Keep in mind that the previous STi spec C turns turned a sub 8 min. lap around Nurburgruing which is also about the same time as the C6 Vette and NSX-R. The NSX-R you use as an example is less than 5 years old and despite the specs Japan would like you to believe puts out 350+ hp. So you essentially get the same amount of performance for 1/2 to 1/3 the price with a STi Spec C or a C6 Vette. Also, that NSX-R is a stripped down, lightened, ridgid track version of the car, the Spec C and C6 Vette are more friendly and certainly make for good daily drivers. Numbers wise the NSX is hardly impressive, it never really has been.

All that aside the NSX is still a wonderful car, but it had its day, and that day was 10+ years ago. The following is a quote from C&D about 4 yeasr ago.

"And when you can possess more potential for less money than an NSX, Acura's sexy supersport, for all its sophistication, rings up as a tough sell. The numbers: a 2001 NSX, with the removable roof (standard for '02), carried a base price of $90,879. A 2001 Carrera C4 (all-wheel drive) was $74,156, a 2002 Viper GTS is $74,071, and a 2002 Corvette Z06 is $50,721.
We continue to love this car. But we think these modest updates on an aging (introduced in 1990), pricey exotic are similar to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic."

Haha. I'm not trying to equate it to being incredibly fast in today's market, but it is still competitive. I think they should have done more to update it or just ended it's life earlier. I'm very excited for the new one and I expect that to be revolutionary as was the previous generation. Honda better get on that fast, I wanna see a nice prototype next year! :D

Honda says the next nsx will come out in 2009. I think that that is production. i dont know when the prototype will be out.

its going to be a NA V10 engine. With honda's engineering ability and a couple of years over BMW, i bet its going to be even better than the V10 in the bmw M5 and M6. :) shattering the 100hp/liter of displacement barrier. All this translate into the next NSX likely being much more expensive than the GT-R.

No doubt! but it will have a v10 and all wheel drive, probably a new, more advanced SH-AWD. This will put it high in the exotic or in the lower supercar range. dam* good if you ask me

Well, the current NSX is "more" expensive than the estimated GT-R price range. I figure this one will be much more expensive, but it better be worth the damn money, unlike the current one. I also prefer RWD for the next NSX rather than AWD. I think I can say we will no longer see any RWD cars from Honda in the future. Not that they had much to begin with.

Back on topic...

The GTR Proto looked nice. Saw it at the motorshow today...

Thanks for posting the pics, it does look nice on the display floor.

But something about the roof line really bugs me and I'd prefer body colored A pillars. I think the front end still needs a lot more work. If they clean it up and refine its looks a bit more, it might be tempting. But as it stands with its current styling, I'm just not digging it. I'd still prefer a Porsche 911 or a Z06 Vette for the GT-R's expected price tag.

i dont like the roof and a-piller other than that its nice.