Honda NSX-R | Spotted
The Honda to disrupt the supercar establishment is now worth more than the supercar establishment...
While the introduction of the Pininfarina-designed JAS Tensei might increase interest in the original Honda NSX for a while, truth is the market has looked fondly on it for a while. Having once been worth as little as £15k, values have soared over the past decade and a bit. The stars simply aligned too nicely for anything else to happen: this was the original usable mid-engined supercar, it looked sensational, it was a film and game icon, a new NSX came in 2016… and so on. Without another NSX looking likely, those values aren’t going anywhere. Sadly.
The NSX-R, however, has always been a very different beast entirely. This was the beginning of Type R Hondas, for one thing - there’s not much beating that in terms of significance. In 1992 there had been cool Hondas, for sure, though nothing quite so nakedly raw as the NSX-R. Don’t forget the base car wasn’t some stripped out sports car, either, optionally available with an auto, leather and a T-Top. To take more than 100 kilos out of it was pretty drastic (including carbon seats and removing the airbag), setting out Honda’s stall for future Type R-badged icons.
It was a sensational time for all things fast and Japanese: the world was about to see what a Mitsubishi Lancer could be evolved into, what a turbocharged Subaru Impreza might be like, what a twin-turbo 2JZ was capable of and so on. In a world of wind up windows, steel windows and bucket seats, the NSX-R fitted in just perfectly - the stripped-out supercar poster car.
Fewer than 500 were ever made, only for the Japanese market, though Honda was sufficiently encouraged by the response that there was a second NSX-R. Both have always been cherished by collectors, sufficiently so for a few to have made their way to the UK over the years. Like so many of the Type R Hondas, sourcing the best ones from Japan has become quite a big deal.
This is one of them, for sure. An original NSX-R that’s been in the UK for a decade, it’s one of the last: number #0447 of the 483 made. Having been in a private collection for its entire time over here, there are just 51,000 miles under those stunning forged wheels - not many for what is now a 30-year-old classic. The whole thing looks perfect, in fact, as good as the day it left Tochigi.
The condition is supported by an extensive history from both Japan and here, plus even a record from the previous owner of every mile covered during their ownership. Every journey, every mile - that’s dedication. There won’t be better, basically, even though there surely won’t be a bad NSX-R. Which means paying £350k for the privilege, but then all these road racers - from GT3 to Challenge Stradale, CSL to 22B - are enjoying a moment right now, as raw exhilaration is craved over sheer speed. If engagement and excitement are priorities above all others, there really can’t be much better.
SPECIFICATION | HONDA NSX-R
Engine: 2,977cc, V6, petrol
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@7,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 217@5,400rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1996
Price new: N/A
Price now: £349,995
And I utterly love the fruitloop who has documented every single mile he/she has driven it - if you're on here then I salute you
No one would bat an eye lid if it was a fezza or Lambo.
First gen NSXR is less than 500 units.
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