[VIDEO] Speed Phenom and an Acura NSX Driver Try Out Each Other’s Rides

It’s hard not to like the enthusiasm of 20-year-old YouTube car vlogger Speed Phenom, who owns a C8 Corvette and a Shelby GT500.

Today, Speed Phenom gives us some insight into the new second-gen Acura NSX, a competitor of the new mid-engine Corvette, or perhaps more accurately one of the C8’s electrified versions rumored to be in the works at GM.

In his latest video, Speed Phenom meets up with Travis, who just happens to be the proud owner of a black NSX. The two enthusiasts wind up driving each other’s car, and both seem to come away impressed with the other’s set of wheels.

The NSX, of course, is priced considerably higher than the Corvette, starting out at just a few dollars shy of $160,000, but options like ceramic brakes can quickly add $10K to that figure and Valencia Red Pearl or Nouvelle Blue Pearl paint can boost it another $6,000! A Carbon Fiber Exterior Package is another $9,000 if you happen to check that box on the options list.

Of course, that high price does get you a lot of technology, including all-wheel drive, a 9-speed DCT transmission, and a hybrid powerplant that starts out with a 500 horsepower twin-turbo DOHC V6 gasoline engine that’s boosted by three electric motors worth another 73 horsepower attached directly to the driveshaft for immediate torque and acceleration.

Despite the nearly $100,000 difference in the price, however, the Acura just slices a 10th of a second off the Corvette’s 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds.

Speed Phenom first climbs behind the wheel of the NSX and judging by the whoops and hollers and grins on his face, we think he really likes this Acura.

But what does this NSX owner think about a C8?

On the most technologically advanced Corvette ever made, it’s not surprising that Travis immediately is wowed by the head-up display before he even starts rolling.

As you might expect, the Corvette offers a different driving experience from the NSX and its electric-assisted powertrain.

Once he’s moving, Travis says the Corvette’s power “takes a little time to come on,” but he likes the “lot of torque” supplied by the Stingray’s 6.2-liter 495 horsepower V8 engine.

“It’s weird – it’s very stiff when I’m going through the turns,” Travis says, “but it’s actually a smooth ride when I’m driving. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s really weird. I don’t feel as much body roll. It feels really smooth, yet there’s no body roll.”

He goes on to say the C8 feels “very planted ” and “very solid,” though he concludes that the NSX is “easier to drive.”

The Corvette assumes a different personality as soon as he gets on it, while the NSX accelerates in a more linear, smoother manner, Travis says.

Finally, the two owners experience their vehicles’ launch control systems back to back, with Speed Phenom summing it up this way: The Corvette “kind of pushes you” while the NSX “grabs you and throws you forward.”

Source:
AutoEvolution.com

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