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How often do you get to drive your dream car across the country?

Owning a Honda NSX is like holding the keys to a piece of automotive art, a testament to engineering excellence and pure 90s driving pleasure. For Nate Emigh the promise of adventure filled the air as him and his wife prepared to embark on a journey that would take them across the United States in an untested 1992 NSX internet purchase. It’s a car that Nate dreamed about after he saw one on a lot while he was a young dishwasher and he knew one day that car would be in his driveway. A cannonball run enthusiast, the NXS was symbol of Nate’s long-held dream, a dream of nostalgia and adventure, from behind the wheel of one of its most iconic Japanese sports cars.

Before we get started, if you’re unfamiliar with the Honda/Acura NSX its a car that was quite the head scratcher when it was released in 1991. It was a time where Honda was taking over the economy car market in the US while simultaneously racing in F1 and predominate international races around the world. Upon its official debut, the NSX design concept showcased Honda's latest in automotive technology. The Japanese car maker's race track innovations and competitive history were further exemplified on the road by the NSX's ultra-rigid and ultra-light all aluminium monocoque chassis along with front and rear double wishbone suspension, with forged control arms connected to forged alloy wheels. The Honda V6 additionally boasted the world's first production car engine with titanium connecting rods, forged pistons, and ultra high-revving capabilities, the redline was at 8,300 rpm, all traits usually associated with track and race engineered cars. The car's chassis rigidity and cornering/handling capabilities were the results of Formula One driver Ayrton Senna's consultation with NSX's chief engineers while testing the NSX prototype at Honda's Suzuka Circuit during its final development. Honda introduced its revolutionary VTEC variable valve timingsystem, for Honda's new flagship sports car, while it was being used on the lower-market Integra. As a result, the engine was redesigned very late in the development process "to achieve the desired levels of performance and durability.”

Nate’s story starts in 2014, with a young Nate with a learners permit who was told by his brother to check out an NSX on the lot of a local dealership. When Nate showed up he laid his eyes on a Grand Prix white NSX with low miles and like many of us thought how could I ever afford this? Nate was a dishwasher at the local Ponderosa Steakhouse and thought, “if I live out of the car, don’t buy gas, and don’t have insurance,” I can afford this car. Not surprising Nate did not drive off the lot that day with a Grad Prix white low mileage NSX, however fast forward to 2022 when COVID was calming down, and he revisited the possibility of owning his dream car.

Now, working in his family owned jewelry business, Nate had the means for purchasing an NSX and the internet hunt began. Unfortunately the prices had climbed through the roof but there were still deals to be had on auction sites. He found a driver quality NSX on Bring-A-Trailer that was not presented well and after speaking to his wife agreed on a high bid he would stick to. The only caveat to the agreement with his wife is she wanted drive it home from across the country. After a few tense moments at the end of the auction Nate won his dream car!

The car was located in Los Angeles and had spent its whole life in the area. While Nate did get a PPI there was still nervousness of whether or not the car was as advertised. Fortunately when Nate showed up it was almost exactly as he thought, a few rock chips here and there as well as some paint that was starting to come off. Nate was told, “just rattle can the front end,” and that the previous owner did his own oil changes, concerning for someone about to take the car on a 3 day journey across the US. Outside of the clutch, ball joints and tires needing replaced, it was a solid vehicle. After a quick look around and exchanging the checks at the bank Nate and his wife headed to Las Vegas.

Of course this isn’t going to be the end of the story as there were plenty of obstacles along the way. The first in the form of a rock cracking the windshield within the first two hours of ownership while stuck in traffic in Los Angeles. While at the Hoover Dam Nate was pulled over for having no license plate and entertained Homeland Security. While in Arizona the roads posed a challenge and were so bumpy that the already cracked front lip left the chat and came off the car completely. After stopping at a gas station a roll of Gorilla tape, Nate vinyl wrapped the lip back to the car and got the car back on the road. Next up was witnessing a potential robbery in progress at a gas station in New Mexico where Nate decided he didn’t need to see and walked straight out and beat it down the road. While in Texas he had a woman threaten to fight him after her boyfriend was eyeballing the NSX while Nate took a harmless picture for his social media. “We left Texas very quickly.” He hit a swarm of locust in a wind farm in Texas and was picking out bug guts even after he got back to Pittsburgh. After passing by OKC and stopping for the night they decided to make a surprise stop in Chicago to visit a buddy who helped Nate do all of the research on the NSX that was purchased. Their last challenge was a massive rain storm that had Nate riding in the right hand lane while on bald tires.

As mentioned earlier, Nate is fascinated by the Cannonball Run and the stories that went along with the famed race. While he was not trying to make it across the country in record time, being in the same areas, seeing how many miles you can cross in a day made the trip very enjoyable. “You would start the day in 100 degree weather in a dessert and by that afternoon we are in a hotel in the middle of the woods…you get to see the whole country change in front of your eyes.” Its a romantic story as road ahead is a blank canvas, ready to be painted with memories, adventures, and the spirit of the American dream. If you’ve never done a long road trip in any car I highly suggest you go experience the beautiful countryside.

Looking at the car in person the sleek lines, aerodynamic curves, and an aggressive stance makes Nate’s NSX a head-turner on any road. The low-slung body, sculpted to perfection, exudes a sense of speed even when standing still. The attention to detail is evident in every aspect, from the meticulously crafted front grille to the distinctive LED headlights. It’s a car that demands attention and admiration wherever it goes. The Siebon carbon parts accentuate the lines of the car in the form of a hood, wing, rear diffuser and headlight shrouds. The front includes a Wings West front lip and +30mm front fenders. The car has 173K miles and it doesn’t show its age at all, a testament to Honda quality. As Nate puts it, “the car is very gentle until it gets into VTEC.” You can have the slow Honda Accord experience but if you want to step on it you have a fire breather of a car. Under the hood Nate has upgraded injectors, Science of Speed stage 3 tuning chip, CompTech headers and very rare center exhaust. The wheels and tires are Volk ZE40 wheels and Project Mu brakes and accent the car beautifully. There are upgrades planned like painting many of the carbon parts and possibly throwing on some performance motor upgrades.

Nate’s journey with the NSX wasn't just about the destinations; it was about the experiences, the car, and the stories waiting to be uncovered along the way. Big thank you to Nate for giving me the opportunity to tell the story of the gorgeous NSX. Go follow his journey with the NSX on instagram @nathanemigh or at and of the Steel City Cars N’at meets. Be on the look out for Nate and his wife who attends many of the local Pittsburgh events and ask about his road trip across the country!