An Italian reinterpretation of one of Japan’s most respected performance cars made its public debut this week, as Italdesign revealed the Honda NSX Tribute at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon. The project serves as a modern homage to the second-generation NSX, which ended production after the 2022 model year, and presents a fresh design vision without relying on overt retro styling.
The NSX Tribute retains the overall proportions of the original car but replaces nearly every exterior body panel. Only the greenhouse carries over, though even that element has been reworked to dramatic effect. Italdesign separated the side blade from the roof, creating a floating appearance that adds visual tension while preserving the NSX’s recognizable silhouette. A newly integrated roof vent further enhances the design and references the rare NSX-R GT homologation model from the original NSX era.
Lighting design plays a central role in connecting past and present. At the front, slim eyelid-style lighting elements reinterpret the original NSX’s pop-up headlights. At the rear, the familiar circular taillight theme returns in a modernized form. Viewed head-on, the front fascia forms a stylized “H” shape, drawing inspiration from NSX race cars that competed at Le Mans during the 1990s. The project also acknowledges the 30th anniversary of the NSX’s GT2 class victory at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Inside, changes are more restrained. The cabin emphasizes simplicity and focus, with a continuous surface flowing across the dashboard and doors to evoke the feel of a single-seater race car. A flat-top and flat-bottom steering wheel with a 12 o’clock marker reinforces the motorsport theme, drawing subtle inspiration from Honda’s Formula One history.
Italdesign has not disclosed whether the NSX Tribute alters the donor car’s mechanical layout. The second-generation NSX is powered by a hybrid system combining a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 with three electric motors, delivering either 571 horsepower or 600 horsepower in the Type S final edition.
The project highlights Italdesign’s ability to design and build low-volume vehicles entirely in-house, with indications that a limited production run may follow. Optional details under consideration include a dashboard-mounted helmet bearing the number 12, a reference to Ayrton Senna’s early championship success with Honda-powered teams.
The NSX Tribute arrives amid renewed interest in bespoke supercar projects, including similar efforts by other Italian design houses, signaling continued enthusiasm for modern reinterpretations of iconic performance cars.