JAS Tensei Revealed: The Original Honda NSX Reborn With a Carbon Body, 420 hp and a Manual

The first Honda NSX is back — rebuilt in Italy. Honda’s long-time racing partner JAS Motorsport unveiled the finished Tensei at Pininfarina in Cambiano on 8 October 2026: an original 1990s NSX with a carbon-fibre body styled by Pininfarina, a naturally aspirated V6 enlarged by Judd to about 3.5 litres that revs to 8,500 rpm, and a six-speed manual. Only 35 cars will be built, at €880,000 plus tax — and you have to bring your own NSX (Top Gear, Interesting Engineering).

What Is the JAS Tensei?

Tensei means “rebirth” or “reincarnation” in Japanese, and that is exactly the idea. JAS Motorsport, based in Arluno near Milan, has been an official Honda partner since 1998 — first as a works team, later as an engineering and customer-racing supplier. It ran the Honda Civic in the World Touring Car Championship, won the 2013 WTCC manufacturers’ title, built the NSX GT3 and runs Civic Type R TCR cars today (JAS Motorsport). The Tensei is its first road car (JAS Motorsport).

The project was first shown to a small group of customers at Fuji Speedway in late 2025, was shown at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in spring 2026, and its final design was released in August (JAS Motorsport). The finished car 001 was revealed at Pininfarina’s Cambiano headquarters on 8 October 2026 (Interesting Engineering).

Pininfarina Design: Still an NSX, But Wider

The link to Pininfarina is not new: the Italian studio designed Honda’s HP-X concept in 1984, the mid-engined study that led to the NSX (Motor1). For the Tensei, Pininfarina head of exterior design Dimitri Vicedomini kept the original silhouette and roof but softened the late-1980s edges. The track is about 170 mm wider at the front and 190 mm wider at the rear, the wheelbase grows by about 55 mm and the overhangs are shorter (Tarmac Life, DailyRevs).

All the body panels are now carbon fibre instead of aluminium. The famous pop-up headlights stay, now with small LED units on a titanium mechanism. At the back there is a reshaped integrated wing, slim full-width LED tail lights and a carbon diffuser between large exhaust outlets. The Pininfarina badge and the NSX-logo door handles remain (Motor1).

Judd V6, 8,500 rpm and a Six-Speed Manual

Under the engine cover is the original Honda C30A V6 block — and according to Top Gear it is the only part of the engine carried over. British engine builder Judd enlarged it from 3.0 to about 3.5 litres and fitted a new crankshaft, rods, pistons and camshafts, titanium valves, six individual throttle bodies, a dry sump, an Inconel exhaust and a new ECU. VTEC is gone, there is no turbo and no hybrid help (Top Gear, Tarmac Life).

JAS has not yet published a full official data sheet, so power figures in the reveal coverage range from 414 to 425 hp; Top Gear quotes 420 bhp at 8,500 rpm (Top Gear), Carscoops 414 hp from 3.4 litres (Carscoops). The torque figure comes from a single report. Weight: JAS quotes about 1,250 kg dry (DailyRevs); Top Gear estimated about 1,400 kg in June, likely with fluids. No 0–100 km/h time or top speed has been announced.

Chassis and Interior

Every donor chassis is laser-scanned and reinforced with carbon-Kevlar on the pillars and the central tunnel. The suspension is all new: billet-aluminium front wishbones, a multi-link rear, new uprights and electronically adjustable KW dampers, plus a front-axle lift system for ramps and speed bumps. The brakes are Brembo carbon-ceramics, 380 mm at the front and 355 mm at the rear (Tarmac Life, DailyRevs).

Inside, JAS kept the spirit of the original cockpit — Top Gear notes that much of the dashboard, binnacle and console layout stays — but adds Sabelt carbon seats, a new steering wheel and exposed carbon, leather, Alcantara and titanium. Buyers can choose a semi-digital display or a near-exact recreation of the original six-dial instruments with yellow needles (Top Gear, DailyRevs).

Price, Donor Car and Sales

The Tensei costs €880,000 plus tax — about £748,000 or $988,000 at ECB rates of 2 October 2026 — and that does not include the donor car. Every Tensei is built from a customer-supplied first-generation NSX, one of about 18,000 made, and each car is specified individually (Top Gear, Carscoops). The production run of 35 cars marks the NSX’s 35th anniversary.

Sales in the USA go through Graham Rahal Performance — Rahal’s father Bobby helped develop the original NSX — and in Canada through Pfaff Reserve (JAS Motorsport). A delivery schedule has not been announced. Because a restomod is a rebuilt existing car, it only has to meet the regulations of the original 1990 car, which is why Honda itself could not sell something like it new (Top Gear).

See It at the Paris Motor Show

Tensei unit 001 makes its public debut at the Paris Motor Show, 12–18 October 2026, in the Ultimate Supercar Garage at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles — next to Honda’s Prelude HRC Concept (JAS Motorsport).

Batman Garage Verdict

Singer showed what a restomod can do for the 911; the Tensei tries the same for the NSX, and it starts from the right place. The original was the car Gordon Murray called his benchmark for ride and handling when he designed the McLaren F1 (Top Gear). Keeping it light, naturally aspirated, manual and rev-happy is exactly what an NSX fan wants. The hard part is the price: €880,000 plus a donor car is close to new-hypercar money, for a car that will be judged on feel rather than numbers.

JAS Tensei — Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & Verification

JAS Motorsport: JAS Motorsport (2 December 2025), JAS Motorsport (23 June 2026), JAS Motorsport (10 August 2026). Engine, price, donor-car rules, weight estimate and quotes: Top Gear (29 June 2026). Reveal coverage, 8–9 October 2026: Carscoops, Interesting Engineering, Tarmac Life, DailyRevs, Motor1. A full official data sheet was not published at the time of writing; where reports differ (displacement, power, weight) we give the range. Currency conversions at ECB reference rates of 2 October 2026 (€1 = £0.85033 = $1.1225). Photos: JAS Motorsport.