Most people will usually advise you against meeting your heroes because, more often than not, you’ll be disappointed. A similar concept applies to cars, usually vintage ones, where people idolize them until they actually take them on the open road, only to realize they’re not all they’re hyped up to be; the brakes suck, the transmission’s slow, the suspension’s too soft, etc. Luckily, the first-generation Acura NSX was never my hero car, so I was blown away when I recently got to drive one. So much so, in fact, that I cried. Nothing against the NSX, but as a kid who grew up in Mexico City in the ’90s, my bedroom walls were adorned with the likes of the Lamborghini Diablo, Ferrari F40 and F50, Porsche 959, and even a Ford GT90, among many Senna and, eventually, Schumacher posters. It wasn’t until I was an older teenager that I developed a liking for Honda products (probably because I learned to value money and appreciated reliability, fuel economy, and such), and that’s when the concept of a fast, nimble, cool-looking, but also reliable Japanese sports car like the NSX became appealing to me. Jerry Perez, Acura, Sean Grove Fast-forward many years to my current career, and I’ve been able to drive the latest Acura NSXs, and not just on the street, but on hallowed ground, like the Daytona road course. Back in 2019, I chased Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud around the famous circuit in an NSX—at night—putting all the driving skills I’ve gathered throughout my entire life to the test. Three years later, when the NSX Type S came out, I did the same thing again at the same place, but this time in the very car that Acura had loaned Max Verstappen a couple of months prior. And at some point between those two track events, I went on a 1,000-mile road trip to prove the NSX is also a practical grand tourer. Yet, through all these years, it’s been the O.G. NSX that’s somehow eluded me. That finally changed earlier this month during Monterey Car Week, where, as a guest of Acura, I had access to a couple of cars from the Honda Collection Hall, one of which was an old-school NSX. Dressed in a still-glossy Formula Red, with a black leather interior, in the type of condition that only an automaker-maintained car could be, I set out to drive on one of the country’s most beautiful and picturesque roads: Highway 1. Jerry Perez It didn’t take more than a minute for me to realize that I was in for a real treat, the kind that, frankly, comes often in my line of work, yet this one was different. Despite its 85,000 miles, I felt like I was driving a new old car—a very special one. The pedals were stiff and springy in a way that only happens in old cars. The steering was heavy (no power steering) but not overly so, and by far the most noteworthy attribute of all was the shifter. I hadn’t even left my hotel’s parking lot when I was already in love with the transmission. The Acura NSX revolutionized the world of sports cars back in the early ’90s with its sleek design, aluminum chassis, and cutting-edge Honda engine that revved to 8,000 RPM. It out-engineered and out-performed many of the flagship European cars of its time, all while offering everyday reliability, fuel economy, and comfort. Its 270-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 VTEC engine featured titanium connecting rods, and much of the technology that made it lighter, quick-revving, and reliable was derived from Formula 1. It was paired with a five-speed manual, though a four-speed automatic (with power steering) was also offered. Jerry Perez I was on my way out of town toward Bixby Bridge when dark clouds suddenly rolled in. “Just my luck,” I thought, “I’m in an amazing car on an amazing road, and now it’s raining.” As it turned out, that was a good thing because every supercar owner who had descended on the peninsula retreated to their luxury hotel or rented villa, leaving me with a mostly empty stretch of glorious, curvy, oceanside road from Monterey to Big Sur. Plot twist: it was bright-blue skies and sunny just five miles down the highway. Score! The next 60 miles, from Carmel Valley Ranch to the Big Sur Inn and back, were some of the most enjoyable I’ve ever driven in any car, anywhere in the world. Every straight, every corner, every little sandy nook where I pulled over to take a photo was magical. The sound of the V6 revving past 6,000 and all the way to 8,000 RPM—I can still hear it. It gives me goosebumps. Jerry Perez I’ve driven a lot of cars; man, a lot of cars. From Fiat Pandas and Nissan Tsurus to Ferraris, Paganis, Rolls-Royces, and two of my all-time faves, the F430 Scuderia and Prodrive P25, and yet it was a nearly 40-year-old Acura that brought tears to my face. The way the unassisted steering wheel transmitted the car’s dynamics and the road’s grit; how the shifter clicked into place with every throw; and the relaxed, velvety sound of the engine singing as I worked my way up and down the gears were deeply emotional. If you believe that cars can talk, as I do, then you better believe this one had some things to say. Every moment I shifted from second to third at almost full throttle, felt those revs build as I touched fourth, and then downshifted in a relaxed but precise manner (no need to really hustle this beauty), sequestered me away from this planet and took me to a place where I felt truly happy, a place where I envisioned myself as my lifelong hero (whom I have tattooed on my left forearm) wheeling a car just like this one around Suzuka. Some would say the suspension is a bit too soft—and they’d be partly right—but this is a car meant to be daily driven, not just tracked. The seating position is phenomenal, and the distance between the steering wheel and shifter is just perfect; as is the spacing between all the pedals. Jerry Perez In typical Honda style, everything about the NSX still worked: the defroster, the wipers, all the electronics. Not sure I’d be saying the same had I driven a 40-year-old European sports car, whether it be a Ferrari, Jaguar, or BMW. Everything felt purposeful; there was nothing wasted, nothing just for the sake of showmanship. It’s a serious car that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Suddenly, I was back to where I’d started, and it was time to hand the keys back to Acura. I’d have driven the best car in the world. Email the author at jerry@thedrive.com
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