Honda NSX "Tensei" Rebirth From Pininfarina and JAS Is Now Reality

Nearly a year after Pininfarina and JAS Motorsport first showed their joint restomod based on the original Honda/Acura NSX, the finished car is officially here.

Dubbed the "Tensei" — some of you golfers out there may be familiar with the name, from Mitsubishi no less — a Japanese word translating to "rebirth" or "reincarnation." The work completely transforms the 1990s icon. Pininfarina did the outside and inside restyling, while Italian race team JAS Motorsport poured nearly three decades of Honda motorsport experience into the chassis and mechanicals.

The result is lightweight, naturally aspirated, and takes the original mid-engine supercar formula to its absolute extreme. Everything is better, except for the price, perhaps.

The original NSX profile remains instantly recognizable, but everything has been pulled wider and tauter. The Tensei has a longer wheelbase and a wider stance, and the body is entirely lightweight carbon fiber instead of the original factory aluminum. It does retain the pop-up headlights, just now they have modern LED projectors.

Even with structural reinforcement beneath the skin, dry weight drops to 2,756 pounds.

Nestled behind the driver sits the original Honda C30A V6 engine block, heavily modified by British racing engine specialist JUDD Power. JUDD bored the motor out to 3.5 liters, adding individual throttle bodies, a dry-sump oiling system, and an Inconel exhaust. The naturally aspirated engine now produces 425 horsepower and shrieks to an 8,500-rpm redline.

Power travels to the rear wheels through a traditional six-speed manual gearbox and a mechanical Torsen limited-slip differential.

Underneath, JAS Motorsport gave the kinematics a total overhaul using redesigned billet aluminum wishbones, four-way adjustable KW dampers, and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes. The Tensei rides on forged center-lock wheels — 19 inches up front and 20 inches out back — wrapped in Pirelli performance rubbers.

Inside, Pininfarina preserved the original cockpit but improved the materials. Exposed carbon fiber, full-grain leather, Alcantara, and titanium accent the interior. Everything is focused on engagement — the analog tachometer, a very Honda-looking manual shifter — with only a small screen replacing the original radio and CD player.

Only 35 examples of the JAS Tensei will be built at JAS Motorsport's workshop near Milan, with each car tailored to customer specifications. Official pricing remains unannounced, but cost will easily stretch into six-figure territory.

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