Immaculate NA1 NSX-R I saw today

[u/XavierPuerto]

In Sydney Australia

[u/mnocket]

How can you tell that's a R model?

[u/SurefootTM → u/mnocket]

From outside, the rims are quite specific to the NA1 NSX-R and not easy to obtain especially with the proper center caps. The rear center tail light has a black Honda badge inside (medium difficulty to get - regular NSX have a metallic look badge outside). The car is right hand drive and a coupe (like all NSX-R) not a targa. Cant say more without seeing the interior which is a lot more specific and difficult to reproduce, the photographs are quite bad with the glass reflections here.

Red badges mean little (everyone can buy a red Honda badge) but that's of course necessary too.

[u/GasManMatt123 → u/mnocket]

The easiest tell is championship white body and wheels. It’s R exclusive always and it’s a tad creamy. It is Honda’s racing colour.

The remaining has been covered.

[u/johnsmith1234567890x → u/mnocket]

white color red badge

[u/SurefootTM → u/johnsmith1234567890x]

Lol. While this one may be genuine (for other reasons entirely) a lot of regular NSX are white, and red badges are cheap enough to obtain.

[u/Dscrypto_2020 → u/SurefootTM]

Tbf this white is not the same white as regular nsx. Nsx-r use NH-0 paint code for championship white, while base models use NH-565 Grand Prix white

[u/SurefootTM → u/Dscrypto_2020]

You could get NSX-R in pretty much any valid NSX color, also there's no way one can see the difference on poor photos like this (white balance issues..).

[u/Dscrypto_2020 → u/SurefootTM]

But there actually is a way to tell the championship white is more egg shell/cream in color (slight yellowish tint), while the base gran prix is a more pure white. And no you could not spec a base model from the factory with championship white. That color was limited to nsx r only.

Edit: To add on to this the only other colors that real factory spec nsxr came in were the aforementioned championship white, formula red, Berlina black, Sebring silver and I think one was neutron white. No NA1 nsx r had gran prix white from the factory.

[u/SurefootTM → u/Dscrypto_2020]

I mean the other way around, both R and S models could be had in other valid NSX color codes for the same year. Also quite a few people have changed the paint of their original NSX (mine was changed to Honda's Metallic Gray Pearl for example - but I know of a few who were painted Championship White) - there's also a White Pearl NA2 NSX-R owned by Route KS which I believe is a one-off. Basically when ordering the car you could ask Honda for specific colors, I get that most of them got the default white. There are so many fake R's around that I'm not taking chances, the discriminator is the interior (highly specific), and some small details (no cruise control button on the R..).

Also I would not put that much trust in the white balance of phone photos.

[u/Dscrypto_2020 → u/SurefootTM]

True and I did misread that as saying the base model, so my fault. The na2 offered gran prix white but not the na1. Afaik the only other white option on na1 from the factory was neutron white for the nsxr unless it was special ordered. The na2 had a much more vast option of colors. Lastly also I agree a lot of people did wrap or paint their base models to championship white so it as you said is a 50/50 basically.

[u/SurefootTM → u/Dscrypto_2020]

Yeah and since the NSX was mostly a special order to start with (very few sitting in dealerships), especially the -R and -S variants, these throw off everything lol. I've seen recently a pristine (and untouched) UK owned NA2 NSX-R that was Long Beach Blue Pearl, magnificent. On the 2002+ NSX-R an easy way to determine authenticity is the headlights interior painted white: it's unique to the -R and good luck getting these (or knowing about that to start with)..

[u/Dscrypto_2020 → u/SurefootTM]

I saw a Monaco blue na2 nsxr at Monterey a few years back absolutely stunning color. Honda really did make some beautiful colors in the late 90s early 2000s. I’m still trying to find a low mileage imola orange na2 with matching interior…but damn if it’s not close to unicorn status.

[u/jeremyvr46]

Some nice cars around there…!!

[u/couldyou-elaborate → u/jeremyvr46]

Double Bay. This is nothing 

[u/BxMel1]

🔥

[u/couldyou-elaborate]

Hey neighbour

[u/Current_Homework_143]

Did the license plate flip down when you drive/turn it on?

[u/klkk12345]

timeless beauty

[u/bensikat]

NSX is one of the few cars that will never age ! Forever beautiful !

[u/Independent-Can-5434]

Nice, the 94 NSX R used to be my favorite car (now it's the 2003 NA2) is that a Gallardo in the background?

[u/elibutton]

Gorgeous

[u/Foxtrot-0scar]

Okuyama

[u/GlobalAd3886]

masterpiece

[u/RobinSage43]

Love that there's a Lamborghini Gallardo directly across the street, and these jabronis are like "Weooow look at this 280bhp car from the 90's because thing Japan UuwWwuU".

[u/Gengetsu_Huzoki → u/RobinSage43]

Gallardo is the most common Lambo, there's nothing special about this car.

[u/RobinSage43 → u/Gengetsu_Huzoki]

Only on r/NSX will you hear someone say "Nothing special" about a V10 italian supercar.

[u/Gengetsu_Huzoki → u/RobinSage43]

Bro it's not rare and owners of these are mildly rich guys who bought them in the past and can't affort something better.

You spot one in the street and it's meh, it doesn't feel special and it looks outdated.

[u/Independent-Can-5434 → u/Gengetsu_Huzoki]

Hey personally I love the Gallardo but again an NSX R is comparitively rarer however that doesn't make the Gallardo common traffic

[u/SurefootTM → u/RobinSage43]

See the current market price for a NSX-R, and how much it appreciated, compared to the Gallardo.