The program is so popular in Japan, there’s a one-year waiting list to get in.

An American-built NSX meant the creation of an elite group of Master Technicians whose sole purpose is to build the best of the best for Acura. While they’re building the NSX and PMC editions of the MDX, RDX, and TLX, Acura thinks they can use their human resources at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio even more so.

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During a zoom call of the 2020 Acura NSXPO virtual meetup (since a physical meeting is not feasible) John Watts, Acura’s Senior manager of the NSX Team, revealed Acura is seriously considering introducing a first gen Acura NSX restoration program for all US-based owners, much like they already do in Japan.

Honda of Japan started its own first-gen NSX Refresh Plan in 2010. Their popular program is already so back-logged, they aren’t accepting applications.

Watts says,

“We have research going out to 2,000 people (First gen NSX owners) in the United States asking their level of interest in the overall idea of a refresh plan and then looking at the packages as to the level of interest in specific packages.”

“We’re trying to see if there’s an appetite for this type of service in the United States, and it seems as though there is.”

Acura sold just under 9,000 first gen NSXs in the United States, a good percentage still daily driven and running strong. They deserve a chance at a refresh.

Acura is modelling their restoration program after Japan’s and, although preliminary, the prices below are ballpark figures what USDM NSX owners can expect to pay. Acura is celebrating 30 years of NSX and, as the anniversary says, these everyday supercars are 30 years old. While Honda is re-making a few original NSX parts, a lot of parts are bespoke and scarce, hence the high-costs.

Here are some screenshots of Honda of Japan’s program recalculated to US prices. A steep basic application fee sets the tone for the level of service and weeds out any refresh “tire kickers.”

If you got everything above, that’s $141,300.

Watts strongly hinted, thanks to the state-of-the-art capabilities at PMC, no request is out of the question and, if this program is implemented, they can go above and beyond.

“If you wanted to mix it up and apply a second gen color on a first gen car or potentially a purple or something else, that’s something that could be done here. We have the paint capability at PMC.”

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Since this is all preliminary, Watts opened up his work e-mail (John_Watts@AHM.Acura.com) to potential first-gen NSX owners who want to learn more.

“If you’d like to learn more, send me an email and a note that you’d like to be included on the research and then we can capture all of the comments and the level of interest.”

Will probably be a lot faster, but just as meticulous, as Mazda’s restoration program.

Most car fans are aware of Mazda own resto program for the Miata started in 2017. But, can you believe they’ve only restored seven Miatas in three years?

Mazda’s program is super exclusive, strips and re-builds Miatas exhaustively, and it looks like the owner has little say. It’s an all-or-nothing type of deal.

Acura’s first-gen NSX refresh plan looks a little more flexible, the level of restoration up to the owner and their budget. If a first gen NSX owner wants just the $2,500 paint restoration option, after the inspection fee, that’s something PMC can do.

And who knows, if this first-gen NSX refresh program becomes a resounding success, I don’t see why PMC won’t open their doors up to other noteworthy Hondas like the S2000 or USDM Acura Integra Type Rs.

h/t – @rchen

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