Akira's 2000 NSX First Photo!

I can hardly believe I am about to drive to work in my dream car! I just picked her up last night...and first thing this morning I needed to open the door to my garage to verify it really happened!

Our Cars Past and Present

On the second day of living the dream, I line up my 1988 Celica GT, 2000 NSX-T, and Valerie's 1997 Civic HX for a photo. I will soon sell the Celica, making the NSX my daily driver!

Akira's 2000 NSX

This is image I posted on the start page of my original NSX website, a site I launched in 2000 to celebrate a decade long dream becoming reality. This is one of the first photos I have that includes myself with my month-old car, taken around golden hour in the parking lot of Camarillo Premium Outlets. (Photo by Valerie Iwasaki)

Akira's NSX at Camarillo

My wife Valerie has been very supportive of me getting the NSX. After all, if she wants to go somewhere, she finds me more than willing to drive...no matter how far or to what end. I took this golden hour shot from the parking lot of the outlet mall in Camarillo (April, 2000)

Akira's NSX at Malaga Cove

While I was still in high school, a friend showed me design sketches of Honda's New Sportscar eXperimental and from that very moment I knew I would eventually own one. In those days, I often ran around Malaga Cove while training for cross country. Now I race by there without breaking a sweat. This picture was taken in front of the fountain at Malaga Cove Plaza. (May, 2000)

Akira's NSX at Marina del Rey

One morning, Valerie took off for work leaving her name tag at home. After bringing it to her at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey, I couldn't resist snapping this picture of my NSX on the boardwalk next to the hotel. (June, 2000)

Akira's 2000 NSX at Work

If reality (i.e. work) prevents me from driving my car 24 hours a day, why can't I enjoy looking at her from my office?

Akira's NSX at Playa del Rey

78 degrees and sunny in December? Just another typical winter day in SoCal...and more than enough reason to pop off the top and cruise the coastline. I cannot imagine a better place to own a NSX-T. How snowbound NSXers can go without such a wonderful automobile for an entire season is beyond me! (December, 2000)

Akira's NSX at Coastline

To celebrate my NSX's one year anniversary, I took a drive up the coast. But considering that I had to work that day, I didn't get very far. This shot was taken on P.C.H., just south of Sunset Blvd. Aside from the top being on, notice anything different about my car??? (March, 2001)

Akira's NSX at Coastline

365 days and 7250 miles later, my NSX still brings a huge smile to my face. (March, 2001)

Akira's NSX at Ocean Trails

Though not my favorite coastline drive, I don't need many excuses to pop the top off and make a round trip of Palos Verdes Peninsula. On this particular day, Valerie and I decided to check out the view from the Ocean Trails Golf Club, a recently opened facility located on the south end of the peninsula. Before opening, Ocean Trails made the news when one of its holes collapsed into the ocean. Ironically, I would revisit this site a few months later to display my car alongside of the classics at Acura's Concours d'Elegance. (June, 2001)

Akira's NSX with RAT Beach as a backdrop

While growing up in the South Torrance / Redondo Beach area, I spent many days at RAT Beach. Little did I know then that I'd look back nostalgically at this stretch of sand and surf from the cockpit of my very own exotic sportscar! (June, 2001)

If we get a third car, we'll have to request permission to park it in our townhome complex's guest lot...but the NSX will always get to be in the garage (June, 2001)

If we get a third car, we'll have to request permission to park it in our townhome complex's guest lot...but the NSX will always get to be in the garage (June, 2001)

With multiple PCs at my desk often tied up precomputing the lighting for the environments of Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, I decide to bring my synthesizer keyboard to work...as a means of preserving my sanity. Wearing headphones and mindlessly jamming is a great way to relieve stress. It's a good thing my Roland JV-90 only has 76 keys...it perfectly fits in my NSX's trunk (June, 2001)

Akira's NSX at the Rock Store

Though I have long despised the look of nose covers, I could no longer stomach the idea of my car receiving rock chips during our NSX Club drives. Little did I expect that one of my favorite NSX photos would feature a bra! Valerie got me this Speed Lingerie color matched nose mask for my birthday, a gift that not only proved functional but was also aesthetically pleasing. Under many light conditions, the color blends quite well with the paint. In fact, one of the NSX Prime Forum members completely missed the bra in a similar shot, asking if I had painted my chin spoiler! Putting on the bra took more time than I expected and caused quite a bit of paranoia (I doubly waxed the front and even added a layer of high gloss sealant to guarantee no scratches). Fortunately, this nose mask does not clamp to any of the painted surfaces of the NSX. That said, scraping the chin spoiler when exiting a driveway is all it takes to cause one of the clamps to disengage (lower-right of the photograph). (June, 2002)

Akira's NSX at Infineon Raceway

Steve Snyder's photograph (scanned) of Valerie, myself, and our NSX overlooking Turn 7 at Infineon Raceway during NSXPO 2003

NSXPO 2003 Official Group Photo

Steve Snyder's group photo from my first NSXPO (scanned)