Let's face it, the automotive industry has become a bit... sterile lately. All the manufacturers are competing to see who can fit a bigger TV in the cabin and whose car will be quieter than a library. And then there's JAS Motorsport and Pininfarina. They decided enough of this nonsense was enough. They took a legend, put a carbon suit on it and left it with what we men really want: a manual transmission and an engine sound that makes the hairs on your arms stand on end. Meet the JAS Motorsport Tensei.
If you think this is just another “remake” of an old car, you’re wrong. It’s like giving Michelangelo a laser cutter and saying, “David is good, but make him faster.” JAS Motorsport they are not some amateurs from Instagram; these are people who Honda They've been winning races since 1998. They created the NSX GT3 that terrorizes the racetrack. When such engineering maniacs team up with Pininfarina - the studio that first drew the concept for the original NSX (HP-X) in 1984 - you know something epic is in the works - JAS Motorsport Tensei.
Japanese soul, Milanese cut
The name Tensei means “rebirth” in Japanese. And this is no marketing bluff. They take a donor chassis from the first generation NSX (1990-2005) – the one Ayrton Senna himself helped develop – and strip it down to the bare bones. Then the art begins. The original aluminum body is replaced with carbon fiber composites.
Pininfarina has done a PhD in cosmetic surgery here. They've kept that iconic silhouette we saw on posters in our children's rooms, but they've modernized it. The car is wider, lower and more aggressive. And beware, purists, sit down before you read on: The pop-up headlights are here to stay! In an age where lights are just boring LED lines, the return of the "blinking" lights is the kind of nostalgia we desperately need. The rear? Cleaner, with a massive diffuser that's not just there for decoration, but actually keeps the car's butt on the road when you overdo it.
“JAS Motorsport Tensei doesn’t try to be modern at all costs. It tries to be timeless. And damn, they succeeded.”
Analogue nirvana in a digital world
There are no batteries under the hood of the JAS Motorsport Tensei. There’s no “sound synthesizer.” There’s a naturally aspirated V6 engine. JAS Motorsport has used its three decades of experience from the TCR and GT3 series to rev this engine to a level befitting 2026. While official figures are still kept a state secret, given that the original 3.2-liter version produced around 216 kW (290 hp) and 304 Nm (224 lb-ft), we can expect significantly more from this “semi-racing” beast. Probably somewhere in the palm-sweating range.
The best part? The six-speed manual transmission. No paddle shifters, no dual-clutch that shifts faster than you can blink. No. It's about the mechanical feel, the click-clack sound of metal on metal. This is a car that demands to be driven, not just steered.
Specifications (What we know so far) – JAS Motorsport Tensei
- Model: JAS Tensei (Restomod)
- Base: Honda NSX (NA1/NA2 generation)
- Body: Full carbon construction (Design by Pininfarina)
- Drive: Rear-wheel drive (RWD) – as it should be
- Engine: Mid-mounted naturally aspirated V6 (JAS tuned)
- Transmission: 6-speed manual (Manual)
- Special feature: Pop-up headlights and LHD or RHD steering wheel option
Conclusion: A toy for the elite
JAS Tensei were shown to a select few at the Fuji Speedway last month. That means two things: first, it's real and not just a computer graphic. And second, they've probably all been sold to people who have more cars in their garages than I have pairs of socks.
Full disclosure with final acceleration numbers (likely under 4 seconds to 100 km/h) and pricing to follow in the first half of 2026. But price is not the point here. The Tensei is proof that there is still passion in motoring. It is a midpoint to a sterile future and a love letter to the past. If I were a car, I would be the Tensei. Because sometimes progress doesn't mean moving forward, it means looking back and doing it perfectly.
