Let's See What Makes The 1991 Acura NSX So Special

Honda's 1991 Acura NSX

In the 90s, Honda wanted to compete with the sports car juggernaut of the time, Ferrari. They decided to go all in on this and, in 1991, introduced the world to the 1991 Honda NSX, better known as the 1991 Acura NSX in North America.

Honda wanted to create a sports car that would have the power and looks of a Ferrari but with the price tag and reliability of a Honda. No other vehicle coming out of Japan was even close to competing with an exotic sports car like the Ferrari 348.

Acura had recently been launched in the U.S. and Canada. Having a 1991 Acura NSX in the showroom was an excellent way to assure people that they were serious about making an impact in North America’s luxury and performance car market.

The 1991 Acura NSX is a beautiful exotic, mid-engine sports car with a 3.0L V6 engine that features Honda’s VTEC system, stamped right on the valve cover. This rear-wheel-drive, 270 horsepower, 5-speed manual has features that no other Japanese car of the time had. Let's take a ride in the 1991 NSX and see what makes it so special.

An Exotic Sports Car With Honda’s Fingers All Over It

All the sports cars coming out of Europe were mainly focused on being fast, powerful, and expensive. The driving experience and reliability of the European super cars just wasn't there. These cars were meant to go fast and be driven on the weekends.

The 1991 Acura NSX, on the other hand, was developed by Honda to be a fast, reliable, affordable, and driver-focused supercar. They carefully designed the car to be very comfortable and practical, unlike its European competitors.

They believed that the driver should enjoy the car ride and not be miserable the whole time while smashing through the gears. They wanted the driver to pretty much daily drive a Formula 1 car.

You can’t talk about a Honda without mentioning reliability. Honda is known for being one of the most reliable manufacturers in the world. The 1991 Acura NSX is actually one of the most reliable sports cars you can get your hands on.

It was way ahead of its time with its powerful and reliable aluminum 3.0L V6 C30A engine. Just go through a couple of listings, and you will see 1991 NSXs with 100k plus miles on the odometer and still going strong. That will rarely be the case with any other European sports car from that time.

A Rare Powerful Lightweight Honda Engine

For the 1991 Acura NSX to be considered a competitor to European super cars like the Ferrari 348, it needed to be fast. Honda needed to develop an engine that could compete with these big V8s but not be as heavy or unreliable. It took a lot of planning and testing until they developed the perfect engine, the C30A.

The 1991 NSX features a 3.0 liter V6 VTEC engine that produces an impressive 270 horsepower and 210 Ib-ft of torque. This special DOHC VTEC C30A engine is exclusive to the first-generation NSX and sounds amazing!

The C30A is a lightweight engine made of light metals like aluminum and titanium. Then throw in the well-known Honda VTEC system that kicks in around 5800rpm, and you have a powerful and lightweight beast.

Some people think that Honda should've put a more powerful engine in the 1991 NSX. I completely agree because those V8 European supercars were producing north of 300hp. But I mean, as I said, their main focus was not power. That reliable 3.0 V6 VTEC is one of the reasons that make the 1991 Acura NSX so valuable.

Stands Out Like A Sore Thumb When Compared To Other 90s Japanese Sports Cars

The 1991 Acura NSX wasn't just any Japanese sports car from the 1990s. It has all the common 90s features, but this NSX is a different beast when you look closer. Even Gordon Murray believed this. He used this 1991 NSX as inspiration for the McLaren F1.

The exterior of the car is just stunning. Honda, at the time, was involved in Formula 1 racing, and you can definitely see that in the design of the NSX. They also took inspiration from the F16 fighter jet as well.

The first-generation NSX has a badass front end, and it is one of the best front ends Honda has ever come out with. The rear end of this car could be better looking because of how long it is, but the wing and those iconic taillights make up for it.

Honda designed the bubble-like canopy to resemble the canopy of a fighter jet. This canopy design lets the driver see all around him. A feature that most supercars of the time did not have.

What I found surprising was that the 1991 NSX came with 15-inch wheels. You would think such a special car would come with bigger and more aggressive wheels. The car was specifically designed with these wheels, so there are no drawbacks except the fact that they looked odd.

Light As A Feather But Stiff As A Board

Honda wanted the NSX to have amenities that most cars at the time had, ABS, traction control, and AC. In order to do that, they needed to make the car super light.

They saved a lot of weight with the aluminum engine, so why not make the chassis out of aluminum as well. The 1991 NSX has an aluminum monocoque frame, just like what you'd find in a Formula 1 car at the time.

Once the car was finished, they had no other than the legendary Formula 1 driver, Ayrton Senna, test drive the car and give them some feedback. He loved it but said the car felt fragile. Honda took the NSX back to the drawing board and stiffened up the frame before officially releasing the 1991 Acura NSX.

Has Everything You Need In A Daily Driver

Supercars of the time were uncomfortable to sit in or drive in general and had almost no storage space at all. This is where the Acura NSX shines.

‍The 1991 NSX has a front hood that opens, and inside, you will find the spare tire, the radiator, and a few other performance components. This is usually where the trunk of a mid-engine car would typically be.

The trunk is where you usually find the trunk, in the rear end of the car. Having a huge functional trunk in a sports car like this was something that wasn't heard of at the time. You will find the hood to access the engine between the trunk and the cockpit.

Interior

Moving on to the interior, you will find a carefully designed cockpit that is all about making the driver feel comfortable. Most sports cars are very uncomfortable to get in and out of, but that isn't the case with the NSX. There is plenty of room to comfortably get in and out of, but like with any sports car, it sits pretty low to the ground.

‍You have most of the controls within arm’s reach of the driver’s seat. You will find most controls on the door panel and your steering wheel. You even have your side AC vents on the door panels, which is pretty neat. This small touch gives it that jet-like cockpit feel.

They Are A Rare Site To See

‍There was a lot of hype surrounding the 1991 NSX before its release. Especially in the U.S. with the 1991 Acura NSX. It was the first of its kind, and people loved it. Once officially released in North America, Acura sold 1940 NSXs, the most NSXs ever sold in a year to date. After 1991, sales began to decline.

It wasn’t until Honda abandoned the NSX in 2007 that the demand for them went up again. So they brought it back as a second generation in 2016 and again abandoned it in 2022 due to the same issue: insufficient sales.

There is so much history tied to this gem. The 1991 Acura NSX was the first model of the beautiful first-gen NSX and that already is enough to make this one very disearable car. Then add everything that makes the NSX a badass sports car, and you have yourself a one of a kind car. It was a Japanese sports car that came out to compete with the European juggernauts of the time and did just that. People are starting to value them much more and keeping them in their garages, away from us to see.

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