NSX

Hey guys, my second DX review: Motormax Acura NSX

Paint: 7/8

Thick, beautiful application. The only thinning of paint is along the undersides of the trunk, front bonnet, and on the inner sills of the doors. Also (this would be more of a critique than a fault), the Long Beach Blue associated with the 1:1 NSX is not really as dark as the model's paint, but I will not dock any marks for this. Overall, the glossy paint is close to AUTOart quality.

Exterior: 6.5/8

Amazing! Everything on this model is metal where they should be, including all the opening parts (6!!) and the side rear view mirrors, and therefore it is a very heavy piece.
All panel gaps are extremely tight and the Acura badge at the front is a separate 3D piece. Front lights are very detailed, although I was hoping for clear bulb lenses. The windshield wiper fluid projectors are modelled very nicely, the windshield wipers themselves are nothing special. Careful attention was paid to modelling the door handles which, although in plastic, look believable. The lock is simulated with silver paint and looks ok. However, the front and side air dams are not hollow or perforated. The side rear view mirrors are made using reflective stickers, but they are not applied well and are a little crooked. The rear air dam is made using colourless plastic with a mesh pattern, and looks quite good. Motormax made a good attempt at the side turning lamps, but although they are a separate piece of orange plastic, they have large mounting posts and look quite crude. The Acura symbol on the back of the model is a separate piece! Very nice for a budget. Unfortunately, the rear lights are not impressive. It's good that they are made of translucent plastic, but the back-up lights and turning lights are painted on and look just…well, bad. Lastly, it's regrettable that Motormax did not include a detachable targa roof, but hey, you can't expect THAT much from a budget model like this.

Interior: 5/8

Nothing special, but for a Motormax, a definite step forward. Invisible hinges are used to open the door an almost full 90 degrees to reveal the black interior. The seats, though made of hard plastic, have some detail, but the dash doesn't really. The buttons are all moulded out, but there is a lack of colour and definition. The steering wheel feels padded, but the floor is as crude as the dash, with no carpeting. In fact, the floor is made of such cheap plastic that touching it leaves scratches. Seatbelts, though hard to see, are separate pieces, though the buckles are missing. The doors are ok, with good molding and silver accenting.

Wheels/Brakes 4/6

The 7-spoke wheels are nothing special on the 1:1, but Motormax did a good job with what detail there was. The gold callipers are fixed while the discs and wheels turn. Unfortunately, the discs have barely any detail and look way too small to be an effective stopping device if the model were magnified 18 times.

Engine and Undercarriage: 6/8

Opening up the plastic hatch and the targa storage part, we get a view of the NSX's mid-engine layout. Motormax included a small prop rod for holding open the engine, but it is not needed. The engine is obviously not as detailed as Kyosho's, but there is a nice attempt at wiring and the accurate colours used makes the engine look better than it really is. The plastic stabilizing bars are painted black, and do not look anything like the black steel bars on the real car.

Competition: 6/6

No other modeller makes the new NSX. However, Kyosho did replicate the old NSX.

Desirability: 6/6

I wanted a face-lifted NSX and I got it for an amazing price per detail ratio. Motormax has made an absolutely amazing improvement since their Saleen S&, BMW Z8, and MB SL500. I am impressed with this $20 CDN (about $15 USD) model. Very desirable, especially since it has no competition (other than Kyosho's 1st generation NSX).

Overall: 40.5/50

For my pictures: http://www.diecastxchange.com/forum1/index...hl=motormax+nsx

Review added to the DX Model Review Database on 02-APR-2004