1993 Honda NSX Type R (NA1R)

Few cars capture the essence of driver purity quite like the Honda NSX Type R. Introduced in 1992 as Honda’s first ever Type R model, the NA1R was not built for comfort or status, but for one purpose alone. To create the most focused driver’s car Honda had ever produced.

Starting with the standard NSX, Honda’s engineers went to work with a singular philosophy. Add lightness, increase rigidity, and sharpen every input. Around 120 kg was removed through extensive weight saving measures including the deletion of sound deadening, air conditioning, and traction control, alongside the use of lightweight components throughout the car.

But the transformation went far beyond weight reduction. The chassis was reinforced and stiffened, suspension geometry was revised, and the car was fitted with track-focused dampers, stiffer bushings, and a more aggressive alignment setup. Even the engine received attention, with hand-selected and balanced internal components to ensure sharper response and higher precision at high revs.

The result was not just a lighter NSX, but a completely re-engineered driving tool. Steering feel became more immediate, the chassis more communicative, and the entire car more alive beneath the driver. It is this obsessive level of detail that elevated the NSX Type R into something far greater than its base model.

Presented here is an early 1993 NA1 Type R, finished in the rarely seen Berlina Black over black interior. While most examples were delivered in Championship White to reflect Honda’s racing heritage, this example offers a far more understated and uncommon specification.

Early NA1Rs are particularly significant. Identifiable by their original wheel design, they represent the closest link to Honda’s initial vision for the Type R program. This car was first registered in May 1993 in Kanagawa, Japan, through Honda Clio Yokosuka, and retains its original warranty booklet along with inspection and service records, documenting its early life in Japan.

Inside, the cockpit is unmistakable. Often compared to the canopy of an F16 fighter jet, the NSX places the driver at the centre of the experience with exceptional visibility and ergonomics. This environment became legendary through footage of Ayrton Senna pushing the NSX at Suzuka, a moment that forever tied the car to one of the greatest drivers in motorsport history.

Today, the NA1 Type R is widely regarded as one of the most important Japanese performance cars ever built. Its combination of low production numbers, motorsport-influenced engineering, and analogue driving experience has made it increasingly sought after by collectors worldwide. Finding an early example, in a rare colour, with documented history, is becoming exceptionally difficult.

With just over 41,000 km, this NA1R represents a compelling opportunity to own a true icon of the Type R lineage. Available alongside a matching NA2 Type R, this is a pairing that is rarely seen and unlikely to be repeated.

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