And the ambitions for Acura, the Honda NSX supercar that was the first all-aluminum monocoque vehicle that incorporated a mid-engine V6 with variable-valve-timing, were as high as Everest.

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The Japanese car-making giant’s plan had been to make the Ferrari 348 outdated! The 348, that had replaced the 328 in 1989 and remained in production until 1995, the final V8 model developed under the direction of Enzo Ferrari before his death!

It was also a testament to Japanese ‘company man’ industriousness and assiduous attention to detail: the essence of why we buy Japanese products – we know they make sense.

Six years before the Acura supercar’s launch in 1990, research and development had begun. An initial effort had had a Honda City cut in half, the engine jammed behind the driver’s head, and the drive-shaft linked to the rear wheels.

Hands-on behind the design was Ken Okuyama, who had done a similar job for the Enzo Ferrari, and later the one-off Ferrari P4/5 and Ferrari 599 GTB. He also designed a number of Shinkansen bullet trains. For his ‘Japanese Ferrari’, Okuyama based his styling on a design study conducted by Pininfarina.

Not only did the Acura have a visionary look – the cockpit was inspired by that of an F-16 fighter jet – but the supercar was constructed with exotic materials: the car had an all-aluminum structural skin and engine; the engine was the first of its kind with titanium connecting rods and forged pistons. The frame and suspension were also alloy, hence the car being relatively lightweight.

And the engine was a 3.0-liter V-6, with not only the titanium connecting rods but also dual overhead cams driven by what is now known as VTEC, a system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine – extremely commonplace now, but not when the Acura was developed. This was the first time VTEC had been used for a high-performance application. It was also the first Honda engine with more than four cylinders to use VTEC.

But why was it called an NSX? Well, Honda were getting a bit metaphysical: the ‘X’ refers to the unknown variable in mathematics. So NSX means New Sports Experimental. The Acura NSX gives very good vibes. It is an incredible piece of beautifully sculpted engineering, with stunning looks and incredible performance, a car with impeccable good character that quickly became beloved.

We have one of these masterpieces right now at Beverly Hills Car Club, a 1992 Acura NSX 5-Speed featured in its striking factory color Formula Red (R77) exterior, perfectly complemented by a Black interior. As you can see, it is a true automotive icon that combines Japanese precision engineering with exotic supercar styling.

The Acura NSX is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, V6 engine, four-wheel disc brakes, BroSpeed dual exhaust outlets, retractable headlights, fog lights, 3-spoke steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, Yokohama tires, tool kit, jack, and a compact spare tire fitted in the front trunk.

If you’ve been dreaming of owning a legendary vehicle that combines performance, style, and reliability, then look no further than this eye-catching JDM supercar that is mechanically sound.

In case you are sceptical of our superlatives about the Acura NSX, maybe it will intrigue you to know that the great Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna was intimately involved with the development of this first Japanese supercar. Senna died, aged 34, on May 1 1994, after a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix; such was his legend that the government of Brazil declared three days of national mourning.

But Ayrton Senna had been intimately involved in the Acura NSX, this first supercar developed by a Japanese car company. He had been called in to work with Honda on the handling and dynamics of the new vehicle.

Ayrton and the Acura: what a team!

-Alex Manos, Owner