Japanese Rivals - 4 way test

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I was sitting in my office at Powerfox Motorsport Mgazine build paper airplanes when the call came in; One of the reporters had arranged a test session with 4 japanese supercars and, since I was the most experienced test driver, they called on me to test the cars. I had no idea what to expect as the reporter had told me nothing other than "get your cute ass down to the garage now!"

As I arrive at the garage the little ViXeN inside me starts jumping for joy and I nearly fell over. Standing in the midmorning sun were 4 beautiful machines, all results od perfect Japanese engineering and precise design, they were:

Honda NSX Type S Zero '99 (Deep Blue)

Toyota Supra RZ '97 (Silver)

Nissan Skyline GTR V Spec '99 (Canary Yellow)

Mazda RX7 Type RS (FD) '96 (Silver)


I was most excited about the NSX and the RX7, being two of my favorite cars. But the Skyline and the Supra also intregued me. We loaded the cars up onto our truck and drove to our test strip for some straight line runs. On the way over I went over the cars specs.

Honda NSX Type S Zero '99 (Deep Blue)
Engine: 3.2l V6 DOHC
Power: 212kw/7300rpm
Torque: 312NM/5300rpm
Weight: 1270kg
Milage: 48657km

Toyota Supra RZ '97 (Silver)
Engine: 3.0l L6 DOHC
Power: 243kw/5600rpm
Torque: 530NM/3600rpm
Weight: 1510kg
Milage: 43147km

Nissan Skyline GTR V Spec '99 (Canary Yellow)
Engine: 2.6 L6 DOHC
Power: 247kw/6800rpm
Torque: 460NM/4400rpm
Weight: 1560kg
Milage: 54843km

Mazda RX7 Type RS (FD) '96 (Silver)
Engine: 1300 Rotary
Power: 214kw/6500rpm
Torque: 325NM/5000rpm
Weight: 1280kg
Milage: 42746km

The reporter said that getting new cars would have been impossible, so instead he found 4 drivers who were willing to let a lady rip their cars to pieces on some test runs. Luckily for me he got it right and I was about ready to drive the cars.

STRAIGHTLINE TEST

First up the NSX, I climb in and the bucket seats grab my hips like a horny man! I feel like I'm sitting on the floor but the view over the bonnet is perfect. I fire up the big 3.2 V6, my back vibrates and the engine tone rises as I bring the revvs up to 8000rpm. With a fat smile on my face I approach the line for the 400m run, The car's light weight shows as there is no wheel spin, even dropping the clutch from 8000rpm, the NSX rockets away down the 1/4 mile and the gearshifts are smoother than a babies bottom, into 3rd gear and the 400m mark comes up in only 13.369 seconds. Shifting into 4th and powering up to the 800m mark in just 24.236 seconds. The NSX feels smooth on the high banks of the top speed track and the engine notes are pure ecstasy. Down the back straight the NSX tops out just under 290km/h. I can't wait to get this on the track.

Times:
400m: 13.369
1000M: 24.236
Top Speed: 286.4km/h

Next I decide to “try” to tame the beast; I climb into the Supra and immediately notice a difference. This car is not as sporty inside as the NSX, though I feel safe in it. I fire her up and the 3.0l motor bursts into life, the revs rise quickly on this car and I can feel already that the power will be hard to handle. I pull up to the line and rev the Supra to 5000rpm then drop the clutch. The rear end steps out as the tyres spin like a top. I hit the breaks and reverse back to the line, realising that this would be trickier than I thought. 2nd try and this time I slip the clutch perfectly and get a little chirp from the back wheels as I extend the clutch fully. I can feel this car’s power as it desperately chases forwards trying to recover from its slow starting ability. The 400m mark comes up in a slower 14.382 seconds with the 800m mark coming up in 25.193. Judging by the speed on the corner I can tell this car will contend for the fastest top speed. I was right, the Supra crosses the line at 289.2 km/h.

Times:
400m: 14.382
800m: 25.193
Top Speed: 289.2km/h

The beautiful Yellow Skyline awaits, the only 4WD vehicle, this will be an interesting comparison. I climb in and the black leather interior still smells new, I can see by the look of the car that its owner keeps it in good condition. Firing up the 2.5 V6 Twin Turbo brings a sense of calm, the Skyline has a strangely quiet idle. Tap the gas and it’s a different story, the turbine like noise made by the turbos echos around the straight 6’s growl. I approach the line. With the revs at 8000 I drop the clutch, the 4WD helps as the car launches forward like a mouse in a sling shot. Smooth gear shifts see the 400m arriving in just 13.366 seconds but the weight of the car lets it down over the 1000m, this time comes up in 24.486. Judging by the cornering speed I knew this car would disappoint on the top speed run, it broke the beam at 272.7km/h.

Times:
400m: 13.366
800m: 24.486
Top Speed: 272.7km/h

Next up, and this will be a pleasure as it’s my favourite, the RX7. I fire up the little 1300 rotary and the high pitch whine is immediately apparent. The rotary engine revs easily and I approach the line. The RX7 has a staggering idle pace and almost seems like it wants to cut out. I rev the rotary up to 5000 rpm and slip the clutch out, The RX7 feels almost as bad as the Supra as I fight the wheel spin through first. Into second and the rotary power becomes apparent. Coming into third and the high pitch whine is oh so sweet as the RX7 crosses the 400m line in just 14.028 seconds. Fourth gear shows a small decline in power as the little engine works its heart out to move the light body. The 800m comes up in just 25.029 seconds with the top speed maxing out at 276.1km/h

Times:
400m: 14.028
1000m: 25.029
Top Speed: 276.1km/h

After the acceleration runs we head of for a late breakfast and upon discussing the cars decide that the Honda NSX is tops so far with the RX7 a close second. Based on looks the Canary Yellow Skyline is the most striking, but the flowing lines of the RX7 are just as appealing. We finish lunch and head off to Apricot Hill for some more testing.

TRACK TEST APRICOT HILL

We arrive at the track around mid day, perfect time to get some good runs in as the track temperature will promote good grip. First up the RX7, since it was last on the straight line runs. The Mazda runs smoothly around the track, but its lack of torque is apparent on this hilly track. The brakes feel good but the car seems to have a slight under steer on entry and a slight over steer on exit. None the less the RX7 feels fast aided along by the sweet sound of high revving rotary power.


Time: 1.35.946

Next up the Yellow beast, I expected a lot from this car due to its high torque and 4WD. These features should help it along this type of track. The Skyline feels smooth and the power delivery is instant. The 4WD certainly helps on the slower corners but lets the Skyline down on the long sweeps. The skyline, although not, feels the slowest of all the cars which may be because the 4WD means the car is stable and smooth. The deep drone of the motor also gives you a sense of calm rather that the all out exhilaration of the whiny RX7.


Time: 1.35.081

I climb into the Supra and fire up the beast. The supra launches down the straight and it’s apparent from the very first corner that this cars breaking ability outmatches the previous two. The run goes smoothly and I start thinking that this car will come out tops on the track… until the slow 2nd gear hairpin. The arse steps out and the rear wheels scream, the Supra drifts out of the slow corners eating seconds out of it’s time. 530NM torque certainly makes this beast harder to control on the slower corners.


Time: 1.35.295

Time for the only MR in the group and this should prove interesting. Once again I feel like I’m being taken advantage of as the bucket seat grabs my hips firmly. The cars gears are long taking some corners high in second gear instead of low third gear. Judging by the first split it’s apparent that this car is going to be a strong contender here. The nose tends to dive excessively under heavy breaking but this doesn’t take anything away from the handling. The balance of the MR setup is also apparent and this car is by far the smoothest on all the bends.


Time: 1.34.551

As the day comes to the close I take time to reflect on the four cars: The RX7 is most appealing looks wise with the Skyline a close second. As far as fun to drive the Supra comes out tops here with its aggressive nature, followed closely by the RX7 with a slightly less aggressive nature. It’s a tough choice between the NSX and the Skyline for smoothness, so I’m gonna tie them. The MR configuration of the NSX and the 4WD Skyline make them an even match in the smoothness dept. As for sheer driving pleasure (sorry BMW, it’s just such a nice description), I’d have to go for the NSX, it’s fast, well balance and handles like go kart on rails.

Before the day came to an end we took the cars off to a photo shoot at a small temple in Japan.

 
Nice Write Up!!

Have Fun reading it!


one little Mistake:

The Skyline has a 2.6 litre in-line cylindre engine not as in the Text mentioned 2.5 l V6 Twin Turbo

Have Fun
 
I like the style of the write up. its an interesting read. Just wondering what tyres you used for this test cos i dont think i own one of these cars yet so i might buy one based on this.

BTW: i think you missed out the part under the RX-7 for the drag times and speeds.
 
ViXeN
Wierd, I coulda sworn the Skyline comes out as a twin turbo??? lol...

Oh Well, thanks for the correction...

Yea, the R34 Skyline came with the RB26DETT, 2.6 straight (or inline) 6 cylinder with twin turbos. Probably one of the best engines to come out of Nissan, let alone all of Japan.
 
rovens
I like the style of the write up. its an interesting read. Just wondering what tyres you used for this test cos i dont think i own one of these cars yet so i might buy one based on this.

BTW: i think you missed out the part under the RX-7 for the drag times and speeds.

I'll look into the RX7 times, Didn't see that, lol.. *EDIT* Changed...

As for the tyres, I used the SM tyres the cars came with, gave them all an oil change and that was that...

They're all awesome to drive, my vote goes to the NSX though, best of all of them in all area's except maybe styling...

And, Revheadnz, That's the motor I was thinking of, the twin turbo model. ;)
 
I agree with you that the NSX is the best car here. Shame Honda have just announced that it is going to be withdrawn.
 
you ahvent heared... :crazy: ..the nsx isnt being withdrawn.....they had a HUGE recall on then and found out that the mistake was in all of the models :ouch: .....so they figured that instead of fixing all of them they were just gonna make a new model.... :) :sly: 💡

duh...jk

(P.S: Acura is the TRUE maker of the NSX :) .......Honda suplies parts)
 
TeamWilliams F1
(P.S: Acura is the TRUE maker of the NSX :) .......Honda suplies parts)

ok now you are freaking me out. are you going to tell me next that Lexus makes the corolla now?!?

a brand is a brand.
 
Nice write-up vixen... quite an enjoyable read... Niky and I are whipping up another issue or Road & Trek (Trek LOLLZ) watch out for it soon!

Here's what to expect....

30000 cr shootout...
Interviews with the other (AI) drivers
and an update on B-Spec Bob's condition!

See you all soon!
 
Thanks s12ken, I like your magazines articles too, they're enjoyable to read...

It seems as if PowerFox Motorsport may be closing for a while, my game has got a major bug, or it's broken... I can't load any races, I get a red speedo metre when it tries to load, and then it hangs... :(
 
TeamWilliams F1
you ahvent heared... :crazy: ..the nsx isnt being withdrawn.....they had a HUGE recall on then and found out that the mistake was in all of the models :ouch: .....so they figured that instead of fixing all of them they were just gonna make a new model.... :) :sly: 💡

duh...jk

(P.S: Acura is the TRUE maker of the NSX :) .......Honda suplies parts)

Thats good to hear. All they said on Top Gear on this sunday was that they were going to stop producing them.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeamWilliams F1

you ahvent heared... ..the nsx isnt being withdrawn.....they had a HUGE recall on then and found out that the mistake was in all of the models .....so they figured that instead of fixing all of them they were just gonna make a new model....

duh...jk

(P.S: Acura is the TRUE maker of the NSX .......Honda suplies parts)

Maybe they will 'unleash' the Honda HSC Concept Car (Also in GT4) in place of the NSX......*crosses fingers*
 
Thats good to hear. All they said on Top Gear on this sunday was that they were going to stop producing them.


i was glad to hear that to.........the only reason i know this is because my dad had resently bought a tsx and i was looking at the nsx that was in the showroom. The guy (the salesman that sold us the tsx) said that they had a big problem......yada yada and that they were going to have a "new plan" for the nsx. he said that its just a big remake for it
 
Maybe they will 'unleash' the Honda HSC Concept Car (Also in GT4) in place of the NSX......*crosses fingers*


that is wat im hoping for..............this is turned out to b quit a conversation....this should b a thread......Rumors of the "new " acrura/honda nsx?!?...lol
 
well the HSC IS supposed to be the testbed for the new NSX, we can only hope Honduh, pushes through with this
 
hey,of those of you that played GT concept, dont you ever miss the honda dualnote hybrid car? when i first saw the HSC i thought it was the dualnote,but to my disappointment they left it out of GT4. But the HSC is a very cool car
 
herrwazza
hey,of those of you that played GT concept, dont you ever miss the honda dualnote hybrid car? when i first saw the HSC i thought it was the dualnote,but to my disappointment they left it out of GT4. But the HSC is a very cool car

try doing some silver licences my friend - or perhaps a prize car search, you never know what you might find...
 
That was a very entertaining read, Vixen. Your love of performance automobiles and writing is obvious. You might consider a career in that area.

I've been playing GT4 since April and have yet to purchase an NSX. I'm not too fond of the lines on the car. But, I remember playing GT3 and owning an NSX. I think it was one of my favorite cars, however. The way the NSX accelerates and corners just seems to fit my driving style. To me, the car is forgiving. Whereas, many FR cars have no mercy for the unskilled driver.

Having read your article, I find myself wanting to rush home from work and buy one. It'll be "just like old times."

Thanks, Vixen, for reminding me.
 
Tagger
That was a very entertaining read, Vixen. Your love of performance automobiles and writing is obvious. You might consider a career in that area.

I've been playing GT4 since April and have yet to purchase an NSX. I'm not too fond of the lines on the car. But, I remember playing GT3 and owning an NSX. I think it was one of my favorite cars, however. The way the NSX accelerates and corners just seems to fit my driving style. To me, the car is forgiving. Whereas, many FR cars have no mercy for the unskilled driver.

Having read your article, I find myself wanting to rush home from work and buy one. It'll be "just like old times."

Thanks, Vixen, for reminding me.

No problem dude, I aim to serve, hehe... And yeah, the NSX is awesome... It's get's even better when you start modding it... Keeps all it's handling and power characteristics...
 
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