I have loved classic cars as long as I can remember, and have always had primarily an engineering slant to my fascination with cars. I have always appreciated them first as engineering achievements and (a close) second as a driving tool. I've also always loved Ferrari - mostly because of the engineering behind their racing exploits, not so much the brand. So it follows that I have always dreamed of owning an original Honda NSX. 

Wait, what? A common old Honda and not a Ferrari?? Yes, you read that right. And this is a potted history of how I got my hands on my most coveted of classic cars.

Living in the USA, Land of Opportunity

Back in 2018 I had been in the USA for a few years and saved enough to buy myself a truly special car (thanks, low-tax USA!). Working in the US tech industry, I was privileged to have assembled a budget that gave me a LOT of choice of very special used cars. I didn't have the budget for a good used V12 Ferrari, but I could get most any used V8 Ferrari. So obviously I had a look at many of those, some Lamborghinis, some Alfa Romeos (I really want a Junior GTA or Montreal) but my eye was only really ever on the Honda (Acura in the USA) NSX. No other car on the radar came close to displacing the NSX from #1 on the wishlist.

Why was the NSX so untouchable on the list? Well, three reasons: (1) it's an industry-changing engineering marvel, practically X-rated material for engineers, (2) the visceral, cerebral driving experience that appeals to my scientific brain and (3) its ruggedness & maintainability. I can't think of another sports or supercar that can match the NSX on all 3 dimensions. I certainly didn't want to have to service it every 6 months and take the engine out for a belt change! That's just unacceptable (I'm looking at you, Ferrari). But more of my reasons in another blog post. This is about how I got my NSX.

Finding the "Right" NSX

In the search for "my" NSX, I learnt a lot about the car and its production. A happy coincidence for me was that most NSXs built were sold in the USA: about 9000 out of a total production of about 15000 cars worldwide as far as I learned. So, I had quite a lot of choice (in relative terms) in the USA. Unfortunately for me, however, the USA also seems to be "customisation central", where everyone seems hellbent on having a "custom" - a car that they've modified to make somehow unique to them. I was looking for an unmolested original car that was still as its maker intended. So, my search suddenly got much harder as I sifted through all the "custom" NSXs that looked all the same - stupid "bagged" air suspension kits, individual throttle bodies, superchargers, big brake kits and NSX-R body kits. 

I'll just say at this point that I respect all tastes and builds, but please don't attempt to convince me that anyone knows how to build a suspension system for the NSX better than Honda. The original is best and always will be.

The Beast from the East

Eventually, I found "my" car in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Living in Seattle, WA, it was a tad far to go for a test drive so I hired someone to give the car a once-over on my behalf. A clean bill of health and "BUY" recommendation later, money was exchanged and the car was shipped to Seattle. It was late November 2019 and it was already snowing heavily in Grand Rapids. So, I was a little nervous that the car transporter might have difficulty making it to Seattle, over the Rocky Mountains that separate us from the Midwest. 

My fears were unfounded. The car arrived a week later, and was offloaded late at night in a car park near home thanks to the unnavigable hills around where I lived. It was surreal to see the car reversing off the transporter. 

This was the first time I drove the car! I had never driven an NSX before - the first time in my life I bought a car without ever having driven it (or rival candidates). I blame the dearth of candidates near Seattle for this, but I'm sure many people who have bought a rare classic car have a similar experience.

As I drove the 3 miles home, in the sleet and late at night, I was hit by an overwhelming sense of dread. Had I made a terrible mistake?? This thing is TERRIBLE to drive!! The gearbox is tight and grabby, the engine won't rev as freely as the Youtube videos suggest it should, and the steering was heavier than a 10-ton truck with flat front tyres! Well, too late. Let's hope I'm wrong...

When I got home, my (car-indifferent) wife was waiting curiously to see this "wonder car" I kept going on about. She was impressed. I was surprised. And she said, "So, this is it. The Beast from the East!"

She meant that the car was a beast (of a sportscar) and it came from East of Seattle (Michigan). But I understood that she meant it had come from Japan, but it turns out that she hadn't even realised the car had been built in Japan. So, the name stuck.

I was now the very proud owner of a 1993 Acura NSX in completely original specification and only 28k miles on the clock. I had to pinch myself. I still do, 6 years later!