I drove 2 generations of the Acura NSX supercar - and they fulfilled a childhood dream

For me, as a child of the 90s, the Acura NSX (or Honda NSX if you reside outside of the US) helped define automotive excellence for the decade of my youth. 

When the original NSX debuted in 1990, it turned the supercar world on its head. Never before had anyone been able to deliver the performance of a Ferrari 328 or 348 while offering the ease of use and reliability of a Honda Accord.

It's a car I've always dreamed of having the chance to drive.

Unfortunately, the first generation NSX went out of production in 2005 -  long before I began my career as an auto journalist. Heck, I only got my driver's license in 2002.

Although the decade-long wait for a successor was less than ideal, the second generation NSX is finally here for 2017. 

Recently, Acura invited me up to Lime Rock Park in Connecticut to turn some hot laps in their second generation NSX supercar.

But what I found sitting in the parking lot at Lime Rock piqued my interest even more - a first generation NSX.

Fortunately for me, the grey 2005 NSX is part of Acura's corporate fleet and the company brought it along just in case anyone wanted to take it for a spin.

Jackpot!

Here's what happened when Acura turned over the keys to a 2005 Acura NSX.