The first-gen Honda NSX has long been heralded as one of the prettiest and most iconic sports cars in the world, developed between 1990 and 2006 with inputs from the F1 legend Ayrton Senna himself.
The Japanese carmaker had its sights set on the Ferrari grand tourers of the era, the 328 and later the 348, aiming to redefine the idea of the sports car with similar levels of performance, improved handling dynamics and greater reliability. And despite shoddy sales, Honda delivered on its promises, creating a sports car that would outshine both the Italians and the Germans at their own game. That NSX is now being revived as an “ultra-modern supercar reinterpretation” with the latest technology and mechanics derived from modern-day motorsports.
To be built as an ultra-limited series production car by JAS Motorsports, Honda’s official racing partner since 1998, the NSX restomod will be developed with the same values that underpinned the original 1990 generation model. Named Tensei after the Japanese word for ‘rebirth’, this will be the first high-performance road car from JAS and will be based on the chassis from first-gen NSX donor cars.
Neo-retro design:
The neo-retro exterior of the Tensei NSX blends carbon fibre bodywork with modern aerodynamics, redesigned alloys and a sharper front fasciaFor the design, JAS Motorsports is collaborating with Pininfarina, the same Italian design house that styled the original concept in 1984. As a result, the Tensei remains true to its roots, carrying a neo-retro look with a more aggressive front fascia and seemingly retaining the iconic pop-up headlamps, albeit with slim LED DRLs up front.
The NSX looks timeless, and as such, there’s not much that needed to be changed apart from a new body made entirely from carbon fibre. It gets new, modern alloy designs, more optimised aerodynamics, massive side intakes, and the sporty rear-end that continues the iconic connected taillamp design above a fatter diffuser with A-shaped exhaust tips. The interiors will be upgraded as well, but the cabin is yet to be revealed.
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Modern-day supercar:
The Tensei NSX is powered by a modernised, naturally aspirated 3.0-litre V6 paired exclusively with a 6-speed manual transmissionNot much is known about the Tensei’s powertrain; for now, JAS merely states that the restomod will derive its power from an “NSX-inspired” 3.0-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine with upgrades to match modern-day notions of performance and responsiveness. What’s more, the company has specified that it will exclusively be available with a 6-speed manual gearbox, while customers get to choose between left and right-hand-drive versions.
JAS Motorsports remains tight-lipped about the Tensei’s pricing and the number of units that will be built. Considering its limited-edition status and the weight behind the NSX nameplate, we can expect a price tag that hovers comfortably above a few crores.