JAS Tensei Reveal Showcases Original Honda NSX with a Carbon Body and a Louder V6

JAS Motorsport finally showed the finished Tensei on October 8, 2026, after months of drawings that only hinted at the shape. Thirty-five cars are planned, each built near Milan from a first-generation Honda NSX and finished to the buyer’s order. Pininfarina signed the body. The name is Japanese for rebirth, which fits a car that still reads as an NSX from across a lot and then refuses to match the 1990 original once you walk closer.

Pininfarina’s history with this dynamic design dates back to 1984, when the studio worked on Honda’s HP-X prototype. This mid-engine research was a forerunner of the real NSX. Dimitri Vicedomini, Pininfarina’s head of exterior design, had a clear goal in mind: retain the original proportions while increasing the width, pushing the wheels further back, and shortening the overhangs slightly. The official Design by Pininfarina badge is now on finished autos. JAS, Honda’s touring car partner since 1998, builds the structure and assembles the car at their Arluno workshop. They also undertake a lot of bespoke work from Pininfarina’s workshop in Cambiano.

The original aluminum panels have been replaced with carbon fiber all around the body. The pop-up headlights remain popular, but they now feature LED elements and a titanium mechanism. The integrated rear wing is still present, but it has been modified so that air flows down the side and out the back much more smoothly. The new body is 6.7 inches wider in the front and 7.5 inches wider in the back than the original, with a 2.1-inch longer wheelbase. To get more air flowing under the car, they added a sculpted front bumper and a bonnet vent, but the roof remains intact. Tail lights are now long, thin LED strips, with a carbon diffuser sandwiched between the enormous exhaust outlets. The only minor details that have remained unchanged are the low Pininfarina insignia and the classic door handles, which still bear the NSX logo.

Before JAS approved every single one of the original C30A V6 engines in Italy, the geniuses at Judd Power were experimenting with them in Britain. Different reports suggest the displacement is either 3.4 liters or 3.5 liters, up from the factory 3.0 liters. As a result of all of their fiddling, they were able to increase the output to a remarkable 414 to 425 horsepower, up from 270 to 280 originally. By the way, they’ve increased the rev limiter to 8,500 rpm instead of the factory 8,000. This mean beast still has a billet crank, forged pistons and rods, individual throttle bodies, a dry sump, and an Inconel exhaust, and it is powered by a six-speed manual transmission, a mechanical Torsen limited slip differential, and solely drives the rear wheels. No turbo, no hybrid help.

The chassis began by scanning the original design using lasers, and then they added carbon-Kevlar reinforcement to the pillars and center tube for good measure. Suspension is entirely new, with billet aluminum wishbones, a multi-link rear end, redesigned uprights and bearings, stronger anti-roll bars, and four-way adjustable KW dampers. If you get trapped in a driveway, you can even lift the front end a little. Brembo contributed some of their carbon-ceramic brake disks, and the wheels are brand new forged center-locks measuring 19 inches in the front and 20 inches in the back. They have 245/35 and 285/30 Pirelli tires. They estimate that the car’s dry weight is around 2,755 pounds.

The cabin space remains the same as it was in 1990. Buyers receive a whole new wheel, athletic seats, and a distinct combination of exposed carbon, leather, Alcantara, and titanium to give it a sporty edge. Some say the instrumentation is digital, while others believe it’s an analog tachometer, but either way, it’s an intriguing contrast. The center console remains simple, with modest controls and a tiny screen rather than an inflated tablet, and the exposed shifter is intact.

Pricing varies depending on the source, with some experts estimating it at €880,000 or around $985,000 before factoring in the cost of a donor automobile. Others are still saying they have no idea how much it will cost. Car number 001 was previewed in Cambiano on reveal day and is currently scheduled to appear in the Ultimate Supercar Garage at the Paris Motor Show from October 12th to October 18th, alongside the Honda Prelude HRC Concept. However, with 35 units being created, each one will be individually customized to reflect the owner’s preferences. So the next one off the Arluno line will most likely look nothing like the one that just broke cover, with your preferred color, stitching, or wheel finish differing from the one on display.
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