Honda NSX being kept alive with new program
The classic first-generation Honda NSX – and its Acura twin – are the centre of attention for the brand’s new Heritage Parts program, now expanded to North America.
Honda is leaning on its classic models to keep customers coming back to its dealerships, announcing the release of more than 3000 parts for the NSX sports car in the US.
Sold there as the Acura NSX, the mid-engined 1991 to 2005 classic is now a part of Honda’s Heritage Parts program, with the Japanese car giant releasing the reproduction parts across its Acura dealerships in the nation, as well as the Honda DreamShop.
Announced last year for Japan under the Honda Heritage Works banner, Honda has replaced its NSX Refresh Plan - which saw expert technicians perform extensive maintenance on the first-generation sports car - with the new program, but with the same intentions.
Initially limited to Japan, the launch of Honda Heritage Parts in the US is first centring around the NSX, though it’s understood other sports cars such as the S2000, Prelude, Integra and Civic Type R could be the next to receive reproduction, period-correct parts.
While the US misses out on the full-on Honda Restoration Service for the NSX, the arrival of its Heritage Parts division will offer owners both Genuine Honda Reproduction Parts (made using the same materials and production methods and Honda Compatible Parts (redeveloped parts).
“Honda Heritage Parts was created to help our customers enjoy their classic Acura and Honda performance models, and it's appropriate that we begin with an iconic model like the first-generation Acura NSX,” said American Honda executive vice president, Mamadou Diallo.
“By supporting our customers in preserving the legacy of the NSX, we're celebrating our shared passion for these iconic sports cars and keeping them on the road for today's enthusiasts and future generations.”
Almost 9000 first-generation Acura NSXs were sold in the US, making up about half of the sports car’s global production run, though enthusiasts have also imported Honda-badged examples from other markets in the following years.
In Japan, Honda has an even more extensive program for the NSX, offering restorations, both ‘basic’ and total.
Honda says the basic restoration involves “disassembling and diagnosing parts related to driving performance, such as the engine and suspension, and then overhauling the car to bring it as close as possible to the performance of a new car”, while total restoration service is even more comprehensive.
The launch of the latest Heritage Parts program comes amid a renaissance of kinds for the NSX, with not one but two restomods or tributes to the sports car launching in the past year.
In December, Pininfarina and JAS Motorsport revealed the Tensei, a ‘reincarnation’ of the first-generation NSX, with modern materials and a reworked body.
This was confirmed last month to be powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine worked over by Judd, as well as a six-speed manual transmission.
In January, Italian firm Italdesign unveiled the aptly named Honda NSX Tribute, based around the second-generation model and featuring a completely reworked exterior, with Honda’s blessing.
