1993model Honda NSX NA1 Type-R　

At the time, Honda’s motorsports division, including F1, was thriving, providing substantial development resources widely utilized in the development of the NSX. The late Ayrton Senna, F1 World Champion, played a significant role in developing the highly rigid chassis of the NSX. With Senna’s precise advice, the NSX was taken to the Nürburgring, where the chassis was meticulously refined over several months. Honda F1 driver Satoru Nakajima would lap the circuit, noting any flex in the chassis and reporting it to Honda engineers. The engineers would immediately hand-weld aluminum braces at the necessary points, and Nakajima would test it again. This process was repeated multiple times, and the data gathered was sent directly to Honda headquarters, input into Cray’s supercomputer, and converted into reinforcement data for the aluminum monocoque, achieving a 150% increase in rigidity, and thus completing the NSX chassis.

The ultra-high rigidity, ultra-lightweight aluminum monocoque chassis, double wishbone suspension, and forged control arms were born from innovative technological developments in real-world racing. The transverse 3.0-liter Honda C30A V6 engine featured the world’s first titanium connecting rods and forged pistons in a mass-produced car, resulting in an ultra-high-revving VTEC engine with an 8,300 rpm redline installed in the NSX. The NSX exterior was treated with 23 specific painting processes, including aircraft-grade chromate coating to chemically protect the aluminum body, clearer and more vibrant top colors, and basecoat water-based paint for a smoother finish.

The 1991 Honda NSX NA1 we introduce today overturned conventional wisdom over thirty years ago, becoming an iconic JDM legend that captivates and enchants its owners with its remarkable aura.

And then there is the NSX Type R, developed to such an extreme that it was said, “Can they really go this far?”

When Satoru Nakajima heard from the Honda development team that they had achieved a weight reduction of 120 kg during the development of the Type R, he was astonished, wondering how such a reduction was possible from the NSX. This anecdote, expressing the extraordinary performance of the Type R, comparable to a racing car, is well-known.

The NSX, adopting an all-aluminum monocoque body, achieved supreme rigidity required for a sports car while keeping the power-to-weight ratio below 5.0. In addition to eliminating power steering, power door locks, and cruise control, soundproofing and damping materials were boldly removed. The car featured ultra-lightweight Recaro full bucket seats made of carbon aramid, a lightweight MOMO steering wheel, and ultra-lightweight ENKEI aluminum wheels, among other exclusive parts, resulting in an ultimate update. This rigorous material replacement and racing car-style tuning achieved a 120 kg weight reduction, reducing the NSX’s power-to-weight ratio to 4.39. Improvements included crankshaft balance precision, piston and connecting rod weight accuracy, and a change in final gear ratio from 4.062 to 4.235. These meticulous tunings significantly enhanced acceleration, cornering, and braking performance, surpassing the original in every aspect. The NSX’s circuit performance transformed to an extraordinary level.

This weight reduction turned the initially considered “too rigid” racing car-like hard suspension into a significant advantage. Additionally, settings focused on racing car-like short-stroke shifts and clutch operation feel, resulting in direct handling that maximized the sense of unity between the driver and the car.

The exclusive body color of the Type R, a nod to Honda’s first F1 victory in 1965, was the ivory white “Championship White.” The gleaming red Honda emblem on this Championship White body eloquently tells the story of the Type R being a special car in Honda’s history.