Italdesign previews a Honda NSX Tribute in a teaser

Italdesign has announced it is working on a project dedicated to the iconic Honda NSX. In a teaser posted on social media, the company showed the Honda and NSX logos alongside its own badge, accompanied by the word Tribute. 

The visual language suggests a nod to the first generation of the model that made its debut in the 1990s. Italdesign brings deep experience in both production cars and fresh interpretations of familiar nameplates. The studio previously unveiled the Nissan GT-R50, first as a concept and later as a limited-run series. 

This 50th birthday gift to the Nissan GT-R was such a good-looking model that Nissan ended up having the concept turned into a production car. The new lines took inspiration from the existing car but transformed it into something far more elegant. Which it needed to be. Nissan only built about 18, and they sold for around $1.1 million. 

In earlier decades, Italdesign created projects such as the Maserati Bora, the Lotus Esprit, and the first-generation Volkswagen Golf. With that track record, the idea of a carefully judged homage feels encouraging. The Honda NSX traces its origins to the 1984 HP-X concept developed with input from Pininfarina. That project inspired the Japanese brand to launch the mid-engined NSX as a series-production model. 

Now Italdesign has the opportunity to propose a contemporary vision of a revered sports car—one that, if handled with restraint, could resonate with enthusiasts who value design purity over spectacle.