Was the NSX designed by Pininfarina?
No, the Honda NSX sports car was not designed by the Italian design firm Pininfarina. The NSX was designed entirely in-house by Honda's own design team.
The Honda NSX and Its Design
The Honda NSX, also known as the Acura NSX in some markets, was a mid-engine sports car produced by Honda from 1990 to 2005. It was developed as a high-performance vehicle to compete with exotic supercars like the Ferrari 348 and Porsche 911. The NSX was renowned for its innovative aluminum body construction, advanced suspension, and powerful V6 engine.
The design of the NSX was led by a team of Honda engineers and designers, not an external design firm. The chief engineer on the project was Shigeru Uehara, while the exterior design was overseen by Masahito Nakano. The goal was to create a sports car that combined high performance with everyday drivability and reliability - a departure from the temperamental nature of many exotic Italian supercars at the time.
Pininfarina's Involvement
While Pininfarina was not involved in the core design of the NSX, the Italian design house did collaborate with Honda on some aspects of the car's development. Pininfarina provided wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic optimization services to help refine the NSX's sleek, low-drag body shape.
Additionally, Pininfarina was commissioned to design a special edition NSX-R model in 1992. This version featured unique exterior styling cues and a more aggressive aero package. However, the core design of the NSX itself remained the work of Honda's in-house team.
In summary, the Honda NSX was an entirely Honda-designed sports car, with Pininfarina playing a supporting role in aerodynamic development and a special edition model, but not leading the core design.
Who designed the original NSX?
The NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer, Masahito Nakano, and Executive Chief Engineer, Shigeru Uehara.
What brand makes NSX?
The Honda NSX, marketed in North America as the Acura NSX, is a two-seater, rear mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car manufactured by Honda.
Who is the designer of the NSX?
Michelle Christensen
Michelle Christensen is an American car designer. She was Acura's first female exterior designer. Since 2005 Christensen has worked for Acura and was the lead designer of the second generation Honda NSX.
Why did Ferrari stop using Pininfarina?
While few people know what really goes on behind the scenes, the most straightforward explanation is that Ferrari stopped using Pininfarina because its own in-house design studio, Centro Stile Ferrari, rendered Pininfarina's services surplus to requirement.
What does NSX stand for?
New Sports eXperimental
A team at American Honda later chose to express the definition as "New Sports eXperimental." For production, the decision was made to remove the hyphen from NS-X, leading to NSX as the official model name for Acura's first supercar.
What was the last car designed by Pininfarina?
Ferrari F12berlinetta
However, this special relationship came to an end with the 2012-17 Ferrari F12berlinetta, the last model entirely penned by Pininfarina, while Centro Stile Ferrari has designed each car since 2013's LaFerrari.
What is the NSX based on?
F16 fighter jet
Honda's development engineers finally found an outlet for the passions when in the fall of 1985 the creation of a new sportscar began in earnest. A sketch of the NSX's exterior, with its sleek profile based on an F16 fighter jet.
What does Pininfarina mean in Italian?
Because of Battista Farina's car body designs, the Italian automotive industry will always be known for producing fast, luxurious, and iconic cars. Born in Cortanze d'Asti, Italy in 1893, Farina was nicknamed “Pinin” meaning small/young. Though the name stuck, Battista became a giant of automotive design.
What is the rarest NSX?
Only 30 NSX Type-S Zeros were produced between 1997 and 2001, making it the rarest version of the NSX next to the five homologation special NSX-R GT cars.
Who designed the Acura?
The ZDX was the first Acura designed in Acura's design studio located at Torrance in Southern California. The ZDX was designed by Michelle Christensen and based on the Acura MDX using that vehicles 3.7 litre V6 engine (300 bhp) and SH-AWD system.
