The iconic first generation Honda NSX has been reimagined through the collaboration of two Italian automotive groups, giving a modern, motorsport-inspired touch to an iconic Japanese sports car.
Developed by JAS Motorsport – an Italian racing team and engineering firm – and designed by Pininfarina Tensei is a modern interpretation of the NSX that aims to be close to its original formula, albeit with more power and a lighter body made entirely of carbon fiber.
With a working development prototype currently being built, the Tensei will eventually enter “very limited series production” in Milan, Italy next year as JAS Motorsport’s first high-performance road car.
Full details have yet to be revealed, but the first public unveiling of the production model is scheduled for the first half of 2026.
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The Tensei was launched in the early 1990s as a production NSX, with the donor car chosen for its “chassis and mechanical underpinnings”. Its body was rebuilt entirely from carbon fiber, with Pininfarina incorporating a handful of modern design elements such as LED daytime running lights, exposed carbon elements and a full-width LED light bar at the rear.
Mechanically, JAS opted for an “original NSX-inspired” engine and will therefore fit a naturally aspirated V6 engine, although power and torque figures have yet to be confirmed. The company says the engine will be redesigned and further developed to “achieve the highest levels of power, torque and response,” which is expected to result in much wilder performance than the original car.
It will be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and will almost certainly have rear-wheel drive, with examples available in either left- or right-hand drive.
No images of the car’s interior have been released, although it is also being redesigned by Pininfarina.
“Tensei” means “reincarnation” in Japanese, with the name chosen to reflect the project’s intention to maintain Honda’s original philosophy for the NSX, which is quoted as: “A car works through a direct connection with the driver and passenger. Its quality is determined by whether or not it inspires enthusiasm in the driver.”
JAS Motorsport is probably the ideal company to get such a project off the ground. With its racing team founded in 1995 and competing on behalf of Alfa Romeo, JAS became an official Honda partner in 1998 and has since competed in various disciplines exclusively for the Japanese brand.
The original 1991 NSX was available with a mid-rear-mounted 3.0-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine producing 201kW of power and 285Nm of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual transmission. In 1997, a more powerful 3.2-liter V6 and a six-speed manual transmission were added.
Pininfarina was actually involved in the development of the original car. In 1984, Honda commissioned the styling house to develop the HP-X, a concept car designed to evaluate the feasibility of a pure Honda sports car, which eventually evolved into the first NSX.
MORE: Explore the Honda NSX showroom
