V8 Powered NSX Speedminded Concept

[speedminded]

My worst enemy is thinking too much lol! No offense intended Takanobu Ito or Ken Okuyama, but I want to elevate your infamous chassis & design to above junior supercar status and I finally figured out how...


Typical NSX Monoblock Aluminum Chassis




Remove practically everything from the firewall back, all the body work and most of the chassis. (Preferably one that's been wrecked in the rear)


Superlite Coupe Rear frame [firewall back]




LS-Series engine (Only because the 500hp Mugen MF408 would start at $50k)





Ricardo Ford GT or Porsche G50 gearbox


Welding the rear frame of a Superlite Coupe to the chassis/cockpit of the NSX would not be too difficult and if my calculations are correct the wheel base will remain within inches of the orginal.


Finished with solid colored NSX Le Mans composite bodywork.




Mid-engine V8 with 500+whp easily. I honestly think it could be built for $30-40k total using a NSX donor.

[EJ25RUN]

Has anyone done a street NSX with a longitudinal placement?

[AnthonyF]

No pics of the NSX with the V8 engine IN it?

-Ant.

[dorin48]

You could keep the set up transverse with a northstar v8 or something else thats v8 and fwd. If the dimensions are small enough there may not need to be insane body mods that way.

[dorin48]

No pics of the NSX with the V8 engine IN it?

-Ant.

Reread the post... There isn't one. The OP was daydreaming.

[Elbow]

Why not a Porsche transaxle? Much easier and cost effective to work with.

[speedminded]

Has anyone done a street NSX with a longitudinal placement?

Nope and not possible without completely restructuring the rear. There is a trunk behind the engine in the NSX.

No pics of the NSX with the V8 engine IN it?

-Ant.

Hence the title, concept...a speedminded one lol!

You could keep the set up transverse with a northstar v8 or something else thats v8 and fwd. If the dimensions are small enough there may not need to be insane body mods that way.

Thought about it for years but there is no manual transmission that I'm aware of that would work with it and would take more effort to shoehorn it in than to replace the entire rear frame. I really don't like tranverse mounted engines like that anyways since the NSX is difficult enough to work on as it is. Not to mention after using a Northstar V8 we'd all be roasting marshmallow's around the car singing "Kum Ba Ya". Besides, if I was going to go that route GM has the LS4 but I would put a turbo K24 in an NSX before a transverse V8 lol!

[AnthonyF]

STFU you assholes. lol. I'm so tired I didn't even realize that.

-Ant.

[HypnoToad]

lot of midengine kit cars use the LSx/ford GT combo.....im sure could get it to work,everything just comes down to how deep ur pockets are.

[speedminded]

Why not a Porsche transaxle? Much easier and cost effective to work with.

Oops, I meant Ford GT gearbox above. The Ricardo gearbox is stronger but the Porsche G50 from the turbo is definitely cheaper...

Porsche G96-50 Turbo Gearbox 10k miles - $8,500
http://www.race-cars.com/boxsales/ot...33022778ss.htm

996 Turbo 37k miles - $4,900
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsc...s#ht_500wt_860

The Ricardo 6-speed runs about $10k plus needs the starter, clutch, and adapter plate to mount to a LS series engine.

[batlbrandon]

Just a thought, and i like where your mind is at, but changing the wheelbase "within a couple inches" isn't a good way to look at it. It should be nearly identical to stock to retain handling characteristics. Changing the wheel base a couple of inches will drastically change how the car handles. Throw in 500whp and 500wtq and there could be serious consequences. I am not trying to start a flame fest here. I am trying to stimulate the intellectual origin of this idea. Again I LOVE where your mind is at and totally would like to see it done. So who has the 50-60k to get this started?

[HypnoToad]

i mean if the back was widen a tad....is it gonna make it handle like complete ass?

as for straightline,seems like it would be ok

[ballistic87]

Check out http://www.factoryfive.com/gtmhome.html the GTM kit car has an LSx longitudinally mounted and they are using a Porsche transaxle. The kit is only like $20k so i'm sure you could spec out the rear cradle assembly with mounts and everything for not too much. Cool idea man!

[batlbrandon]

A tad is different than a couple inches. If the wheel base is longer by a couple inches it will absolutely be great in a straight line. if it is shorter then it could help in the twisties. Wider could make the car want to push in the turns unless you make the front wider too. there are many situations that could happen.

[speedminded]

Just a thought, and i like where your mind is at, but changing the wheelbase "within a couple inches" isn't a good way to look at it. It should be nearly identical to stock to retain handling characteristics. Changing the wheel base a couple of inches will drastically change how the car handles. Throw in 500whp and 500wtq and there could be serious consequences. I am not trying to start a flame fest here. I am trying to stimulate the intellectual origin of this idea. Again I LOVE where your mind is at and totally would like to see it done. So who has the 50-60k to get this started?

I know where you're getting at but have you driven an NSX hard? I've pushed them enough to step them out in turns and I think it could benefit from a couple extra inches.

1990-2005 NSX wheel base is 99.6 inches:

Carrera GT 107.5
Nissan R390 107.1
Saleen S7 106.3
Ferrari Enzo 104.3
Bugatti EB110 100.5 in

Plus with wider bodywork comes wider wheels and a wider stance, not saying that offsets any added length but will help.

[speedminded]

Check out http://www.factoryfive.com/gtmhome.html the GTM kit car has an LSx longitudinally mounted and they are using a Porsche transaxle. The kit is only like $20k so i'm sure you could spec out the rear cradle assembly with mounts and everything for not too much. Cool idea man!

I looked at them but their construction is steel tube frame vs. aluminum. Same concept though and may be cheaper but sticking with the NSX's all aluminum structure would probably be more efficient and easier to construct and combine the two. Plus the Superlite has in-board suspension and that makes me...happy

Factory Five GTM

[Batlground]

I know where you're getting at but have you driven an NSX hard? I've pushed them enough to step them out in turns and I think it could benefit from a couple extra inches.

1990-2005 NSX wheel base is 99.6 inches:

Carrera GT 107.5
Nissan R390 107.1
Saleen S7 106.3
Ferrari Enzo 104.3
Bugatti EB110 100.5 in

Plus with wider bodywork comes wider wheels and a wider stance, not saying that offsets any added length but will help.

Just comparing the wheelbase numbers from those cars is the tip of the iceberg in this discussion. At a minimum you have to look at the suspension pickup points and how the wheel travels, the spindle points in the front and rear, etc, etc, etc.

If you are comparing wheelbases then compare the width as well. The relationship between wheelbase and width will tell you a lot. Not the width of the car, the width between the front wheel mounting surfaces and rear wheel mounting surfaces.

[speedminded]

Just comparing the wheelbase numbers from those cars is the tip of the iceberg in this discussion. At a minimum you have to look at the suspension pickup points and how the wheel travels, the spindle points in the front and rear, etc, etc, etc.

If you are comparing wheelbases then compare the width as well. The relationship between wheelbase and width will tell you a lot. Not the width of the car, the width between the front wheel mounting surfaces and rear wheel mounting surfaces.

The rear suspension is 100% different than the NSX, tube frame with in-board suspension vs. a conventional unibody with double-wishbone suspension.

The original track of the NSX is 60.6 inches and the width is 71.3 inches. The width of the Superlite Coupe is 74" and I'm still trying to determine the track width of the rear tires. I just know it comes fitted with a 13" wheel in the rear lol! The 91-2001 NSX came with a 215 rear tire mounted on a 8" wheel (91-93) and a 8.5" (94-01). Most likely will be going from a 215 to a 315 rear tire. :boobies:

Keep it coming, I like constructive criticism. Especially from people that know what they are talking about.

[Z0_o6]

I would love to see this come to fruition. My only concern would be just how tail-happy the final product would be with that much torque in such a light frame. I realize that with a slightly longer wheelbase (within roughly an inch though, I would hope so as to keep the exterior look very similar to factory) would help, as would the much wider tires, BUT would it be controllable? I can't speak too much on chassis design, so I won't I'm just trying to ask a few questions and learn something.

[speedminded]

I would love to see this come to fruition. My only concern would be just how tail-happy the final product would be with that much torque in such a light frame. I realize that with a slightly longer wheelbase (within roughly an inch though, I would hope so as to keep the exterior look very similar to factory) would help, as would the much wider tires, BUT would it be controllable? I can't speak too much on chassis design, so I won't I'm just trying to ask a few questions and learn something.

The last photo in the original post shows the bodywork fabricated for the '95 Le Mans edition NSX. The front wheel track would be widened to fit flush with the much wider body work then the new rear frame and rear track should match the wider body. Unless it's a Porsche 930-935 I wouldn't want the rear track staggered differently than the front...I prefer a neutral rotation.

So yes I would want to keep the NSX's look, preferably identical to the '95 Le Mans since I don't like the look of the "stick on" wide body that people use on the street NSX's today. It's the only one I've seen that flows as well.

[silversol]

Just buy a ford gt 40 turn key and go!

[EJ25RUN]

Just buy a ford gt 40 turn key and go!

I assume you mean the kit car.

[speedminded]

Just buy a ford gt 40 turn key and go!

Anyone with a handful of cash can do that. Screw that.

[chaseamundo]

well thats cute haha

very nice