Brazil's Ayrton Senna loved the Honda NSX-R so much that he drove it in his loafers

The original Honda NSX is one of the all-time great supercars, and possibly the best Japanese car ever made.

Yet Honda decided to up the ante even more by introducing the incredible NSX-R, a special, hardcore version of the supercar.

This version lowered the weight, enhanced the handling, and made the NSX more ‘pure’, enabling enthusiasts to take advantage of its potential.

Buyers of the car have Brazilian F1 legend Ayrton Senna to thank for some of this, as the three-time world champion tested the car for Honda. All while in the comfort of his leather loafers!

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Back in the 1990s, when the NSX was on the scene, the idea of a more focused version of a performance car wasn’t as prevalent as it is today.

However, that didn’t stop Honda from taking the already incredible NSX and creating the NSX-R.

Two generations of the NSX-R were built, with the one Senna drove being the first one from 1992.

Honda customers had asked about the possibility of an NSX version specifically modified for track performance.

This, they said, could come at the expense of some creature comforts.

Starting with the base NSX, Honda began aggressively reducing the weight of the supercar.

This involved the stripping out of the sound deadening, audio system, air conditioning, the spare tire, and traction control.

Gone were the electric power seats, and in were lightweight carbon-kevlar Recaro racing seats.

Honda did, however, make those available as options for the new version of the supercar.

Overall, the Japanese manufacturer was able to take 265LBS of weight out of the car, bringing it down to 2,712LBS.

Engine power and torque were the same, but the revisions Honda made to reduce the car’s weight and tweak the handling made a massive difference.

Car and Driver in September 1997 said the NSX-R was the ‘best handling car for more than $30,000.’

Honda also increased the chassis rigidity and replaced the entire suspension system with a more track-focused unit.

An increase in the final drive ratio also saw faster gear changes for the driver.

Honda, via its works engine deal with the McLaren F1 team, enlisted the service of three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna to add some input to the car and test it out.

That led to the legendary footage of Senna tearing around the Suzuka F1 circuit, driving an NSX-R.

The Brazilian legend had also driven a regular NSX around the track in 1992. And it wasn’t just Senna who was a fan – they were so beloved that one guy restored an NSX that had been at the bottom of a river for a decade.

The footage of Senna driving the car has become the stuff of legend.

This was mainly thanks to him wearing leather loafers as he roared around the Japanese circuit.

Honda placed a camera in the rear of the car as well as a foot cam.

The footwork from Senna as he danced around the three pedals is remarkable.

Senna was impressed by the Japanese supercar.

In 1991, he bought a red one that had pride of place in his garage.

The car sold in 2024 for over $600,000.

From 1992 to 1995, Honda produced just 483 examples of the NSX-R, which were all exclusive to the Japanese market.

In 2002, a facelifted version was produced.

This had more modern headlights, more carbon fiber in its construction, and a more aggressive rear spoiler.

The officially quoted power output was 290HP, however, some believe the real figure is much higher than that.

As evidence of just how good the car was, Japanese test driver Motoharu Kurosawa drove a 2002 NSX-R around the Nürburgring in seven minutes and 56 seconds.

He matched the lap time of the newer, and 100HP more powerful, Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale.

That and Senna’s involvement helped cement the Honda NSX’s place as an all-time great supercar.

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