Building a new version of a classic performance car
like the Honda NSX and Toyota Supra is never an easy thing. Whereas the Mk4-generation Supra
and original NSX shook up the performance car market when they were launched,
their successors haven’t really done the same. Debate has also raged for quite
some time about the designs of the new cars, in particular the Honda that has
split opinions.
Many complained that the new NSX looked too much
like other mid-engined supercars on the market such as the Audi R8. Although we
can see a point there, we happen to like its styling, but this project from
designer Matteo Mariuzzo imagines what the new NSX could have looked like if
the Japanese carmaker had adopted more cues from the original instead of opting
for something totally new.
The overall shape of the concept has a number of
obvious similarities to the first NSX and looks nothing like the current car.
For example, the cockpit is placed very far forward and the vehicle features an
exceptionally long rear decklid. Speaking of the rear, it supports taillights
similar in design to the original but updated with LEDs and slightly tweaked to
be more fitting of a modern car.
Mariuzzo’s concept also showcases a front end with
simple headlights and no obvious grille (no need, after all, as the engine’s in
the back). Instead, there are three small cut-outs in the center of the front
fascia and two air intakes on either side.
Overall, this is an interesting take, but maybe the
people over at Tochigi made the right choice by starting from a white piece of
paper – or computer screen, if you like. Or did they – after all, the first NSX
was so innovative, it still looks appealing even after all these years.
