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Italdesign is a particularly interesting entity in the car biz. It’s primarily a behind-the-scenes player, creating white-label designs and aesthetic elements for other consumer-facing brands to sell. However, uniquely, it’s also done public collabs with automakers. This week, the brand dropped another such thing: A “new” Acura (Honda) NSX. It’s basically a heavy refresh of the second-gen car, but it looks awesome, and the brand’s created a very cool animated video of the thing ripping through a Tokyo Xtreme Racer-style world with a nod to F1 legend Ayrton Senna.
As many readers already know, the Honda NSX (Acura NSX in the USA) was a mid-engine supercar with two generations and three looks. There was the original wedge-y flip-light 1990s masterpiece, famously hooned by Senna himself, followed by a fixed-light refresh for the Y2K era. Then, after what felt like an eternity and about 1,000 “coming soon” teasers, Honda/Acura dropped a second-generation model for 2016. That Ohio-built super hybrid was spectacular to drive, but sold in extremely limited quantities. In fact, it’s considerably rarer than the original model—only about 3,000 second-gen NSXs are said to have been built over its 2016-2022 run, versus about 19,000 first-gens made from 1990 to 2005.
The Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign effectively gives the car a fourth semi-official body style. It is indeed endorsed by Honda itself, but it’s unclear how many, if any, will actually be released onto public roads. Like the Italdesign Scighera from the ’90s, or more recently, the Nissan GT-R50 Italdesign, this NSX is more about Italdesign flexing what it’s capable of, rather than an actual marketed product. Hence, all the images you’re seeing of it around the internet today being renders. But that doesn’t mean they’re not fun to look at, and speaking of which, here’s that cool game-style video I mentioned earlier. The sock-and-loafer Senna call-out is not subtle:
Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign
Italdesign’s media release does pitch this NSX as a “few-off project” with “ultra-limited series production,” indicating that the company does intend to deliver at least two (right-hand drive only). I reached out to the company’s US rep, who didn’t have a price to share, but he did promise to keep us posted on how we could place an order.
At this time, the company hasn’t specified if you’d have to ship your NSX somewhere to get this treatment done, or if it’s planning to buy up a few to rebuild on spec, or what. Italdesign isn’t a tuner with private customer-facing workshops, and I’m sure your local Acura store salesman would be befuddled if you asked about this. I will update this post if we get details on how to place an order. Based on what the Nissan GT-R50 was priced at in 2018, expect to spend more than $1,000,000 for an Italdesign NSX.
Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign rendered in Advan racing livery. Italdesign
Here’s a slideshow (renderings) of the Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign in a few colors for more careful examination:
Here you can see the cockpit in a few different colors:
And here are some design sketches of the vehicle:
As I said, though it’s fair to say the car is “back,” in ultra-lean supply, this NSX is really meant to be appreciated as an example of artistic capability rather than a consumer’s road car. To that end, here’s some contextual commentary from folks at Italdesign on why the car looks the way it does (edited for formatting).
Joaquin Garcia, Head of Design at Italdesign:
“The Honda NSX was a bold model, a true game changer in the supercar segment that transformed from a visionary concept into a market-ready sports icon … At Italdesign we have all the expertise needed to turn bold ideas into tangible realities and bring visionary projects to ultra-limited series. This tribute is no exception and looks forward. It is not a restomod, nor a purely nostalgic exercise: it is the will to merge memory and innovation, advanced technology and artisanal excellence in a model that preserves the original racing DNA, together with the Italian character of the exterior forms, to which we have added contemporary styling and engineering solutions.”
Cristiano Fracchia, Senior Exterior Designer at Italdesign:
“We worked on the musculature of the car to give tension and dynamism, while maintaining the purity and cleanliness of the original lines … “We reintroduced the low, sleek proportions of the original model, with a sloping hood and a completely black greenhouse that lightens the silhouette and accentuates sportiness. At the front, the headlamp clusters are set in a glossy black fairing that emphasizes the car’s “gaze,” creating contrast with the surrounding surfaces, adding depth, and reinforcing the perception of precision and sportiness. The eyelids replace the pop-up solution of the first generation and are treated stylistically with a contemporary language.”
“Our goal was to give the car an even more technical and performance-oriented character. We studied every aerodynamic appendage: spoilers, diffusers, skirts, extractors. Everything was designed to maximize performance without sacrificing expressiveness. The roof air intake is a clear reference to the one on the NSX-R GT version, a highly advanced engineering solution for its time and an integral part of the sophisticated aerodynamic management system.”
Gaspare Conticelli, Senior Exterior Designer at Italdesign:
“The floating ring of the NSX, which improved high-speed stability, becomes a continuous, suspended, elegant, and functional visual element that expresses lightness and dynamism. The rear light clusters are not framed by a fairing as at the front but emerge individually from the black background. The underlying hot-air diffuser [rear diffuser] features functional grooves that recall the treatment applied to our recent concepts.”
Alessandro Trombin, Senior Interior Designer at Italdesign:
[The inspiration comes from the double cockpit of the first generation, reinterpreted with a modern approach] “and with elements that embrace driver and passenger, creating connection and continuity … The insertion of elements running from the dashboard to the vents, defining the link with the door panel, creates sophisticated components inspired by Formula 1 single-seaters and contributes to generating continuity and a sense of wraparound.”
Italdesign is posting up at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 (January 9–11, 2026), specifically in North Hall 11, Booth 1102, if you’re in Japan this weekend. The company also posted a general sizzle reel to YouTube today, so I’m guessing the NSX is an element of a broader hype campaign for the brand.
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Automotive journalist since 2013, Andrew primarily coordinates features, sponsored content, and multi-departmental initiatives at The Drive.