Did Honda or Acura make NSX?
The NSX was built by Honda Motor Co. In North America it was sold as Acura NSX.
The car’s branding reflects Honda’s regional strategy: Honda markets many of its models under the Honda name outside North America, while Acura—a separate luxury division—handles performance models in the United States and Canada. This article explains who made the NSX, and how the branding played out across generations and markets.
Origins and branding
Honda developed the NSX as a flagship sports car, with regional branding that varied by market. In Japan and most other regions it carried the Honda NSX badge; in North America it was marketed as the Acura NSX.
Below is a concise timeline of the NSX generations and the branding that accompanied them across regions.
- First generation (1990–2005): Honda NSX in Japan and most global markets; Acura NSX in the United States and Canada.
- Second generation (2016–2022/23): Revived model typically branded as Acura NSX in North America and Honda NSX in Japan and several other markets.
- Special variants: A limited-edition NSX Type S appeared toward the end of the second generation’s run, emphasizing improved performance.
Across these periods, the car’s engineering was undertaken by Honda, while the naming varied by market to align with Honda’s regional branding strategy.
Branding by market
To illustrate where Honda or Acura badges appear, here is a quick regional snapshot.
- Japan and most other global markets: Honda NSX
- North America: Acura NSX
- Europe and other regions: Honda NSX
These naming conventions reflect Honda’s approach of using Acura to target the U.S. luxury-performance segment, while preserving the Honda brand elsewhere.
Current status and future outlook
As the second-generation NSX matured, Honda released a final, limited-edition Type S variant and wound down production of the model lineage. No new NSX generation has been announced as of the mid-2020s, though Honda maintains the current NSX lineup in markets where it is offered.
Summary
The NSX was created and built by Honda Motor Co. The North American market used the Acura NSX badge, while other regions used Honda NSX. Across two generations, the model established Honda as the maker, and Acura as the U.S. market badge for that car.
