Honda NSX meets Pininfarina: legendary design house gets its hands on 90s icon

Pininfarina might be associated with Fiats and Ferraris, but the Italian design house has now turned its attention to Japan, by reimagining the legendary Honda NSX. 

Working with JAS Motorsport, Pininfarina says the revised NSX will be “derivative of the 1990-generation Honda NSX and will offer enthusiasts and collectors a new, modern definition of the Grand Touring concept”. The design firm also says the car will be in keeping with the NSX’s DNA of “high performance, perfectly balanced and safe, yet equally at home on the track”.

JAS Motorsport has built and raced Hondas for decades, from Accords to Civics and even the last-generation NSX. JAS will also have its badge on the bonnet, although the name of the car is yet to be revealed. 

The design of the new model will be left to Pininfarina. Buyers will need to supply a donor car (which can be either left or right-hand drive) for the update, so despite the shadowy teaser images, we already have a good idea what the finished car will look like when it’s unveiled in the first half of 2026.

Pininfarina says the body of the car will be made entirely from carbon fibre, so expect a big reduction from the original car’s 1,370kg kerbweight. We can already see new elements including LED lights at the front and rear, a re-shaped side air intake and gold wheels.

The engine will stay true to the original car, with a naturally aspirated V6. JAS Motorsport says it’ll be engineered and developed to obtain the highest levels of power, torque and responsiveness. The original NSX had 270bhp from its 3.0-litre unit, while later cars had 290bhp courtesy of a larger 3.2-litre engine. Thoroughly modified NSX race cars had related 3.5-litre engines with power outputs rated at over 500bhp. Whatever power the JAS NSX puts out, it will feature a six-speed manual transmission. 

This isn’t the first time Pininfarina has been involved with the NSX. Honda may have designed the NSX in-house in the late eighties, but Pininfarina was tasked with creating a concept in 1984, called the HP-X. The HP-X was a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car that laid the foundations for the NSX – and it wowed the crowds at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2024, being the first Honda to be featured at the prestigious event. 

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