Honda NSX Reimagined by Italdesign: A Retro-Modern Tribute to a JDM Legend

The Honda NSX remains one of the legends that lives on in the minds of every JDM fan and car enthusiast. From its motorsport roots to its role as Japan’s original supercar, the NSX has always stood apart. To honour this history, Italian design house Italdesign has revealed the Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign. Approved by Honda, this project is not a revival of the 1990s car. It reworks the second-generation hybrid NSX sold from 2016 to 2022. The goal is to link past design ideas with the current platform. The Tribute also celebrates key milestones for the brand, including 35 years of the NSX name, 60 years since Honda’s first Formula 1 victory, and 30 years since the NSX’s GT2 class win at Le Mans.

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This car shows how the NSX story continues without leaving its modern engineering roots behind. It keeps the legend relevant today.

Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign: Design

The changes start with the body, and almost every panel is new. The front bumper carries a stylised H shape, a clear reference to Honda’s Le Mans race cars from the 1990s.

The modern LED headlights stay, but Italdesign has added retractable eyelids that hint at the old pop-up units. The car wears Championship White with black lower sections, a colour scheme that long-time NSX fans will recognise instantly.

Move to the side and roof, and the motorsport influence continues. A roof-mounted air intake takes inspiration from the rare NSX-R GT. At the rear, the floating ring wing returns in a new form and blends into a redesigned diffuser. These elements are not just visual. They link the look of the original NSX with the stance of the newer hybrid car.

Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign: Interior

Italdesign has not chased a full redesign. The layout remains familiar to second-generation NSX owners. Updates focus on materials, with suede and carbon fibre used across the cabin.

Hidden details make the cabin special for fans, including references to Ayrton Senna, whose link recalls early NSX development and Honda’s F1 success.

Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign: Engine

The Tribute keeps the hybrid setup unchanged. The twin-turbo V6 and three electric motors continue, delivering up to 592bhp in Type S-based cars.

Italdesign has confirmed that only right-hand-drive NSXs will be used, and numbers will be very limited. Pricing remains undisclosed, but this project is aimed squarely at collectors who value the NSX story as much as the drive.