2005 Honda NSX-R

In the thirteen years since the original NSX-R was introduced, composite technology advanced significantly. So when Honda wanted to produce a second generation version of their NSX-R, they had additional materials like carbon fiber with which to shave weight off of the mid-engine supercar. Many body panels, including the hood, rear spoiler, and deck lid, were redone in the woven stuff. Like the original, things like air conditioning, the radio, and sound deadening materials were left off. Not content just to have a lighter car, Honda had the highly skilled line technicians hand-build each motor to an exacting standard, weight-balancing and matching each component to produce a smoother, more responsive engine. Honda plays coy about what the NSX-R truly produces, but those in the know will tell you it’s more than the 290 horsepower figure often quoted. Whatever the power figures are, there’s no denying that this is a machine of unprecedented precision, which in the hands of a skilled driver can knock out a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in well under eight minutes.