JAS Motorsport, the Italian outfit best known for its championship-winning Honda race cars for the past 27 years, has revealed plans for its first road car, being developed in partnership with Italian design house Pininfarina. But rather than starting from scratch, JAS is reimagining one of Japan’s greatest sports cars, the first-generation Honda/Acura NSX.
The 1990 original rewrote the rulebook of performance and exotic cars. It was famously honed with input from three-time Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna, who helped fine-tune the chassis during testing at the Suzuka Circuit. His feedback to Honda engineers, "make it stiffer," turned the NSX from a fast grand tourer into a car that has top-drawer dynamics on the track. That DNA is what JAS Motorsport wants to preserve.
The teasers JAS has released don’t show much yet, just glimpses of red paintwork against a black roof, gold wheels, modern LED lighting, and proportions that clearly pay homage to the ‘90s icon. The fixed wing is still in place, just like the original, that also famously featured pop-up headlights.
Each car starts out as a donor NSX, stripped to its chassis and rebuilt at JAS Motorsport’s Atelier in Arluno, Milan. The body, shaped entirely from carbon fiber, is designed by Pininfarina. Underneath, motorsport-derived suspension and braking components will sharpen handling without compromising drivability.
Inside, Pininfarina retains the NSX’s driver-first layout while updating the carbon with modern materials and ergonomics. Power comes from a naturally aspirated V6 paired with a six-speed manual transmission, with a focus on responsiveness and engagement over outright numbers.
This project also highlights a broader movement shaping the high-end automotive world: the rise of restomods. What started in the Porsche community with companies like Singer and Gunther Werks has grown into a global phenomenon. Italy has now joined in on the action, and the results have been remarkable.
Touring Superleggera, Kimera, and Eccentrica have all presented their own reimagined creations, many often seen at prestigious events like Villa d’Este and Pebble Beach. JAS and Pininfarina are bringing that same philosophy to one of Japan’s most revered sports cars. Production will be extremely limited, with each car hand-built in Milan. The first public debut is set for early 2026.
Images: JAS Motorsports
