The Acura NSX has long been a desirable supercar with the unusual benefit of sporting Honda mechanicals that also make it one of the most budget-friendly models you can buy. That being said, this reliable reputation almost worked against it in some regards as if not costing an absolute fortune to maintain was some weird upper-class flex associated with the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari. Regardless, word has gotten around that the NSX is also just a darn fine driver’s car, and prices are going up and up. Find this 25-year-owned 1991 NSX listed here on craigslist for $125,000. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.
The NSX obviously isn’t a car you can just park and forget about, although some barn find examples have been shockingly easy to revive. The timing belt is basically the biggest job these cars have, and the work often incorporates other “while you’re in there” projects that make for an annual servicing that is laughably cheap compared to the likes of a mid-engined Ferrari where the engine engines comes out and the final bill will be north of $10,000. The NSX has always eschewed that sort of nonsense, and the best part is you can bring it your local Acura dealer and pay the same shop rate as someone servicing their MDX cross-over. The seller of this NSX has chosen to add the polished wheels from a later model which I personally think is a miss; I’d rather see the original 5-spokes installed on an early car like this.
The interiors of the NSX have always been fairly hard-wearing like the Mercedes-Benz W123 cars, as the materials are resilient even when owned by someone who doesn’t trust leather cleaner. The materials are not exciting, which is a nice way of saying Acura didn’t take many chances with the cabin of these cars. You’re not going to sit inside here and have the same sort of visceral experience as someone with a Ferrari F355 when the grasp that iconic gated shifter; this is just a big boy Integra. But again, if you value your dollars more than your ego, you’ll soon forget the fact that you don’t feel the ghosts of Maranello wafting through the vents (which, in a 90s Ferrari, are probably broken and NLA.)
The 3.0L, mid-engined V6 in the Acura is good for 290 b.h.p. and 210 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s not a lot of power by today’s standards, and likely won’t set your hair on fire if you’re accustomed to daily-driving a car making over 400. The good news is anything modern is likely a soulless appliance that you won’t even remember owning 20 years from now, and the NSX can always be upgraded with a Comptech supercharger if you want to make the experience more memorable. And just remember: Ayrton Senna didn’t drive a 368 horsepower Kia Stinger at Suzuka; he drove an NSX.
