse. The problem, for most of us, is that exotic car experience is usually accompanied by a hefty price tag, and that job working at Uncle Plucky’s House of Chicken hasn’t impressed your loan officer enough to finance a new Aventador. So, how do the true car geeks among us scratch that itch to go fast, corner hard, and look cool without selling off our first born? Look for those rare-but-attainable affordable exotics.As the average price for a new car is just over $33,500, I have tried to find exotics with an entry price around $40,000. Compared with the sticker of the 2018 Ford GT (around $450,000), Porsche 911 Turbo ($159,200 base), Ferrari 488 ($245,400), and the Lamborghini Aventador ($399,500), $40k begins to look like an absolute bargain.

Corvette ZR-1 1990-1995

Corvettes have always represented good bang-for-the-buck. In 1990, the American car market was just shaking off the malaise of the mid-seventies to late-eighties era of low horsepower, poor quality, crapbox-on-wheels domestic auto production. Chevrolet needed an explosive halo car, one that could take on the world, a King of the Hill. It found that in the Corvette ZR-1. With an all-aluminum, 32 valve, DOHC V-8 producing 375hp and 370lb-ft. of torque, the ZR-1 could hit 60mph from a dead stop in a scant 4.4 seconds, pushing on to a top speed north of 180mph. The ZR-1 was equipped with wider bodywork from the rear of the doors back, FX3 Active Ride Control, driver and passenger power leather sport seats, low tire pressure warning system, a Delco-Bose 200 watt AM/FM/CD system, and a six-speed manual transmission. The ZR-1 package pushed the sticker price of a Corvette coupe to over $60,000, but many dealers charged premiums that inflated the price beyond $100,000.

Pros: With total production numbering only 6,922, a ZR-1 owner is guaranteed exclusivity. The performance is still very good compared to today’s sports cars. The ZR-1 was proven to be quite robust, setting seven world speed records in March of 1990, including 100 miles, 500 miles, 1,000 miles, 5,000 miles, 12 hours endurance, and 24 hours endurance, all at speeds in excess of 173mph. Service for these rather impressive cars is available at most Chevy dealers. But the most notable item is this: as fourth generation Corvette prices have reached their low ebb, so have ZR-1 prices. It is fairly easy to find a 1990 or 1991 model year in good condition, with low miles, under $25,000. For less than the price of a V-6 Ford Mustang fastback you can have your very own world-class-performance Corvette ZR-1.

Cons: As can happen with exclusive cars of low production numbers, ZR-1 parts can sometimes be tricky and expensive to find. Joining an online forum is helpful. For those who don’t know the difference, the ZR-1 looks like every other fourth generation Corvette coupe. In order to achieve the chassis stiffness needed to cope with the initial 375hp, and later 405hp, the ZR-1 had to be produced as a fixed-roof coupe only. The ‘solar’ windshield was made only for this model, and can be both tough to source and pricey to replace. The interiors of all fourth gen ‘Vettes tend to wear poorly. Because of the high sills and massive transmission tunnel, getting in and out of them is akin to climbing in and out of a canoe.

Verdict: With most parts (aside from some engine components) and service readily available, and at domestic prices, ZR-1 ownership shouldn’t be an overly-expensive proposition. Moreover, current sales prices on low-mile examples that have had good upkeep are well below the price of your average new car. For this rather reasonable admission price, you are rewarded with exceptional performance, a decent degree of comfort and options, and robust powertrain, all wrapped in a package that is due to appreciate in coming years. One could find worse investments.