When Giorgetto Giugiaro founded Italdesign back in 1968, the design house went on to shape everything from the VW Golf to the DeLorean DMC-12. Now, the Italian firm is celebrating three Honda milestones with the Honda NSX Tribute. It’s been 60 years since the automaker’s first F1 victory, 35 years since the original NSX launch, and 30 years since its first Le Mans win. Now, the Honda-recognized collaboration transforms second-generation NSX models into something that looks both old-school and contemporary.
Bridging Two Generations
Where the second-gen NSX deliberately avoided retro styling when it debuted in 2016, Italdesign takes a different route. The front end gets thinner headlights with retractable “eyelids” referencing the NA1’s pop-ups, while up top there’s a roof scoop borrowed from the NSX-R GT that raced in Japan. Meanwhile, the all-black glass pays homage to the original’s signature look.
In the rear, Italdesign completely rethought the spoiler as a floating ring with a continuous LED light bar with a massive diffuser underneath. The package rides on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels wrapped in Yokohama rubber.
Singer-Style Transformation
Inside, Italdesign kept its intervention minimal. The cockpit draws from vintage F1 single-seaters with subtle layout tweaks and Ayrton Senna references throughout — the number 12 and a small helmet graphic on the dash. A legend in the automotive world, Senna played a major role in refining the original NSX’s handling. The hybrid powertrain stays unchanged, featuring a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 paired with three electric motors for 573hp.
Rather than producing new cars, Italdesign takes existing customer vehicles and reimagines them completely — similar to Singer’s approach with Porsches. Production caps between 10 and 15 units, all right-hand drive, which locks out U.S.-market Acura NSX owners.
Spec Sheet
Model: Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign
Base Vehicle: Second-generation Honda NSX (2016-2022)
Engine: 3.5L twin-turbo V6 + three electric motors
Power: 573 hp combined (600+ hp for Type S variants)
0-60: Under 3 seconds
Wheels: 19″ front / 20″ rear
Production: 10-15 units
Configuration: Right-hand drive only
Pricing & Availability
Italdesign is keeping pricing details under wraps, working directly with customers to determine costs for each transformation. Given the ultra-limited production run and the extensive bodywork modifications involved, expect the final bill to likely approach six figures on top of the donor car price.
Recap
Italdesign Honda NSX Tribute
Italdesign is transforming 10-15 right-hand-drive second-gen NSX models into tributes that blend styling cues from both NSX generations. You’ll get retractable headlight “eyelids,” a floating ring spoiler with LED light bar, and Ayrton Senna nods throughout the cockpit. It’s a Singer-style reimagining that Honda officially recognizes, celebrating 60 years since their first F1 win and 35 years of the NSX nameplate.
