Famously developed with input from Ayrton Senna and endorsed as ‘monumental’ by Gordon Murray, the Honda NSX was, and still is, an automotive legend. Murray even purchased and drove one on a daily basis, which he described as being, ‘very dear to his heart’. The beauty of the NSX was not a headline-grabbing top speed or a colossal power output, but rather the expertly balanced combination of its chassis and powertrain. It is the byword for a useable and approachable supercar, and as such is all but immune to the passing of time and progression of technology.
How do you improve an already near-perfect car?
The seller has turned to Tomiyoshi Racing and the result is NOT for the faint-hearted. For any NSX performance minded enthusiast, Tomiyoshi Racing needs no introduction, as they are the specialist that built the legendary "Kyushu Danji NSX" that broke the Tsukuba Circuit track record for a Normally Aspirated car at 56’959. The famed Tsukuba Circuit in Japan is similar to Nurburgring in the sense that it’s used as a gauge by which automakers and tuners rank just how good their cars are. Sub 1-minute Tsukuba times are respected, while anything faster than 57-seconds is considered impressive.
This special NSX we are offering today started life as an unmolested Hong Kong delivered 1991 Acura NSX NA1. A "no expenses spared" and more than 24 months long project was commissioned by the seller. The car was sent to Tomiyoshi Racing in Japan to do a ground-up restore and modified with the intentions to make this the ultimate NA Engined NSX track-day special.
The seller went as far as purchasing an NSX Type-S Zero parts car as the donor for parts. A full rotisserie nut and bolt restoration as evidenced by racing primer grey paint on belly and interior of cabin. Based on the "Kyushu-Danji" car, this car received a full NA2 Type-S Zero C32B engine transplant and completed wiring harness, 6 speed manual transmission complete with LSD, ABS II System and a manual steering rack (extremely hard to source) all from the Type-S Zero. Sorcery Exhaust, Stainless steel manifolds and High Flow Sport Catalytic converters were also installed. If you want even more hardcore, De-Cat straight pipes are included in sale.
Of course, the C32B wasn't left alone, the engine was subjected to a full Tomiyoshi upgrade, with Tomiyoshi Racing Independent Throttle Body, Intake Trumpets and stand alone AEM Engine Management. To avoid oil starvation, a large capacity, Baffled (Dry Sum) oil pan is installed. The car now features super fast throttle response and needless to say, it revs like a motorbike engine.
On the outside, you will notice NSX-R NA2 headlamps and NA2 tail lamps, but most noticeable of course is the addition of an original Sorcery Widebody Kit and motorized Ganador bullet mirrors. You can see the difference compared to the Silver NSX NA2 pictured below. The seller opted for a more street friendly front air splitter and instead of the SARD custom 3D rear wing from the Japanese JGTC units as seen on "Kyushu-Danji" NSX, it's got the NSX-R “street” wing. The car is completed with Cold Air Intake box custom made by Tracy Sports. Custom JGTC plexiglass hatch with Ram-air scoop intake is not installed but comes with the sale.
Wheels are custom made by Jongbloed, a well-respected wheel producer for USA racing circuits. The custom ordered offsets to match the aero kit with18” front and 19” rear. Different styles side to side but at the exact same weight. An extra set of dedicated track-use 17”/18” Volk Racing CE28N wheels in bronze also comes with the sale. Suspension is a Full Custom Ohlins Coil overs & springs and all suspension arms replaced at time of rebuild.
NSX NA2 brake calipers are retained. Honda made improvements over NA1 designs to improve brake bias matching during high speed braking and cornering. Front/Rear Rotors are upgraded to large diameter slotted units from US based performance outfit; Racing Brake. These brakes are designed for track duties.
Inside, although this car was based on "Kyushu-Danji", the seller did compromised to allow some creature comfort on the street. Instead of a fully striped down, roll-caged track-focused car like the "Kyushu-Danji", air conditioning and a set of comfortable RECARO leather sports seats complimented a complete STACK Digital Meter dash was installed.
Life got in the way and the car has never made it to the track. It has only clocked less than 3000 road KM since the rebuild. It has never been listed for sale anywhere and now exclusively available at Classic Insider
Year: 1991
Body: 2 Doors Coupe
Exterior: White
Interior: Black
Driver's Sider: RHD
Transmission: 6 Speed Manual
Indicated Mileage: 3000KM After the rebuild
Location: Hong Kong
Registration: Registered in Hong Kong
This Motor Car: Finished in white with modified wide-body bodykit, along with front splitter and NSX-R rear wing, this beautifully NSX comes with a fully modify and more powerful NSX Type-S Zero 3.2 Litre Engine as well as the highly desirable 6 Speed Manual Transmission with LSD and Manual steering rack from the S-Zero. Started life as a humble, locally delivered NA1 Acura NSX, this car was exported to Japan and undergone a more than 2 years full nut-and-bolt rotisserie restoration to ensure that any and all faults were rectified as well as giving the car a complete mechanical makeover. All the work was done by the famous NSX expert Tomiyoshi Racing in Japan. The car also comes with 2 sets of custom wheels and various parts. Available for viewing by appointment only.
Want to learn more about Tomiyoshi Racing NSX? Check out these videos
This is a video of the car which this car was based off, setting lap record of 56.959. This car has a similar stack and center console set up. http://www.speedhunters.com/2011/02/video_roll_gt_gt_kyushudanji_nsx_56_quot_959_tsukuba/
In this video Tomiyoshi R NSX-T in current form that made 54.101 after going to turbo.
https://www.bilibili.com/s/video/BV1Tt411M7Cy
HIGHLIGHTS:
Custom-built track day special by famed NSX specialist Tomiyoshi Racing
Fully modified with mechanical parts from an NA2 NSX Type-S Zero donor car
Full nut-and-bolt restoration done in Japan
Classic Insider condition score: - - points out of 100 (Not Applicable)
CONDITION REPORT:
Fully Modified. Paint still fresh, looks shiny and largely unused. The custom alloy wheels are unmarked and looks sensational in any angle. Interestingly, they are different design on the left and on the right. The Interior is modified, but retaining the original door card. Leather Recaro Seats, Stack electronic dash are all track-day focused additions. Air-Conditioning is retained, adds to street comfort. Mechanical and suspension are all modified but still in excellent condition.
Available Exclusively at Classic Insider. For more info, please contact:
Kenneth Wong
Email: Kenneth@classicinsider.com
Telephone Or Whatsapp: +852 9013 2536
Click Here to send us a Message
SERVICE HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
** All available previous Service records available upon request
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY:
The Honda NSX was produced between 1990 and 2005 and is equipped with a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive layout powered by an all-aluminium V6 featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) system.
In 1984, Honda commissioned the Italian car designer Pininfarina to design the HPX (Honda Pininfarina Experimental), which had a mid-mounted 2.0 litre, V6 configuration. Following Honda's decision to pursue the project, the management informed the engineers that the new car would have to be as good as anything coming from both Italy and Germany.
The HPX concept car evolved into the NSX (New Sportscar experimental). The original performance target for the NSX was the Ferrari 328; subsequently revised to the 348 as the design neared completion. The bodywork design had been specifically researched after studying the 360° visibility inside an F-16 fighter jet. The car's strong chassis, rigidity and handling capabilities were the results of three times F1 World Champion Ayrton Senna's input with NSX's chief engineers while testing the prototype car at Honda's Suzuka Circuit during the development stages.
The NSX featured a state of the art 3.0-litre V6 ‘VTEC’ engine (variable valve timing) and an all-aluminium monocoque body, encompassing a revolutionary extruded aluminium alloy frame and suspension. This made the car extremely light and extremely strong. Other game-changing features included 4 channel ABS brakes, titanium connecting rods in the engine and later in the model’s life – an electric power steering system as well as an upgrade to a 3.2-litre V6 engine. The car was the first real Japanese ‘Supercar’, proving itself and quickly establishing respect from its key competitors. Production continued right up until 2005, with only subtle changes made throughout its life.
Today, the NSX is still considered by owners of the marque as one of the most reliable exotic cars ever manufactured with many examples comfortably exceeding 100,000 miles without serious reliability issues.
MODEL HISTORY
The Honda NA1 NSX was initially available as a mid-engined coupe. Manufactured in a purpose-built factory in Tochigi, Japan, the rear-wheel drive NSX was powered by a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine that was mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
C30A
The original 3.0-litre C30A V6 petrol engine had an open-deck design, an aluminium block and cylinder head, double overhead camshafts (per cylinder bank), titanium connecting rods for reliable high-rpm operation (a world first), forged pistons with molybdenum coating, four valves per cylinder, direct ignition (individual coils mounted atop each spark plug) and a compression ratio of 10.2:1. The C30A engine also featured Honda’s
Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) which was designed to engage between 5800 and 6000 rpm; and,
Variable Volume Induction System (VVIS) which used a secondary intake plenum to create an inertia ram tuning effect from 4800 rpm.
While engines with manual transmissions had an 8000 rpm redline; engines with automatic transmissions, however, had less aggressive cam timing and the redline was reduced to 7200 rpm.
The five-speed manual transmission had a twin-disc clutch, double-cone synchroniser in second gear and a synchronised reverse gear. The four-speed automatic transmission, however, had a lock-up torque converter for improved economy in third and fourth gears which operated in four increments for smooth operation.
Body and development
Significantly, the NSX was the first production car to have an all-aluminium monocoque chassis and suspension, with the former including an extruded aluminium alloy frame. The use of aluminium in the body was estimated to provide a 200 kg mass saving relative to steel, with the aluminium suspension components saving a further 20 kg.
For the NSX, development assistance was provided by Bobby Rahal, Satoru Nakajima and Ayrton Senna, the latter attributed with convincing Honda to stiffen the chassis after testing a prototype vehicle at Honda’s Suzuka racetrack. Furthermore, Honda used a Cray supercomputer to performance finite element modelling to achieve a design with the desired structural rigidity.
Dimensions
With its long-tail, cabin forward design, the NSX coupe was 4430 mm long, 1810 mm wide, 1175 mm tall and had a 2530 mm long wheelbase; kerb weight was 1365 kg for models with manual transmissions (with a 42:58 front:rear distribution) and 1405 kg for models with automatics.
Suspension
The NSX had independent, double wishbone suspension front and rear with forged control arms, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers and anti-roll bars; the NSX was also fitted with a limited slip differential which had a multi-plate clutch and planetary gearset. In crosswinds, the differential would operate to detect the rotational difference between the rear wheels and transfer torque to the slower wheel to keep the vehicle on its desired path.
Steering
The NSX had a variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering system. Initially, only models with automatic transmissions had power-assistance and this was disabled at speeds above 50 km/h for greater steering feel. From 1993, however, models with manual transmissions also had power-assisted steering.
Brakes
The NSX had 282 mm ventilated brake discs front and rear with dual-piston steel calipers.