NSX NA1

About the NSX NA1

The NA1 is the car that made Ferrari nervous and made Porsche pay attention. A 3.0-liter VTEC V6 mounted behind the seats of an aluminum monocoque body — the first all-aluminum production car in history. Honda's engineers obsessed over every detail: the visibility was good enough to daily drive, the luggage space fit a set of golf clubs, and the engine revved to 8,000 RPM with the precision of a Formula 1 powerplant. 270 hp doesn't sound like supercar territory today, but the NA1 weighed 1,370 kg and delivered its power with a linearity that made turbo-era Ferraris feel crude. The VTEC crossover at 5,800 RPM changed the engine's character from smooth tourer to screaming race car. The five-speed manual had the best shift feel of any production car of its era. Ayrton Senna tested the prototype at Suzuka and told Honda the chassis was too soft. They stiffened it. The result was a mid-engine supercar that handled with more poise than anything in its price range — and most things above it.