2002 Acura NSX - What GTR?

All of you out there in reader land take note. There is no secret formula, no mysterious handshake to getting your project car featured in your favorite Honda mag; all you need is some dedication, some photos skills, and a submission. Oh, and an incredible NSX doesn’t hurt. Just ask Ginash George of Chicago, Illinois. Ginash is a passionate auto photographer, and after honing his craft, he decided to submit a photo of his very own ’02 NSX to the OhSnaps! section of this very magazine. After catching the eye of our illustrious editor, he’s sitting pretty with his own very own feature, and his name under the photo credit line!

An admittedly awesome ride, this gorgeous NSX almost never was, if not for the greed of the local Nissan dealers. Ginash states, “I used to have a 350Z, and wanted to upgrade to the GTR when they came out, but the dealers were gouging the prices.” With dealers tacking an additional $15,000 to $20,000 for every GTR within 200 miles, Ginash looked to pick something up in the meantime—an original dream car in the beloved NSX. “I wanted something I could enjoy until the prices dropped on the GTR, and I always wanted an NSX, so it was the perfect choice.”

With parts already on order, he began shopping for his “temporary” car. He recalls, “I knew I wanted the flush headlights, but an 02+ front end conversion would set me back another $10K, which I wasn’t looking to spend.” His sights now set on an ’02 and up, the Internet produced a true rarity: an ’02 Imola Orange NSX near Washington, D.C. He remembers, “I’d never seen an Imola Orange version in person, but in pictures it was gorgeous. I booked a flight to D.C. and bought it.”

Instead of putting Honda’s flagship on a trailer back to Chicago, Ginash opted to get behind the wheel and make the 800-mile trek himself. After a run-in with some road debris in Indiana, the NSX went straight into the shop for some goodies.

“I ordered the first set of wheels and suspension before I even found the car, they went on ASAP.” With the NSX rocking new rolling stock and sitting right on Tein Type Flex coilovers, a slew of other parts were ordered to complement the already stellar engineering of the car. Ginash said, “I used to have high-horsepower cars, but they just kept blowing up. I just wanted to get some quality parts on the NSX, so I could just do it right.” A GTone F1 v5.1 exhaust was first on the list, (a true rarity on American shores) mated to custom-made downpipes and complemented with a Cantrell Concepts air-induction system. The go-fast parts list was done for Ginash, and though it’s short, the NSX doesn’t need much in the way of performance.

Downforce provided an NSX-R diffuser, a rear spoiler, and a rear window garnish to increase aerodynamics, and they don’t look too bad, either. A slick, custom LED taillight conversion finished off the exterior mods. Slowing the 2,800-pound Honda came next by way of a Stoptech big brake kit tucked behind the new custom-offset staggered TE37s in Formula Silver. A STMPO NSX Targa rear tower bar stiffened up the chassis on the topside, while Comptech’s adjustable antisway bars and NSX-R chassis bars stiffened it underneath.

The interior came under Ginash’s scrutiny next, as the OEM seats were replaced with Recaro Pole Position buckets straddling Science of Speed seat rails, and a Nardi Deep Corn steering wheel with Works Bell quick-release. A Zanardi shift knob and NSX-R shift boot finished the off-the-shelf mods, and both the seats and wheel were treated to custom orange stitching, making Ginash’s interior truly one of a kind.

Ginash thinks his NSX is essentially done, except for a wheel swap that has probably happened since this article was published, but when asked about his original plan and swapping the NSX for a GTR, Ginash quickly states, “I feel there is nothing to replace the NSX, the car has made such an impact, and it’s the only car I see myself having for a while. I want to keep it for as long as I can.” With the amount of quality parts on this super-rare NSX, we’re sure Ginash will keep his word.

Road Warrior
When Ginash found his one of 49 Imola Orange NSXs in Washington, D.C., his original plan was to ship it back to his home in Illinois. But as all car builders know, plans often change quickly. He recalls, “After driving it, I figured I’d just drive it halfway home, then crash out at a hotel.” All was going according to plan until bravado got the best of Mr. George. On an energy-drink-fueled whim, he opted to drive the whole 800-mile trip in one shot. That is, until he made his way to a small town in Indiana. “I hit some road debris and annihilated one of the rear tires. I limped it into a parking lot and thought I was done. But I remembered passing a Tire Rack.” With the Tire Rack less than 20 minutes away, he got busy on the cell phone. “I got a rental car and took the tire with the rim to Tire Rack, and they changed it for me right there. I was back on the road within a few hours.” All in all, Ginash said he’d do it again; however, this little detour made that last few hours home a little less fun.