The short, rifle-bolt action of the six-speed ’box was so fast and accurate you could dazzle yourself with your own hand speed

A road-going racer designed to kick Skyline and Supra butt in Japan’s JGTC race series, the NSX-R never officially made it to the UK, which was a tragedy. Lighter, harder, faster and hornier than the standard item, it would have been the perfect repost to the 911 GT3 and Ferrari 360 CS. We’ll certainly never forget our time behind the wheel.

According to Honda, the quicker (4.4sec) 0-60 time was purely due to weight savings and slightly shorter gearing which, incidentally, knocked the top speed down to 168mph. The 3179cc V6 was rated at an identical 276bhp. Our guess was a bit more. The motor was balanced and blueprinted after all. Certainly, the sharper throttle response and more ‘urgent’ feel suggested more gee-gees than Honda would admit to.

The NSX-R got the job done like no other sub-300bhp supercar on earth. Traction off the line was stunning, the short, rifle-bolt action of the six-speed ’box so fast and accurate you could dazzle yourself with your own hand speed. And jeez, what a noise: a howl so hard-edged it could chisel granite. The steering was alive with feel, just the right amount of weight and damping smoothing off the rough edges. The confidence it gave was astonishing. Much like the car itself…