Pininfarina used Milan Design Week to present the Tensei project, a remaster of the original Honda NSX developed with JAS Motorsport. The reveal formed part of a broader program that placed the brand’s design work across multiple venues and formats throughout the week.
Tensei—named after the Japanese word for “rebirth”—is based on early 1990s NSX donor cars but reworked extensively with a new carbon-fiber body, revised proportions and updated engineering. Production is planned in an ultra-limited series at JAS Motorsport’s facility near Milan, with additional bespoke work handled through Pininfarina’s atelier in Cambiano.
Rather than preserving the original car, Tensei reinterprets it. The project retains key NSX identifiers, including pop-up headlights, side intakes and overall layout, while significantly altering its stance and packaging.
Changes include a longer wheelbase, wider track, lower ride height and more pronounced rear bodywork. These updates shift the car’s visual balance and road presence, aligning it more closely with contemporary supercar proportions while maintaining a connection to the original design.
Under the bodywork, the car continues with a naturally aspirated V6 concept paired with a six-speed manual transmission, emphasizing driver engagement rather than hybrid or electric systems.
The Tensei debut was part of Pininfarina’s wider Milan Design Week presence, which included multiple installations and exhibitions across the city. From April 20–26, the company participated in the “10 Years of Open-Air Motor Shows” exhibition at Via Tortona 35, displaying both the Battista Nino Farina and the restored Honda HP-X concept—a direct conceptual predecessor to the NSX.
The connection between the HP-X and Tensei provides historical context for the project. Pininfarina’s involvement with Honda dates back to the 1980s, and the HP-X concept helped establish the design and engineering direction that would later define the production NSX. In that sense, Tensei functions as a continuation of that relationship, linking early concept work to a modern reinterpretation.
The project was formally presented during the Car Design Dialogues in Milan, where Pininfarina’s design team outlined the development process and revealed a scale model of the car.
Tensei enters a growing category of high-end remasters built from analog-era performance cars. Its use of the NSX platform distinguishes it from more common European donor projects, while Pininfarina’s involvement introduces a design-led approach rather than a purely engineering-focused update.
Within the context of Milan Design Week, the project aligns with broader themes of heritage and reinterpretation. By pairing a contemporary remaster with both a historic concept (HP-X) and a modern hypercar (Battista), Pininfarina positioned Tensei within a continuum of design evolution rather than as a standalone product.
