Despite those differences, the MX-5 and NSX have something in common: both cars shocked the global automotive industry. The dawn of the 1990s marked what now seems to be a golden age of Japanese automobiles. Japan’s automakers were gunning for their foreign rivals in a way they had never done before. Engineers were encouraged to explore new technologies, while product planners sought to carve new niches in the market. Bolstered by a short-lived economic bubble back home, these automakers freely innovated in ways we’ve rarely seen since, and spurred the rest of the industry to re-evaluate both its product portfolios and its future plans.
Although quite a few cars exemplify this Japanese automotive renaissance, we can’t help but notice that five of the strongest examples—including the aforementioned Mazda and Honda—debuted in the States in 1989, exactly a quarter-century ago. Here are the five Japanese cars that shook the automotive industry 25 years ago.
Acura NSX
When the Acura NSX arrived in 1990 following its debut at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, it seemed almost too good to be true. Honda channeled all of its engineering expertise into a trailblazing supercar that sought to achieve a level of refinement and driver-focused simplicity absent in European supercars. The result was a lightweight two-seat mid-engine coupe producing 270 hp from a 3.0-liter naturally-aspirated V-6 mated to a five-speed manual gearbox — a memorable formula that is revered for being much more than the sum of its parts. Unflinchingly, we called the NSX “the most cooperative and best-handling mid-engined car we have ever driven.”Although the 1991 Acura NSX clocked in an impressive 0-60 mph sprint of about 5.5 seconds and could hit 155 mph (thanks in part to Honda's variable valve timing technology), the real success of the NSX was that it offered then top-shelf performance with almost none of the compromising drawbacks thought to be inherent to a purpose-built supercar.
“Probably the most striking single impression the NS-X prototype made on us was how few concessions it demands in return for the racy layout and the thrusting performance,” editor Kevin Smith noted in September 1989. “How many times have we resigned ourselves to the odd, skewed, cramped driving position of the 308/328-series Ferraris? And the athletic entry and exit, the scattered minor controls, the nonexistent rear-quarter visibility? Didn’t we actually revel in those eccentricities, cherishing the quirkiness, because that was the price of character?...Hey, it’s not for everyone. Hey, it’s something special. Hey, it’s a Ferrari. Well, hey, forget it.”
The Acura NSX had a comfortable, livable cockpit with reasonable trunk space; a simple, gimmick-free design; smooth, predictable power delivery from the V-6 and five-speed manual transmission; and an innovative aluminum monocoque chassis that kept weight down to only 2860 pounds. It was a supercar you could actually drive and afford, starting at just $62,000 when it hit U.S. showrooms in 1990.
Selected as our 1991 Automobile of the Year, the Acura NSX has remained one of the most celebrated enthusiast's cars because of its rare combination of performance, livability, and affordability. “The best thing about the NSX is that it exists at all,” we wrote in May 1989, “and that big, respectable Honda is going to produce it for sale to the public.” The NSX ended production in 2005 with more than 18,000 units sold worldwide, but its explosive arrival on the automotive landscape will long be remembered as a watershed moment for Japanese engineering that helped set the bar for the next generation of supercars.
-Eric Weiner
Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/features/1402-five-japanese-cars-that-shocked-the-auto-industry-25-years-ago/#ixzz2t93qYD9L