The NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer Masahito Nakano and Executive Chief Engineer
Shigeru Uehara. It benefited from advanced
aerodynamics and styling inspired by the
F-16 fighter jet
cockpit as well as input, during the final development stages, from
Formula One World Champion
Ayrton Senna drove this car. The NSX was the first general production car to feature an all-
aluminium semi-monocoque. It was powered by an all-aluminium 3.0 L
V6 engine, which featured Honda's
VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system developed in the 1980s, a 5-speed manual transmission, or starting in 1994 the SportShift 4-speed automatic transmission, also known as F-Matic, which allows the option of conventional automatic shifting or manually shifting with a fingertip shift lever on the steering column. The car was presented at the 1989
Chicago Auto Show. Production started in a purpose-made factory in Japan, for sale from 1990. It was originally available as a
coupé, then, from 1995 onwards, as a
targa top, and also included variable electric power-assisted steering system for all drivetrains . It underwent a performance update in 1997, which saw the arrival of a larger 3.2 L V6 engine, and a facelift in 2002 where the
pop-up headlights were replaced with fixed headlights. The first-generation NSX was discontinued in December 2005. North American models were sold as the Acura NSX. Fewer than 20,000 were made; this scarcity makes used ones relatively expensive. According to popular belief, the pre-facelift models (1991-2001 with pop-up headlights) are referred to as
NA1 cars, whereas the post-facelift versions (2002-2006) are
NA2. In reality, these codes refer to the type of engine installed. The
NA1 code indicates an NSX fitted with the original
Honda C30A 3.0-liter V6, whereas the
NA2 means it is equipped with the newer
C32B 3.2-liter engine. For instance, while the manual-transmission NSX was only available with the C32B after 1996, automatic models retained the original C30A throughout the entire generation, making these models NA1s. Consequently, both the pre-facelift and the post-facelift models can be coded NA1 or an NA2 depending on the engine installed.
North American sales figures == Second generation (NC1/2; 2016–2022) ==