The Honda NSX (sold as the Acura NSX in North America and Hong Kong) is a sports car produced between 1990 and 2005 by Japanese automaker Honda. The NSX is a legend as it possessed supercar characteristics and the latest racing technology all in a street car that could be purchased at your local Honda dealership.   Much of the car’s strong chassis and cornering/handling capabilities were the results of the late Ayrton Senna’s direct input with NSX’s chief engineers.  Honda was very close to Senna as they had powered all three of his world championship-winning Formula One race cars before his death in 1994.

After studying their main competitors such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche, Honda engineers designed the NSX in search of the “perfect balance” between usable power and reliability and thus produced a powerful naturally aspirated VTEC engine suitable for the extreme demands of both road and track.

2nd Gen modified NSX

It was equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and powered by an all-aluminium V6  engine featuring Honda’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) system.

One of the first magazine articles to chronicle the NSX showed the lightweight 3.0L 270 HP NSX producing a best 0-60 mp/h time of 5.03 seconds and 13.47 seconds for the quarter mile. In addition, a Ferrari 348 to NSX comparison was done with a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds being recorded for the 1991 NSX.

Initially assembled at Honda’s purpose-built Takanezawa R&D Plant in Tochigi, Prefecture in Japan from 1989 to early 2004.  The NSX was assembled by approximately 200 of Honda’s highest-skilled and most experienced personnel, a team of hand-picked staff with a minimum of ten years assembly experience employed from various other Honda facilities were assigned to run the NSX operation.

Amazingly, during this time the local police force had an NSX in their cruiser fleet. Wow, I bet everyone wanted to do overtime driving that around town.

NSX Police car

Although the last NSX rolled off the assembly line over eight years ago it remains a true classic and Honda engineers are still being praised for its design and innovation. If you appreciate Honda motorsports you need to get to know the NSX.

And to end with, we found this epic video that captures this untamed samurai warrior of a sports car in all its glory.