The Roots of an Italian–Japanese Icon
Sure, the original Honda NSX – Acura NSX in America – was shaped internally by Honda's own design and engineering teams, led by Masahito Nakano and Shigeru Uehara. But the deeper origins trace back to a concept car created by none other than Pininfarina. The 1984 HP-X, penned in Italy, laid the groundwork for the mid-engine supercar Honda eventually turned into the NSX.
Four decades later, it seems Pininfarina still has hangups about that early sketchwork. The design house announced before that it's working with JAS Motorsport to reimagine the first-generation NSX as a modern supercar. The project finally has a name: Tensei, Japanese for "rebirth." It was previewed quietly to a few customers at Fuji Raceway in November and is now being talked about more publicly.
JAS Motorsport
A Beautiful Shape, Even Without Full Specs
There isn't much technical information about the Tensei yet, but the car's form already says enough. It's recognizably an NSX, only lower, wider, and visually sharpened. The surfaces look taut but not overstyled, the stance is planted, and the proportions remain faithful to the 1990s silhouette. It's the kind of aesthetic confidence that tends to come naturally from Italian studios.
Pininfarina's carbon-fiber bodywork wraps broader tracks, bigger brakes, and wheels that hint at serious performance upgrades. JAS, a race-winning Honda partner for decades, is handling the mechanical side, and the company promises competition-grade technology rather than a simple restomod makeover. A naturally aspirated V6 and manual gearbox still appear to be the underlying formula, though how far JAS intends to push the revs remains to be seen.
JAS Motorsport
Not the Only NSX Tribute in the Works
More details will surface in early 2026, when the Tensei gets a full reveal ahead of its ultra-limited production run in Milan. We'll keep an ear to the ground to catch more information as it arrives.
Pininfarin's work won't be the only NSX tribute arriving next year. Another prominent Italian design house, Italdesign, is also working on its own reinterpretation, though its teaser offers almost nothing beyond a rear light signature. The two design firms now find themselves unintentionally competing to re-express one of Japan's most revered sports cars, and that alone should make 2026 interesting for NSX fans.
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