A Legendary Honda Sports Car Is Being Revived Through a Fresh Italian Tribute

Upon its debut in 1990, the Honda NSX was an absolute revelation. The first mid-engine, rear-wheel drive model to come from Honda (sold as an Acura in the States), it demonstrated to the world that Japan was just as capable of building supercars as the old guard from Europe is.

As such, when Honda revived the nameplate for the second generation in 2015, it was careful to produce a vehicle befitting the legendary badge. Striking in its design and innovative because of its hybrid powertrain, the resulting model made for a worthy successor.

Honda

Now, there’s a new NSX on the horizon — only this time it’s not even coming from Honda. Rather, a renowned Italian design firm has decided to apply its talents to the Japanese sports car to give it an exotic makeover.

Italdesign takes on the NSX

The announcement comes from Italdesign, which took to Instagram to share the news. Apart from posting a graphic showing the Honda logo, some NSX lettering and ‘Tribute,’ though, the outfit is playing coy. The caption cryptically reads “a tribute to an iconic car” and “more to come” without further explanation.

Italdesign

As such, the project in question could be based around either the first-generation NA1 or the second-generation NC1. For that matter, Italdesign has yet to confirm if it will even have production NSX bones or if it will be a standalone interpretation.

Regardless, the company simply announcing it will be working on a Japanese legend like the Honda NSX amounts to big news. If the name rings a bell, that’s probably because you recognize it from the eye-catching Nissan GT-R50 released in celebration of the model’s 50th anniversary.

Nissan

At the time of the GT-R50’s unveiling, Nissan had originally only envisioned the vehicle as a concept. However, following an overwhelming demand for the special Japanese sports car, the automaker worked with Italdesign to produce a limited run for the public.

As such, this upcoming NSX redux could be more than just a one-off. It’s worth noting, though, that Honda has already confirmed a next-generation NSX successor, so it may not be partnering with Italdesign in the same way that Nissan did.

Honda

So, what about Honda’s plans?

Honda discontinued the second-generation NSX in 2022, citing poor sales and a plan to focus its efforts on electric vehicles moving forward. However, the brand has since confirmed that a successor is on the way.

Interestingly, though, it may not even be called ‘NSX’ despite filling a similar niche. Honda will be introducing its 0 Series EV platform soon, so the forthcoming supercar is set to depart from the brand’s previous efforts by way of an all-electric powerplant. 

Honda

According to prior reports, this rumored NSX replacement is expected to be unveiled as early as 2027, so Honda and Acura don’t have time to waste. While Italdesign hasn’t yet announced a debut date, it’s bound to have added some fuel to the fire.

After all, Honda has remained steadfast in its commitment to the supercar since the model’s debut, first by offering Japanese buyers a “refresh plan” and most recently by expanding support through its Genuine Compatible Parts initiative.

Honda

Only time will tell whether the automaker eventually links up with Italdesign on this project. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that NSX fans have plenty to look forward to in the coming years.

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