The JAS Motorsport Tensei Is a Honda NSX Restomod

JAS Motorsport is taking it upon itself to bring back one of the greatest sports cars in Japanese automotive history.

After months of teases, the Italian racing team has finally unveiled its Acura NSX restomod. Dubbed the Tensei—which means “rebirth” in Japanese—the vehicle will feature a body designed by Pininfarina and what is promised to be a competition-derived powertrain.

If you’re wondering why a racing team is building a restomod, it’s because JAS and Honda, Acura’s parent company, have a long history together. Although JAS, which was founded in 1995, initially worked with Alfa Romeo, it has been an official Honda partner since 1998. It also has direct experience with the NSX—which was sold as a Honda model outside of the U.S.—having developed the GT3 racer for the car’s second generation.

That know-how has helped inspire one of the more intriguing restomods we’ve seen this year. And a lot of that is due to how it looks, since the car wears a carbon-fiber body designed by Pinifarina. The legendary studio didn’t try to reimagine the NSX, which debuted all the way back in 1990, for today; it simply refined it. The low-slung coupe still features pop-up headlights and an integrated rear wing, but its lines are smoother and its aerodynamic elements are larger. If the long-rumored third-generation NSX looks anything like this restomod, we imagine there will be a lot of happy enthusiasts out there.

We may know what the Tensei will look like, but we’re still waiting on some vital information. Mainly, what will power the restomod? JAS’s reveal was light on details, other than to say that the vehicle will feature “cutting-edge technology and advanced mechanics” informed by the team’s experience in motorsports. In October, shortly after the first teaser images of the car began circulating, Road & Track and Motor1.com reported that it would come with a naturally aspirated V-6 mated to a six-speed manual. The car will also be available with either a left- or right-hand-drive configuration.

We’ll also have to see how much JAS’s NSX restomod will cost, as no price has been announced for the Tensei as of press time. A price tag in the high six figures doesn’t seem out of the question, especially since first-generation NSXs can command up to $1 million at auction these days.