So how about their performance?

Another obvious difference between the two cars is the powertrain. While the GT-R uses a conventional gasoline engine, the NSX has a hybrid system. Both have 4WD drive systems, but the NSX uses only the motor to drive the front wheels.

While the main driving force is generated by the rear wheels, when turning, the motor uses “torque vectoring” to increase the force by applying a difference in rotation to the front left and right wheels.

The GT-R’s drive system is a torque split system that mainly uses the rear wheels and sends drive power to the front wheels as needed but does not distribute the drive power between the left and right wheels.

What about the engine? The GT-R comes with a 3.8-liter V6 twin-turbo with a maximum output of 480 hp and torque of 588 Nm at the time of its debut, but the current model has increased to 570 hp and 633 Nm.

The NSX also has the same twin-turbo V6 with 507 hp and 588 Nm of torque, but with a displacement of 3.5 liters, slightly less than that of the GT-R. With the addition of two 37 hp front and 48 hp rear motors, the total system output is 581 hp/646 Nm, surpassing its rival.

In any case, the driving performance of the GT-R and NSX with their ultra-high performance powertrains is world-class. However, there is a difference in the acceleration feel. The GT-R has a wild acceleration where it rises rapidly like a fighter plane being pushed out of a catapult, while the NSX’s acceleration increases linearly as the engine speed rises.

This is not to say that one is better or worse than the other, but rather that there is a difference in terms of drive feel. The GT-R has a strong, wild taste and the NSX has an exhilarating feel.

Lap records at the Nürburgring in Germany prove its true performance on track. The GT-R has recorded 7:06.679 in September 2013 with the 2014 GT-R NISMO N Attack Package. But for the NSX, no official records exist. This could be taken as Honda’s idea not aiming its goal as the fastest car on track, but some say an official time attack will be conducted when the Type-R model becomes available.

As for prices, the 2021 GT-R starts from $113,540 while the NSX starts from $159,495. Both are expensive, but if you consider that the GT-R is cheaper than while boasting such performance, you can see that it’s actually quite reasonable.

However, the NISMO model for the GT-R starts from $210,740, which is way more expensive than the NSX. And when Honda adds the rumored Type-R model, prices could be even more expensive.

Comparing the two models, we can see that while they share the same existence as a high-performance model, their goals and characteristics are completely different.