Have you watched The Grand Tour? One of the episodes is entitled “Past, Present or Future”, with the ‘present’ day car being identical to the one in the image above: a Honda NSX. A car which, given its heritage, meant this newest iteration has a lot to live up to.

 

If you’re not aware, let us quickly get you caught up to speed. The original Honda NSX made its debut in 1990, followed by the NSX-R in 1992, which increased the performance at the cost of losing flip-up headlights. With Ferrari-esque good looks and performance to match, the original NSX to this day, is a highly desirable car thanks to its relative rarity. The NSX-R was also treated to a re-vamp in 2002, but then was seemingly vanished with no hope of a future.

 

2017

Valencia Red Pearl Andaro

Full Black extended leather and Alcantara interior

 

Until 2016, that is, when Honda got their act together and made an all-new NSX, nearly thirty years later. The new car was intensely technological, combining the power from its 75 degree, twin-turbocharge V6 with three electric motors: two at the front of the car that are capable of all-wheel drive, and one at the rear next to the engine, helping the rear wheels along. And although it can drive in eerily silent, pure EV mode, the NSX prefers to use it to fill in the gaps of the ICE’s torque curve, with that ever so effortless, instant battery-operated shove in the back.

 

Overall, the NSX produces a combined 573bhp and 476lb ft. Not loads in comparison to the ‘holy trinity’ of hybrid-assisted hypercars from Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren, but at the time of release (2016), such tech was almost unheard of in supercars, making the NSX something of a technological marvel. In their press release, Honda talks about all kinds of special techniques used in the production of the NSX, such as ablation casting, where water jets are used to cool down sand-cast aluminium components. Apparently.

 

The question is, does it still make sense eight years later? Though some might argue three figures for a car with a Honda badge is nonsensical, there were only 2908 ever built, and only 150 of those ever came to the UK, arguably making it rarer than some of its more typically prestigious European rivals. In the present, when electric cars seem ever more like the future, the Honda NSX seems suddenly rather future-proof, despite being made the best part of a decade ago, which just goes to show how ahead of its time it was in 2016.