Italdesign NSX Tribute: When Japanese Engineering Meets Italian Tailoring
Italdesign decided to dust off the second-generation Honda NSX, which had begun to fade into the background of the supercar world, by presenting their own vision titled the NSX Tribute. Created with the apparent sole purpose of catering to those who found the standard model’s futurism too restrained, the Italian design house thoroughly reshaped both the exterior and interior of the vehicle. The result is a machine whose most striking feature is a massive, rectangular rear light bar that seems to defy aerodynamic streamlining in favor of pure visual drama.
Since production of the second-generation Honda NSX only ended in 2022, Italdesign saw no need to reinvent the wheel or develop a new platform. Instead, they relied on the existing hybrid powertrain, where a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 works in tandem with three electric motors to unleash up to 610 horsepower onto the asphalt. Power is still managed by a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission directing drive to all four wheels, enabling a 0–100 km/h sprint in roughly three seconds—performance figures more than sufficient to keep even the most demanding collector satisfied.
However, the entire project carries an air of exclusivity and ambiguity, as Italdesign has been in no hurry to reveal exactly where the donor cars originate. Given that fewer than 3,000 such examples exist globally, future owners must either sacrifice their own personal vehicle or hope the firm can source high-quality raw material from the secondary market. It serves as another prime example of how a limited production run and a bespoke approach can transform an already rare supercar into an unattainable design object, with the exact price and final production numbers known only to those directly involved.
The Italians' intervention into Japanese engineering is a bold move, to say the least, especially considering they felt no need to touch the mechanical side of the car. All emphasis was placed on the visual identity, operating on the assumption that "Italian design" is a compelling enough argument to convince owners to rebuild their already scarce Hondas. Whether that massive rear light and refreshed interior are worth the effort—and the likely astronomical invoice, remains a private matter between the client and their bank account.
