Journal Classic Cars

When the original two-seat Acura NSX debuted for the 1991 model year in the United States, it introduced the automotive world to the notion that a car could be exotic-looking, performance-oriented, and reliable all at the same time. Over thirty years later, some owners are truly putting that promise to the test.

Power for the NSX came from a mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 that produced 270 horsepower and was available mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transaxle. While 270 horsepower did not sound like a big number, the true expertise of the NSX became evident in its handling: this car was built to cut up canyon roads like a razor-sharp scalpel. Its all aluminum body and optimal weight distribution made for confidence-inspiring balance that even Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna embraced.

In all, the first-generation NSX sold a total of 8,949 units between model years 1991 and 2005 in North America. About a decade ago, I scooped up a moderately-used 1992 unit in Formula Red with a black leather interior and 80,000 miles on it. I have since added about 40,000 additional trouble-free miles to its odometer. Some people are surprised that I have driven my car that much. After all, relatively few people who bought the NSX did so with the intent of driving it daily. Most folks stored the car away for weekend use under a cover and hooked it up to battery tender. According to production statistics, my NSX is 1 of 421 units that were made of its configuration for 1992.

I recently attended an open house at ScienceofSpeed (SoS) in Chandler, Arizona. ScienceofSpeed has established a foothold in the enthusiast communities for the Acura NSX and the Honda S2000 over the past 20 years as a premier developer of performance parts, a provider of mechanical service, and an overall resource on the ownership experience for some of Honda’s beloved high-revving sports cars.

During the open house, I met a local NSX owner named Sean who has an NSX that looks a lot like mine, aside from the fact that it is sitting on a set of chrome finished SSR wheels. Coincidentally, his car is also one of the 421 cars in Formula Red over black with a five-speed manual from 1992. But Sean’s NSX has one very unique characteristic: it has left mine in the dust as far as mileage goes. The car has over 415,000 miles on it.

I caught up with Sean for some brief Q&A and a walkaround of his special car. He purchased it in Sedona, Arizona, about 18 years ago with about 70,000 miles on the odometer and put the wheels into motion with the car as his daily driver. He has kept up on all of his maintenance at ScienceofSpeed. “I’m religious about routine maintenance,” he said. “I’m on point when it comes to every service interval; always taking care of the engine like clockwork.” Like many Honda motors, the C30A engine in the NSX calls for a timing belt and water pump every 60,000 to 90,000 miles but overall, Sean said there have been no major surprises.

Sean was awarded recognition at last October’s annual NSX Club of America meet-up, dubbed “NSXPO.” While his car has a few rock chips and some faded paint, the fact that this 32-year-old supercar has driven to the moon, and is well its way back, is truly remarkable.

We wish Sean a safe journey as he continues to 500,000 miles, and we’ll share an update when he gets there!

The Toyota SR5 has established itself as the collectible Japanese 4×4 truck from the 1980s. When you are a plot point in Back To The Future, and pined over by Marty McFly, your potential as a collector car rises exponentially. Product placement can yield some great returns, folks. Ask the Hershey’s marketing team how a Reese’s Pieces appearance in E.T. helped its sales numbers.

Should Nissan have followed suit and tried to get its trucks on the silver screen? I think so because its Kingcab 4×4 is aesthetically on par with a Toyota SR5 pickup, but has been largely overlooked in collector car circles. Will Nissan’s Kingcab become the next big thing for 1980s trucks? I’m not Nostradamus, or even Miss Cleo, but I think keeping an eye on the Nissan pickup market could behoove you.

The Pick of the Day is a 1986 Nissan Kingcab 4×4 pickup listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Kentwood, MI. (Click the link to view the listing)

“Sold new out of Puyallup WA and remained in the same custody of the original family until we recently acquired the vehicle,” the listing states. “Always a Washington truck from new and the quality care and presentation of this one is remarkable.”

Finished in deep blue with light blue body stripes this Nissan features a fiberglass top, bed liner, KC Daylighter fog lights, a Warn front brush guard, and a bug shield. The Nissan’s blue interior has front bucket seats, rear jump seats, a sliding rear window, cigarette lighter, and a Kenwood stereo with a cassette player. The six-digit odometer shows 99,872 miles.

Judging by the pictures in the listing this Nissan pickup is in solid shape with the usual wear and tear you’d expect from a vehicle produced in the same year as the last time the New York Mets won the World Series.

This Nissan 4×4 is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. It rides on 15-inch Western wheels with BFGoodrich tires.

The listing price for this 1986 Nissan Kingcab 4×4 Pickup is $19,900, and the sale includes factory owner’s manuals, original bill of sale and warranty booklet, registrations, and receipts.

Every Japanese pickup manufacturer can’t have Michael J. Fox and Claudia Wells talking up its product in a movie, but don’t hold that against Nissan. This 1986 Kingcab 4×4 warrants a second look as a possible future collector car and don’t hold a lack of product placement against a Nissan pickup.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is a 1963 Chevrolet Nova SS convertible.

“The exterior has been finished in black and blue pearl,” the listing states. “Features include newly re-chromed bumpers, new glass, a front bumper grille guard, a polished aluminum grille, a driver-side mirror, side and rocker trim, Nova SS emblems, rear body trim, and a new black vinyl convertible top.”

It rides on 15-inch chrome Wheel Vintiques 64 Series O.E. wheels with 185/60 front and 215/60 rear Cooper radial tires.

This Chevrolet Nova’s front bucket seats, rear bench seat, and door panels were reupholstered in black vinyl. It features a Custom Autosound AM/FM stereo with four Pioneer speakers, new black carpet, new black dashboard pad, a billet aluminum banjo steering wheel, and a center console.

Under the hood is a newly built 1964 Corvette 327ci V8 engine with an Edelbrock high-rise aluminum intake, a 750-cfm Holley Quick Fuel Technology four-barrel carburetor, cast iron double-hump Corvette 202 heads, and an Isky Racing Cams high-performance camshaft and lifters. The engine is paired with a Super T-10 four-speed manual featuring a rebuilt 11-inch hydraulic clutch, and an Eaton 10-bolt rear end with a 3.55:1 gear ratio. 

A Classic Performance Products (CPP) power steering gearbox, pump, and control arms were installed. This Nova’s suspension was upgraded with new shocks, rebuilt front control arms, new front coils, Calvert Racing CalTracs traction bars, and two-inch dropped spindles.

The odometer indicates 600 miles, which the owner indicates is the mileage on the new engine but the true mileage of the vehicle is unknown. Three-hundred miles was added by current ownership.

“The doorjamb VIN tag is a replacement that has been attached with rivets; the original was factory spot-welded to the body,” the listing states. “The cowl-mounted body trim tag under the hood has been removed and is currently attached with rivets. An appraisal will be included with the purchase of the car.”

The sale includes a clear California title in the seller’s name.

This 1963 Chevrolet Nova SS convertible’s auction ends on Monday, February 13, 2023, at 4:20 p.m. (MST)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

If you find your new C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe a bit slow Hennessey Performance can alleviate this fear with its H700 supercharger package. Hennessey takes the C8’s naturally-aspirated LT2 6.2-liter V8 engine and upgrades it with a high-flow centrifugal supercharger, an air induction system with an air-to-water intercooler, high-performance software, and an optional enhanced cat-back exhaust. The upgraded parts and Hennessey’s magic increases the C8 Corvette Sting Ray coupe’s stock 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque to 708 bhp and 638 lb-ft: a 44 percent increase in horsepower and a 37 percent increase in torque over the factory rating. To put things into context Chevy’s flagship C8 Z06 Corvette’s naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8 LT6 engine produces a factory-rated 670 bhp and 460 lb-ft of torque.

“The stock C8 Corvette Stingray is an extraordinary sports car, yet Chevrolet left some V8 performance on the table,” said John Hennessey, founder and CEO. “Our exciting ‘H700’ supercharger package integrates seamlessly with the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and our exhaust upgrade sounds much more aggressive than stock. Considering that our power and torque surpass the factory Z06, the Hennessey ‘H700’ is arguably the best value high-performance supercar in the world.”

What do you get with the H700 package and what does it cost?

You get the aforementioned supercharger, intercooler, engine tune, and optional cat-back exhaust. On top of the performance upgrades your C8 gets a vinyl Hennessey livery (available in blue, white, black, silver, or red), ‘Hennessey’ and ‘H700’ badging, and a serial numbered plaque.

The H700 rides on a set of 19- and 20-inch alloy wheels that are available with a brushed aluminum, satin black, or graphite finish. The H700 package will set you back $49,995, and if you just want some horsepower a power-only package with just the supercharger upgrade is available for $34,950. 

The H700 package fits all 2020-2022 C8 Corvette coupe models and has a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty.

H700 C8 Corvette upgrade package

POWER

• 708 bhp @ 5,900 rpm
• 638 lb-ft torque @5,000 rpm

UPGRADES TO STANDARD C8 CORVETTE

• High-Flow Centrifugal Supercharger System
• High-Flow Air Induction System
• Air-To-Water Intercooler Upgrade
• High-Flow Cat-Back Sport Exhaust System
• Hennessey Calibration Upgrade
• All Necessary Gaskets and Fluids

OTHER

• Professional Installation
• Chassis Dyno Calibration & Testing
• Road Testing (Up To 500 Miles)
• 19” (F) and 20” (R) Lightweight Street Wheels (Brushed Aluminum, Satin Black, or Graphite)
• Hennessey C8 Heritage Livery (Blue, White, Black, Silver, or Red)
• Hennessey Exterior Badging
• H700 Exterior Badging
• Serial Numbered Engine Bay Plaque
• 3 Year / 36,000 Mile Warranty

*Exhaust removes active valve functionality

Porsche has issued a recall on certain versions of the Panamera hatchback and wagon due to a potential fire risk.

The recall affects Panameras and Panamera Sport Turismos from the 2017-2021 model years, and specifically the Panamera, Panamera 4, Panamera GTS, Panamera Turbo, and Panamera Turbo S grades.

A total of 24,467 examples may be affected in the U.S., according to the recall notice published by the NHTSA on Jan. 27.

The issue is caused by the external coolant pump for the climate control system on the vehicles. In some cases, humidity may enter the pump and cause an electrical short circuit, which in turn could lead to a fire.

The remedy requires dealers to replace the coolant pump and inspect and replace the plug-in connection, if necessary. The service will be offered free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on March 27, but anyone looking for further information can contact Porsche at 1-800-767-7243 or the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (reference recall campaign number 23V033000).

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.

Just over a week ago, Mazda unveiled the CX-90. Who cares, right? Sure, but we enthusiasts also have utilitarian needs and, if station wagons seem to be a dying breed, what is the best Plan B? A vehicle from a company that caters to the enthusiast no matter how insipid the transportation device. We can accept that when forced, plus Mazda has that highly anticipated inline six.

But have you ever perused Mazda’s trim levels? They’re unnecessarily elaborate and complicated, and CX-90 pricing bears that out. Because of this, let’s try to make some sense out of it.

The general core trim levels in Mazda’s lineups include Select, Preferred, Preferred Plus, Premium and Premium Plus. With so many plusses and Ps, it’s quite difficult to keep up with Mazda’s hierarchy.

Nonetheless, those trim levels have an umbrella hovering above them. In the case of the CX-90, there are three core sub-models: 3.3 Turbo, PHEV (over time, you’ll learn that means “plug-in hybrid”) and Turbo S.

The 3.3 Turbo comes with a 280-horsepower e-Skyactiv G engine that can achieve 24 city/28 highway/25 city combined mpg on regular fuel. A mild, 48-volt hybrid system called M-Hybrid Boost plays a role in its performance and economy.

The mid-level sub-model is the PHEV, which is equipped with the e-Skyactiv PHEV electric motor supported by a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery and mated to Mazda’s familiar 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder. Combined, the system produces 323 horsepower on premium fuel. Fuel economy stats are not currently available for this one.

The top sub-model is the Turbo S. Its e-Skyactiv G engine offers 340 horsepower on premium fuel. While a substantial bump over the regular 3.3 Turbo, fuel economy doesn’t seem to have taken a toll considering the 23/28/25 ratings, with the higher cost of premium likely to be the main increase in operating costs. The Turbo S too is equipped with M-Hybrid Boost.

For the trim levels, the 3.3 Turbo will be available in all five packages, from Select to Premium Plus.

The PHEV will be available in three packages: Preferred, Premium and Premium Plus.

For the Turbo S, it’s available in three trim levels that include the base Turbo S, Premium and Premium Plus.

I’m sure you don’t want to be more confused, but the content mix for one Premium sub-model may be different than another. In other words, you cannot count on a 3.3 Turbo Premium having the same content mix as the Turbo S Premium.

Below you can find the prices of each sub-model and trim level. If you’re interested in shopping for a CX-90, your best bet is to peruse Mazda’s website to find the particular vehicle that has the proper level of equipment to suit your needs because there’s no way you’re going to be able to figure it out easily.

STARTING MSRP FOR THE 2024 MAZDA CX-90 IS AS FOLLOWS:

After spending the week in Arizona watching a slew of Eleanor-converted Mustangs sell for more than $400,000, I started thinking about the current values for what I feel are the top of the heap as far as Mustangs are concerned, the Shelby Mustangs built from 1965 to 1970. Now to me, these are as good as it gets for Mustang cars. Sure, a restomod is a better driving car, but the original Shelby Mustangs are something special, and the ones built in California by Shelby American from 1965 to 1967 are just a little extra special.

In a bizarre turn of the market, many of these very special cars are available for less than their restomod custom conversions, such as the Eleanors you see at auction. This makes no sense as the Shelby cars were built in period by guys such as Phil Remington and are not only historically significant but also make for great driving cars. They do not seem to be affected by trends and typically hold their value over time, something we have yet to know about the restomod cars.

My Pick of the Day is one of these cars, a 1966 Shelby GT350H painted in black with gold Le Mans stripes and a black interior.

Now if you do not know this already, the GT350H was a car built by Shelby and sold to Hertz as rental cars or rent-a-racer as they then advertised. There is a ton of legend and lore about to whom these cars were rented, raced, and then turned back into Hertz afterwards. As with all legends, they may be rooted in some truth. The important part to know is that the 1966 GT350H is a true Shelby built car. It is also a low production car as only 1,003 total 1966 GT350H cars were built.

The St. Charles, Missouri, owner states that this 1966 GT350H still has its numbers matching 289 C.I. Hi-Po V8 engine, correct C4 3-speed “SelectShift” automatic transmission, and Ford 9″ rear end with a 3.50:1 final drive ratio. It shows 56,615 miles on the odometer, which are believed to be original miles. They add that the car has been owned by the current owner since 1988 and has a very original body. It is said to have received one repaint, has a mostly original interior, beautiful original floor pans, 14″ Shelby Magnum 500 style wheels, the original dash mounted Shelby tachometer, and racing lap belts.

The best part of this car is the price being asked. The seller is offering this car at a very fair price of $209,995. At this price I am sure it is not a concours ready car, but instead the perfect Shelby Mustang to actually drive. These are great driving cars; it is not often that a car as significant as this one is both easy to own and drive.

This would be a car that I would buy, drive, show locally, and enjoy for quite a long time.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible.

It features a resprayed Tahoe Turquoise exterior with a power-retractable white top. The Tahoe Turquoise exterior is complemented by 289 emblems, chrome brightwork, and rocker moldings.

This Ford Mustang convertible rides on steel 14-inch wheels with hubcap and Hankook Optimo whitewall tires.

“The interior is fitted with two-tone Aqua vinyl low-back bucket seats up front and a matching rear bench and door panels,” the listing states. “Amenities include vent windows, lap belts, and a push-button radio. The trunk contains a whitewall spare tire.”

Under the hood is the reportedly original 289ci V8 engine that’s paired with a floor-mounted three-speed automatic transmission.

The sale includes a clear title, and a vinyl convertible top boot. This Ford Mustang’s five-digit mechanical odometer reads 30,868 miles, but the true mileage on the chassis is unknown.

This 1966 Ford Mustang convertible’s auction ends on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 3:20 p.m. (MST)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

During Arizona Auction Week 2023, the ClassicCars.com Journal had the pleasure to attend The Scottsdale Auction hosted by Bonhams. Held at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in the northern reaches of Scottsdale, the auction was another well-heeled event to satiate enthusiasts.

Of course, Bonhams is one of the world’s oldest companies, having been founded in 1793. It’s also one of the world’s largest auction houses when it comes to antiquities, fine art, jewelry and, of course, motor cars (as the Brits like to call it).

The understated affair featured a small buffet breakfast for attendees, with plenty of staff on hand to attend to the hungry crowd. But what the crowd was truly hungry for were classic cars, some of which commanded millions of dollars. The cars highlighted to garner the most attention were the 2006 Maserati MC12 Corse track car ($3,811,000), 1912 Simplex 50HP five-passenger Torpedo Tourer ($4,845,000), 1958 BMW 507 Series II ($2,067,500), 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS roadster ($1,586,250), 1953 Siata 208S Spider ($1,572,500) and 2005 Porsche Carrera GT ($1,033,500). However, the cars that truly excited us were the 1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400 ($819,000) and 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 ($802,500).

Those cars, plus many others, can be seen below, and follow this link for more coverage of Arizona Auction Week.

The 2023 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction just wrapped up and among the 1,907 vehicles sold (totaling more than $184.2 million in sales) were numerous offerings by Porsche. A 2005 Carrera GT was the top selling Porsche at the auction with a $1,595,000 hammer price. The Carrera GT was the second most expensive car at the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction, trailing only a 1989 Ferrari F40 that sold for $2,750,000, and is proper example to lead the Top 10 Porsche sales from the recent auction.

Top 10 Porsche sales at the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction