Honda NSX: which version to buy
The Honda NSX catalogue lists four named versions across two generations of Coupe. If the question is which one to buy, the data split is simple: three first-generation cars share a mid-engined Gasoline V-shaped 6 layout and RWD, while the second-generation 3.5 I-Shift is a Hybrid Turbo AWD car with more than twice the horsepower of any first-gen row.
The Honda NSX catalogue lists four named versions across two generations of Coupe. If the question is which one to buy, the data split is simple: three first-generation cars share a mid-engined Gasoline V-shaped 6 layout and RWD, while the second-generation 3.5 I-Shift is a Hybrid Turbo AWD car with more than twice the horsepower of any first-gen row. The first generation ran from 1990-09-01 to 2001-11-30; the second opens on 2015-01-01, with 3.5 I-Shift dated from 2017-02-01 and still open. Searches for Type R, Type S, NSX-R GT, 2022/2024/2026 specs, and “for sale” do not appear as extra rows here — only 3.0 AT, 3.0 MT, 3.2 MT, and 3.5 I-Shift.
Honda NSX generations: what actually changed
1 generation (1990-09-01–2001-11-30), Coupe, three versions. All three are Gasoline, 6 cylinders, V-shaped, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, multi-point injection, RWD. Engine location is Central on 3.0 AT and 3.0 MT, and not measured on 3.2 MT. The buyer choice inside this generation is gearbox, displacement, and weight, not body type.
2 generation (from 2015-01-01, stop not measured), Coupe, one version. 3.5 I-Shift is Hybrid, Turbo, direct injection, Central engine, Robotic 9-speed, AWD, Euro 6. That is a different drivetrain class, not a larger 3.2.
The production gap between 2001-11-30 and 2015-01-01 is the catalogue break: there is no Honda NSX row in the data for 2005 horsepower searches.
Honda NSX specs table (all versions)
| Version | Gen | hp (kW) | Nm | cc | Fuel type | Cyl. / layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 AT | 1 | 265 (195) @ 6800 | 294 @ 5400 | 2977 | Gasoline, 95 | 6, V-shaped | No | Automatic 4 | RWD |
| 3.0 MT | 1 | 280 (206) @ 7300 | 294 @ 5400 | 2977 | Gasoline, 95 | 6, V-shaped | No | Manual 5 | RWD |
| 3.2 MT | 1 | 280 (206) @ 7300 | 304 @ 5300 | 3179 | Gasoline, 98 | 6, V-shaped | No | Manual 6 | RWD |
| 3.5 I-Shift | 2 | 581 (427) | 646 | 3493 | Hybrid, 95 | 6, V-shaped | Turbo | Robotic 9 | AWD |
Compression: 3.0 AT and 3.0 MT 10.2; 3.2 MT and 3.5 I-Shift 10. Bore × stroke: 90 × 78 on both 3.0 cars, 93 × 78 on 3.2 MT, 91 × 89.5 on 3.5 I-Shift.
Honda NSX engine: power per litre and kg per hp
Specific output from the same table:
- 3.0 AT: 265 hp / 2.977 L = 89.0 hp/L
- 3.0 MT: 280 / 2.977 = 94.1 hp/L (highest first-gen specific output)
- 3.2 MT: 280 / 3.179 = 88.1 hp/L (more displacement, same 280 hp as 3.0 MT)
- 3.5 I-Shift: 581 / 3.493 = 166.3 hp/L (Hybrid Turbo, 77% more hp/L than 3.0 MT)
Kerb weight per horsepower:
- 3.0 AT: 1390 / 265 = 5.25 kg/hp
- 3.0 MT: 1370 / 280 = 4.89 kg/hp
- 3.2 MT: 1270 / 280 = 4.54 kg/hp (lightest per hp in generation 1)
- 3.5 I-Shift: 1776 / 581 = 3.06 kg/hp (best ratio in the catalogue, despite being 506 kg heavier than 3.2 MT)
Torque: 3.0 AT and 3.0 MT share 294 Nm; 3.2 MT adds 10 Nm (304); 3.5 I-Shift is 646 Nm — 342 Nm more than 3.2 MT, 2.20× the 3.0 torque.
Engine location in the data is Central on 3.0 AT, 3.0 MT, and 3.5 I-Shift; 3.2 MT is not measured. There is no engine code, engine-bay photo, or “engine for sale” field in this set.
Honda NSX 0-100, top speed, mpg-style consumption
0–100 km/h:
- 3.0 AT: not measured
- 3.0 MT: 5.9 s
- 3.2 MT: 5.0 s (0.9 s quicker than 3.0 MT at the same 280 hp)
- 3.5 I-Shift: 2.9 s (2.1 s quicker than 3.2 MT, 3.0 s quicker than 3.0 MT)
Top speed:
- 3.0 AT: not measured
- 3.0 MT: 270 km/h
- 3.2 MT: 274 km/h (+4 vs 3.0 MT)
- 3.5 I-Shift: 308 km/h (+34 vs 3.2 MT, +38 vs 3.0 MT)
Fuel use (L/100 km, city / highway / combined):
- 3.0 AT: not measured / not measured / not measured
- 3.0 MT: not measured / not measured / not measured
- 3.2 MT: 16.8 / 9.1 / 11.9
- 3.5 I-Shift: 10.3 / 9.9 / 10.0
Combined, 3.5 I-Shift uses 1.9 L/100 km less than 3.2 MT while making 301 more hp. City use on 3.5 I-Shift is 6.5 L/100 km below 3.2 MT; highway is 0.8 L/100 km higher. CO2 is 228 g/km on 3.5 I-Shift and not measured on all first-gen versions. Eco class: Euro 6 on 3.5 I-Shift, not measured on 3.0 AT, 3.0 MT, 3.2 MT.
Tank: 70 L on every first-gen version, 59 L on 3.5 I-Shift (−11 L). Combined range from measured figures only: 3.2 MT 70 / 11.9 × 100 ≈ 588 km; 3.5 I-Shift 59 / 10.0 × 100 = 590 km — nearly the same distance from a smaller tank.
Honda NSX dimensions, weight, wheels
Kerb weight: 3.2 MT 1270 kg; 3.0 MT 1370 kg (+100 vs 3.2 MT); 3.0 AT 1390 kg (+20 vs 3.0 MT, +120 vs 3.2 MT); 3.5 I-Shift 1776 kg (+506 vs 3.2 MT, +406 vs 3.0 MT).
Gross weight: 3.0 MT 1610 kg (payload 1610 − 1370 = 240 kg); 3.0 AT, 3.2 MT, 3.5 I-Shift not measured.
Ground clearance: 3.0 AT and 3.0 MT 135 mm; 3.2 MT 120 mm (−15 mm); 3.5 I-Shift 104 mm (−16 mm vs 3.2 MT, −31 mm vs the 3.0 cars).
Wheels: 3.0 AT and 3.0 MT not measured; 3.2 MT 215/45 R16 and 245/40 R17; 3.5 I-Shift 245/35 R19 and 305/30 R20.
Suspension and brakes are the same English labels on every version: Independent, spring front and rear; Ventilated disc front; Disc ventilated rear (spelling as in the source). They do not separate the four cars.
Which Honda NSX version to choose
Choose 3.2 MT if the job is the lightest, quickest first-generation car in this file. Same 280 hp as 3.0 MT, 10 Nm more, 100 kg less kerb weight, 0.9 s better 0–100 (5.0 vs 5.9), 4 km/h more top speed (274 vs 270), six Manual gears instead of five, 15 mm less clearance, 98 fuel instead of 95, and the only first-gen consumption and wheel sizes that are measured. It is the worst first-gen specific output (88.1 hp/L) because the extra 202 cc does not add horsepower, but it is the best first-gen kg/hp (4.54).
Choose 3.0 MT if you want the same 280 hp peak as 3.2 MT on 95 fuel, 2977 cc, and 135 mm clearance, and you accept 100 kg extra and 0.9 s slower 0–100. Versus 3.0 AT it is +15 hp, +500 rpm on the power peak (7300 vs 6800), 20 kg lighter, Manual 5 versus Automatic 4, and it has the only 0–100 and top-speed numbers of the two 3.0 cars (5.9 s / 270 km/h). Consumption, CO2, eco class, and wheels remain not measured.
Choose 3.0 AT only if Automatic 4 and RWD at 265 hp is the requirement. It is the weakest (265 hp), heaviest first-gen kerb (1390 kg), and the only version whose 0–100 and top speed are both not measured. Torque matches 3.0 MT at 294 Nm @ 5400. There is no second Automatic in the catalogue.
Choose 3.5 I-Shift if the comparison is between generations, not inside 1990–2001. Against 3.2 MT it is +301 hp, +342 Nm, +314 cc, Hybrid Turbo versus Gasoline with boost No, AWD versus RWD, Robotic 9 versus Manual 6, 2.9 s versus 5.0 s, 308 versus 274 km/h, 10.0 versus 11.9 L/100 km combined, Euro 6 versus not measured, 1776 versus 1270 kg, 59 versus 70 L tank, 104 versus 120 mm clearance. It is the only Honda NSX here with a published CO2 figure (228). There is no second-generation Manual, no RWD Hybrid, and no Type R / Type S / NSX-R row to pick instead.
1990 / 1991 / 1992 / 1995 “first gen / old” specs in search all map to the same three 1 generation names: 3.0 AT, 3.0 MT, 3.2 MT, each dated 1990-09-01–2001-11-30. 2022 / 2024 horsepower maps to 3.5 I-Shift (581 hp) because generation 2 has one version. Reliability and problems are not measured in this dataset; the version decision above is only power, mass, times, drive, and gearbox as listed.