Honda NSX Is Back, And This One Has A Naturally Aspirated V6 That Screams To 8,500 RPM
The original Honda NSX was already a pretty special car, but Italian design house Pininfarina and Honda racing partner JAS Motorsport think they can make it even better. Meet the JAS Tensei, a modern take on the Japanese supercar that keeps its V6 engine, six-speed manual transmission, and, thankfully, those glorious pop-up headlights. Unveiled in its finished production form on October 8, the Tensei takes the first-generation NSX’s formula and gives it a serious mechanical makeover. And no, they haven’t replaced its engine with a battery pack or shoved a giant touchscreen across the dashboard. Someone involved in this project clearly understands the assignment.
It Can Scream, As High As 8,500 RPM
The Tensei uses the original NSX’s V6 as its starting point, but British engine specialists JUDD Power have given it a thorough rebuild. Displacement grows from 3.0 to 3.4 liters, while new cylinder heads, titanium valves, and individual throttle bodies help the engine breathe better. The original NSX’s famous VTEC system is gone, replaced by a fixed-timing racing valvetrain. The engine revs to 8,500 rpm and sends 414 horsepower to the rear wheels, yet it remains naturally aspirated. This isn’t another restomod that relies on a turbocharger to produce ridiculous power figures. It also keeps the six-speed manual and adds a limited-slip differential. It’s a combination that should appeal to anyone who thinks driving a car ought to involve more than pointing it at a road and flooring the gas.
Looks Like The NSX, But Angrier
Pininfarina has also given the NSX a new carbon-fiber body, and the result looks fantastic. The original car’s clean lines are still there, but the Tensei is wider, longer, and considerably more muscular. Its dry weight is just 2,756 pounds, which should help that 414-hp V6 deliver some serious performance. The chassis hasn’t escaped the makeover, either. JAS has reinforced key sections of the original aluminum structure, revised the suspension geometry, and fitted four-way adjustable KW dampers. Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes handle stopping duties, while the electric power steering has been tuned for the kind of feedback enthusiasts expect from a driver’s car.
And then there’s the best detail of all. The pop-up headlights are still there, now with a servo-assisted mechanism complete with impact sensors. In an era when new cars swap every charming detail for another screen, that’s a great touch. Inside, the Tensei gets carbon-fiber trim, leather, Alcantara, Sabelt seats, and OLED displays. It’s more luxurious than the original NSX, but the cockpit still focuses on the driver rather than looking like someone installed a television showroom in a supercar.
There’s one catch, naturally. JAS will build only 35 examples of the Tensei, with prices starting at £770,000, or roughly $1 million, before the donor car and taxes. So, no, this isn’t an affordable way to get your hands on a classic NSX. But with Pininfarina styling, a screaming V6, a stick shift, and pop-ups, the Tensei looks like a pretty convincing argument for keeping the original supercar formula alive.
Sources: Pininfarina, JAS Motorsports
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