The Honda badge is the only thing they have in common, but the other features are not important.
They have 12 years of experience between them so it should be an easy win to the newer car. It’s not. The original -NSX, which was developed with the input of Ayrton Senna is a supercar that still drives seriously fast even today. The Civic TypeR is the hot hatch. Both are Hondas, of course! However, a quick look at the specifications sheets will reveal some significant differences.
Considering it is its last year, the NSX features here are one of the most sought-after. It has a naturally-aspirated 3.2-liter V6 midmounted engine with 280 horsepower. This compares to the pre-1997 car that had a 3.0-liter unit producing 256 hp. The new kid on block is a turbocharged 2.0 liter engine mounted up front. It has two fewer cylinders, and 40 hp more than the NSX. The NSX sends power to the rear wheels while the Civic Type R puts its punch to front axle.
After all that is done, it’s now time to race the two. The NSX wins the race, largely due to its more powerful engine and greater traction thanks to the RWD layout. However, the Civic Type R closes the gap, and the duel ends in a photo finish. The NSX finished the quarter mile standing in 13.5 seconds, one tenth of a sec faster than the hot hatch.
In the second duel, which was a rolling race at 50 mph (80 km/h) in third gear, the story was completely different. As Carwow’s Mat Wason points out, torque is crucial in this situation. His NSX had 298 Newton-meters (220 pound feet) at 5,300 rpm, while his Civic Type R was capable of 400 Nm (295 lb ft) at a lower 2,500 rpm due to forced induction. Despite the dreaded turbo lag, the hot hatch was faster and evened the score to 1.
The decisive test was a brake test at 70 mph (113 km/h). The car that stops in the fastest distance wins. The NSX weighs in at 1,392 kg / 3 068 lbs according to the U.K. brochure, while the Civic Type R weighs in at 1,380 kg / 3.042 lbs according to the Honda U.K. Website. Although the NSX won the race, it was close.
It was 2 to 1, but the Civic Type R won the final vote. However, we think the NSX deserves another award for its timeless design. It still looks stunning in this Imola Orange Pearl color 13 years later.