A 28-year-old Honda NSX-R in excellent condition has just been registered for auction in the United States. The seller hopes to get $450,000 out of the deal – several times as much as the supercar usually goes for.
The first generation of the NSX model was sold in the USA under Acura branding. The company had made over 18,000 units from 1990 until 1005, but only 483 of them were outfitted to the flagship “NSX-R” spec. Not a single R model had been produced outside of Japan.
The R version weighed 120 kg (264 lbs) less than the standard one thanks to less noise proofing all around and the removal of car audio, AC, spare wheel, and ABS. The cabin houses little besides carbon-backed Recaro seats, and the lightweight forged wheels stem from Enkei. Most of the removed features could be reintroduced for a premium.
Other than that, the NSX-R series had stiffer suspension settings. Its 3.2-liter engine continued to pump out its nominal 294 PS (290 hp / 216 kW), but took advantage of much stricter quality control. Car journalists of the era claimed that the R version produced way more power than the standard NSX and even felt completely different to drive.
The example on sale is finished in white and has 18,500 km (11,500 miles) under the belt. It has only recently been imported into the States and comes with a full set of keys, brochures and documents. It is said to be completely ready for the road following a major round of maintenance.
Similar vehicles typically sell for $80,000–120,000 depending on their condition. Even though the listing claims that this is a pristine R spec with barely any mileage on it, the estimated price is still inexplicable. For years ago, a much rarer Acura NSX Zanardi Edition from a production batch of 51 cars was sold for $277,000. One has to wonder whether this one will ever find a buyer willing to pay four-to-five times the market price.
