Ultra Rare 1995 Honda NSX-R Sneaks Into Auction, May Fetch Over $500K

Evening falls in Houston, and with it comes word of a ghost from the golden period of Japanese engineering: a 1995 Honda NSX-R, chassis # NA1-1300340, which is now listed on BaT. This right-hand drive coupe, number 458 in a small batch of only 483 produced for the domestic market, has recently arrived in the United States, still with 19,000 kilometers on the clock.

Back in the late 1980s, Honda went about building a car that would take the sports car game by storm. Engineers down in Tochigi were hammering out layouts and testing prototypes, drawing on the company’s extensive racing experience to come up with a mid engine coupe that really put balance and finesse ahead of brute force. The NSX, a two-seater with an aluminum body (the first production car to use one), rests atop an aluminum honeycomb chassis and weighs a mere 3,100 pounds dry, allowing it to feel alive in ways that heavier Italian rivals could only dream of. They invited Ayrton Senna in for a few days at the Suzuka circuit, driving the early test mules to the limit and making tweaks until the chassis felt like an extension of the driver’s will. That collaboration transformed the NSX into more than just a car; it became a benchmark that demonstrated to the world what was possible when a Japanese firm outperformed the old guard with accuracy and everyday usefulness.

Production was a slow burn though, with the base model offering a 3.0 litre V6 that stretched out to 270 horsepower through Honda’s clever VTEC system – a bit of magic that switched valve profiles at high revs to unleash a bit more grunt. Torque came on nice and smooth at 217 pound-feet, fed through a five speed manual to the rear wheels. Four wheel discs with ABS brought it to a stop from 60 mph in less than 120 feet, and the independent suspension made for a comfortable ride to the shops on a Sunday afternoon. Pop-up headlamps gave it a mischievous look, while the engine sat low behind the seats, lowering the center of gravity and providing super-sharp turn-in. People also gushed about how reliable it was, with rarely breakdowns even after thousands of miles of rigorous driving. By the mid-1990s, Honda had sold approximately 9,000 machines globally, but the true scarcity came from a far quieter area of the factory floor.

November 1992 saw the NSX-R quietly roll off the production lines. A lightly-clad version of the already-potent NSX, this model was tailored for those diehards who craved a track-bred edge without having to worry about sacrificing the on-road usability that made the regular model so legendary. Never intended to leave Japan, Honda deliberately capped the production run at a mere 483 cars to keep the hype machine cranking. Anyone who was going to get their hands on one was in for a challenge, that’s for sure.

Weight had to be lost, and I mean seriously shed. A whopping 265 pounds was lost as a result of the team’s willingness to remove all of the extras: air conditioning, audio, spare tire, sound mats, power steering, and traction control – none of which made it onto this stripped-out beast. As a result, those Recaro buckets coated in bright red Alcantara had no need for padding or support – simply a snug, no-frills fit. On the other hand, the engine, the same 3.0-liter V6 that powers the NSX, was given a new lease on life: the crankshaft was blue-printed balanced, and the flywheel was crazily lightened for even higher revs. Result? A powerful 276 horsepower @ 7,300 rpm.

Whatever way you look at it, this was a no-nonsense drive, and a shorter final drive just added to its pointiness and agility. And if you thought the stiffer springs and larger sway bars would make this difficult to drive, think again: they turned it into a telepathic extension of your own body, responding eagerly to every slight input and swooping gently into corners with a neutral, ‘follow me’ attitude.

On paper, that is, on the spec sheet, this car would go 60 in 4.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 163 mph, which is almost ludicrous when you consider that cars twice the price were (supposedly) not quite as fast. The Nürburgring lap time of less than eight minutes, however, was the real clincher, and not just because it completely blew the expert testers away. You’d expect a featherweight like this to buckle under duress, to quiver and wobble and lose its way when things got rough, but instead, it just kept going, never giving up on its driver. And credit for that goes to the unassisted steering which fed back information so accurately and directly that you’d have to be a complete novice to not be in complete control – lap after lap, the NSX-R never wavered in its confidence-building consistency.

But what truly stands out is that, even in ordinary trim, this car was, and continues to be, capable of taking the chequered flag. The endurance racing scene in Japan has always been a bit of a wild card, but seeing a car like this, which was initially built to be a practical, everyday road car, capable of outlasting the opposition in the red zone is a credit to Honda’s engineering abilities.

Fast forward to 2025, and the rarity of these cars has made them somewhat of a collector’s holy grail. Values have skyrocketed over the years, and by 2020, you might easily pay over $200,000 for one. This car, #458, is an excellent example of a loved NSX-R that has been well-maintained; its Japanese service history speaks for itself, and it has even been given a recent makeover by the Houston dealership that is presently selling it. The Championship White paint looks as good as new, and the red highlights and mesh grilles are still in excellent condition. Inside, the Alcantara-clad dash has been well complimented by some tempting red stitching, and a MOMO wheel has been added because who needs airbags when you have this sort of direct feel? With a leather-free, gauge-filled cockpit pared to the bare essentials, a 180-kilometer-per-hour speedometer, and an 8000-rpm tach, you can almost smell the circuit dust on this one.