Honda’s recent shift away from several electric projects left many sports-car fans looking backward instead of forward. The company recently absorbed major write-offs tied to its slower-than-expected EV strategy, while multiple battery-powered programs disappeared from the roadmap. Reports linked the canceled group to the 0 Sedan, 0 SUV, Acura RSX, plus two Afeela models developed alongside Sony.
At the same time, Honda appears ready to lean harder into hybrids. A recent business presentation previewed two unnamed future vehicles, one Honda sedan and one Acura SUV, both tied to a next-generation hybrid setup. Sales are planned within the next few years, mainly for North America. Honda also aims to roll out 15 vehicles using the fresh hybrid system before 2030, with the United States expected to receive most of them. News surrounding longer production runs for the Accord and HR-V adds more context. Honda seems focused on practical hybrid SUVs for now, while sports-car enthusiasts wait on the sidelines.
Which explains why digital artists keep revisiting the original Acura NSX.
One CGI creator decided to reinterpret the first-generation model through a heavily modified JDM lens. The artist behind the render, TRAPNDETH, describes himself online as somebody trying to “trap death to stay alive.” His latest work transforms the early NSX into something closer to a game-inspired street machine than a factory supercar.
The original NSX first appeared in 1990 as a two-seat sports car using a rear-mid-engine rear-wheel-drive layout. Production lasted until 2005. Honda later revived the model between 2016 and 2022 with a second-generation hybrid replacement featuring all-wheel-drive hardware. This digital project ignores the newer formula entirely.
Instead, the render pulls visual influence from titles such as Forza Horizon and Cyberpunk 2077, with traces of Gran Turismo styling mixed into the shape. The greenhouse still hints at the first-generation Acura NSX, mainly through the canopy-style roof section surrounding the cockpit. Beyond that, almost every surface changes direction.
Pop-up headlights disappear. Slim horizontal LED units take their place. The body grows dramatically wider and lower, wrapped in aggressive aero pieces from nose to tail. Around back, the classic full-width red rear section gives way to narrow LED taillights and an oversized rear wing. The artist also switched the car to right-hand drive and added a JDM-inspired livery across the redesigned exterior.
Nothing here points toward production. Even so, the render taps into something many recent performance cars struggle to replicate. Small proportions. Sharp edges. Simplicity, sort of. The result looks chaotic in places, maybe intentionally, though the first-generation NSX still survives underneath the redesign if you stare long enough.
Acura NSX Rendering – Photo Gallery
