RKM Motorsport: NSX-R 3rd Anniversary

RKM Motorsport: NSX-R 3rd Anniversary

Based on: Honda NSX Type R ‘02
Obtained: Brand new model at Honda

Drivetrain: MR
Horsepower: 393 BHP (@ 982.7 miles)
Torque:---- 40 kgfm
Weight:---- 1051 kg
PP:-------- 536

PARTS
GT Auto
Advan RGII Wheels
Type A Front Aero
Type A Wing

Tuning Shop
Chassis Weight Reduction Stage 3
Rigidity Improvement
Window Weight Reduction
Carbon Bonnet (Body Colour)
Engine Tuning Stage 1
Sports ECU
Sports Intake Manifold
Racing Air Filter
Titanium Racing Exhaust
Sports Exhaust Manifold
Catalytic Converter: Sports
Fully Customisable Transmission
Twin Plate Clutch
Semi Racing Flywheel
Fully Customisable LSD
Fully Customisable Suspension Kit
Sports Soft Tyres

SETUP

Body/Chassis
Aerodynamics
Downforce: 0/20

Ballast
Amount:-- 0
Position: 0

Engine
Power Limiter
Power Level: 100.0%

Transmission
Transmission
(Set Max Speed, then each individual ratio.)
1st:-- 2.887
2nd:-- 1.963
3rd:-- 1.481
4th:-- 1.158
5th:-- 0.936
6th:-- 0.771
Final: 4.130
Max Speed: 211 MPH

Drivetrain
Differential
Initial: 0/10
Accel:-- 0/25
Braking: 0/15

Suspension
Suspension
Ride Height: -25/-25
Spring Rate: 8.5/9.0
Extension:-- 7/8
Compression: 6/6
Anti-Roll:-- 3/4
Camber:----- 1.9/2.0
Toe:-------- –0.15/0.05

Brakes
Brake Balance Controller
Brake Balance: 5/6

Intended Driving Options
Transmission: Manual (MT)
ABS: 1
Everything else: OFF

Tuner Comments:
Guess who’s back with a complete makeover for GT5? Oh yes. It’s the RVV NSX-R Evo.II all rebuilt for this generation. The main difference you’ll notice is the new aero, new wheels and the titanium pipes out back. Under the bonnet, you’ll notice a fresh new C32B engine with a reliable 393bhp. Weight has been reduced to 1051kg, making this old favourite even faster than before. Oh yeah, it’s still just as agile, if not more so.

This 3rd Anniversary model marks the 3rd year of this NSX’s life.

Having grown up driving only Volkswagens (my first car was a '91 Corrado followed by a '00 GTI) I normally snub my nose at anything Honda (and Acura here in the States). The NSX has always been an exception to that rule. It was something of an anomalous car among the ugly, boring econoboxes. Having seen all the positive reviews on this now legendary car I decided to give it a go and see how it performs under my hand.

Off the lot this car is neither boring nor exciting. It drives easily for the most part but you can get some excitement if you push it some. The back end is pretty tail-happy under braking, especially at higher speeds. But this is not anything new in the realm of MR cars. Also out back there seems to be quite a bit of lateral sensitivity. By example, running up over the rumble strips I was almost sure to see the back kick out coming back down off onto the tarmac. However, the swing is easily controlled and corrected. I would give credit for this to the longer wheelbase. It does not come up on you as fast as say a Lotus or other shorter wheelbase car. Lap time around GVS was 2'14.152".

Adding on the parts magnifies everything. The car is much faster but so is the rotation out back. With the added power and reduced weight it swings out so much faster and is more difficult to catch; it feels out of control. On the up side there is more stability under braking at all speeds. The entry to the first corner is much easier though getting through it is more difficult. Time around was 2'00.693".

Tweaking the settings produces...I don't know.  It isn't a car any more. It feels like a go-kart, rocket sled, excitement machine! It is incredible fun. Fun fact: I am not much of a drifter. While it is fun to watch I lack the skill for the most part to be able to do it. Right off the bat I was pushing the NSX-R and hit the brakes late into the big right-hander. The tail came out, I mashed the throttle and held the angle with no countersteer through the entire thing. All of it. Start to finish. I was smiling and laughing so hard I forgot about the rest of the course. What incredible control and stability! The sliding has returned to more of a stock feel rotating slower but with more ability to control. But this is not the order of the day. I did say go-kart. I can push through corners with a hamfist and it will just stick. When I expect it to break loose it doesn't. It just plants and goes. I could run in the 2' range all day if I wanted. I decided to give it a real good push and knocked the lap time down to 1'59.194" on the first shot. A second and a half just on settings is pretty good I would say, especially given that the parts tuned form wasn't some uncontrollable beast.

Since it was mentioned, I brought out a jealous Juliet for some chase fun. She couldn't touch the NSX at all. Not close in any way, shape or form. As stable as I feel she is from what she was the stability of the NSX is on a whole other level. Juliet was a good 8-10 seconds slower on my best runs.

Overall I think if I had started out with an NSX from the get go I wouldn't have the distaste for MRs that I have. Given my experience so far I am starting to open up to them. The NSX I think will be my favorite car for a good while. I can't imagine what a car would be like that would be more fun this fast.

Lap Times
Grand Valley Speedway: 1'59.194"
Tsukuba: 59.755"

Fuji Speedway F: 1'48.243"

Monza: 1'57.488"

Suzuka: 2'13.682"

RKM Motorsport: Juliet

RKM Motorsport: Juliet

Based on: Lotus Elise 111R ‘04
Obtained: Brand new model at Lotus

Drivetrain: MR
Horsepower: 253 BHP (@ 54.8 miles)
Torque:---- 23 kgfm
Weight:---- 759 kg
PP:-------- 520

PARTS
GT Auto
Rays Volk Racing RE30 Wheels
Type A Front Aero
Type A Extension
Type B Wing

Tuning Shop
Chassis Weight Reduction Stage 3
Rigidity Improvement
Window Weight Reduction
Carbon Bonnet (Body Colour)
Engine Tuning Stage 3
Sports ECU
Sports Intake Manifold
Racing Air Filter
Titanium Racing Exhaust
Sports Exhaust Manifold
Catalytic Converter: Sports
Fully Customisable Transmission
Twin Plate Clutch
Semi Racing Flywheel
Fully Customisable LSD
Fully Customisable Suspension Kit
Sports Soft Tyres

SETUP

Body/Chassis
Aerodynamics
Downforce: 0/20

Ballast
Amount:-- 0
Position: 0

Engine
Power Limiter
Power Level: 100.0%

Transmission
Transmission
(Set Max Speed, then each individual ratio.)
1st:-- 2.840
2nd:-- 1.963
3rd:-- 1.545
4th:-- 1.271
5th:-- 1.051
6th:-- 0.881
Final: 4.530
Max Speed: 193 MPH

Drivetrain
Differential
Initial: 0/20
Accel:-- 0/40
Braking: 0/7

Suspension
Suspension
Ride Height: -25/-25
Spring Rate: 6.5/10.0
Extension:-- 7/8
Compression: 6/5
Anti-Roll:-- 3/3
Camber:----- 1.3/1.5
Toe:-------- –0.10/-0.15

Brakes
Brake Balance Controller
Brake Balance: 5/6

Intended Driving Options
Transmission: Manual (MT)
ABS: 1
Everything else: OFF

Tuner Comments:
Just like you, I hated how the 111R handled in the Top Gear special event. So when it was time to buy one for my own needs, I decided to make an Elise that would restore everyone’s faith in it. 

So this is Juliet. She may be cute, but she’s also insanely fast. There’s no ridiculous sliding or lack of braking control here, just pure grip and the confidence to use it. She’ll beat cars with twice the power and embarrass high end supercars around the twisties. If she doesn’t restore your faith in the Elise, nothing will.

How she got this fast? Well, she spent all day playing kiss chase with the NSX-R 3rd Anniversary. Sorry Romeo.

Someone call up Shakespeare to write me in as Romeo...I think I love Juliet!

As someone with decent skill at best and who uses the Sixaxis rather than a wheel, I tend to steer clear of MR machines. I find I lack the finesse required to keep them in line using just my thumbs. That said, I spent a good chunk of time on the Top Gear Test Track trying to win gold in their intermediate event and plenty of time with my own "Saffron Devil" in the British Lightweight events as well. The devil is good friends with every cone and wall in the UK, let me tell you!

Originally I had wanted to use her for the current seasonal at SSR5 but she is a bit too trim for that. Rather than ask her to put on weight, she sat in the garage watching, waiting, biding her time to show me the results of her makeover. It was quite worth it.

Confidence-inspiring has never been a word to describe an MR in my world, for previously mentioned reasons. Fear and anxiety, sure. Confidence, not so much. Until now.

Juliet and I had our first date at the TGTT and I've never before had the pleasure of driving an MR quite this well behaved in the corners. Previously, if I did not come in to Chicago annoyingly slow I would end up sliding tail first into the cones or, at best, hanging my rear end into them. Juliet attacks much quicker and with exponentially more control. She will stay planted at a much higher speed and if she does start to kick out it is much more gradual and easy to control; a quick tap and she is back on target rather than floundering around seeking grip. Oh sure, she will still slap you around if you treat her badly but if you are thrashing her hard enough to get to that point you probably deserve it. I did find her to be slightly twitchy in the straights and I am not sure why. I did eventually work that out and we were able to get in sync.

Coming off Hammerhead and down through the tires was almost an otherworldly experience. Back when she was the "Saffron Devil" I had to bite my lip and hope I could make it through without finding the grass and the invisiwall beyond. With her maturity she was able to fly gracefully through slowing only slightly for the last two corners.

And the sound...intoxicating! She is the complete package for me, both aesthetics and performance: a bit of aggression with just enough refinement. The conservatively dressed librarian with the wire-rimmed glasses and hair in a bun who lets it down cliff diving on the weekend!

All in all it was a heck of a first date. She has become quite the lady, less the demon to me than she will be to the competition. We managed a 1:15.2xx in a scant 10-15 minutes. Perhaps not her full potential but with my current skill level still quite good I think. As much fun as I had on this drive we are certain to spend much more time together learning and becoming a well-oiled machine if you will.

Thank you much to Roj. Fantastic work on this tune! You've set off a spark and gave me a smile with this one. I am eager to try more!

A quick check though. Are the alignment settings intended to be for toe out (in-game negative, as shown)? Not questioning your experience, of course. Just that I see more talk of setting toe in than out and I wanted to be sure. Again, thanks for the fun.

Lap Times
Grand Valley Speedway: 2'09.xxx"
Top Gear Test Track: 1'15.2xx"