The name and design of the forthcoming Honda NSX restomod styled by Pininfarina and engineered by Italian racing outfit JAS Motorsport has been revealed at Milan Design Week.
The new car is called ‘Tensei’ – the Japanese word for ‘rebirth’ – and was presented at the Car Design Dialogues event, where Pininfarina unveiled a 1:5 scale model alongside fresh details about the design direction.
First teased in October 2025, Tensei will be built around carefully selected NA1-generation Honda NSX donor models and will feature a bespoke carbonfibre body clothing a revised chassis with a longer wheelbase, wider track and lower stance.
Despite significantly altered proportions, Pininfarina has retained many of the NSX’s signature aesthetic features, including pop-up headlights, rectangular side air intakes and the integrated rear wing and taillight graphic.
‘The proportions are the most important thing for a designer,’ commented Pininfarina chief creative designer Tigran Lalayan. ‘These changes completely transformed the road presence of the car. We emphasised the greater width through pronounced rear shoulders and flared fenders, creating triangular gestures in plan view – a signature often found in Pininfarina designs.’
The car will be powered by a naturally aspirated V6 said to be inspired by the original car’s VTEC unit, paired with a six-speed manual transmission. JAS Motorsport will doubtlessly use its racing expertise to squeeze more power and torque from the engine than the 276bhp the original could muster.
The Pininfarina connection has deeper roots than it might ostensibly appear. The Italian styling firm’s relationship with Honda goes back more than four decades to the mid-engined HP-X concept that foreshadowed the NSX in 1984.
‘JAS wanted to celebrate the NSX, a car that redefined supercars in the 1990s with its lightweight design, precision and everyday usability,’ said Pininfarina’s head of exterior design Dimitri Vicedomini. ‘They wanted to do it in a meaningful way, which led them to collaborate with Pininfarina, a partner with deep historical ties to Honda.’
Tensei will be produced in limited numbers at JAS Motorsport’s Atelier in Arluno, near Milan. Bespoke customisation options can be commissioned through Pininfarina’s atelier in Cambiano, Turin. The car will be available in both left- and right-hand drive.
With its familiar silhouette, naturally aspirated V6 and a six-speed manual transmission, many enthusiasts will regard Tensei as the next-generation NSX that Honda never built.
Pricing and production numbers have yet to be confirmed. Click here for more.
