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Honda NSX Senna MP4/4 Rendering Is a Worthy Tribute to a Legendary Man-Machine Couple

The Acura/Honda NSX is currently making the headlines thanks to the limited Type-S edition - essentially a GT3 racing car for the roads that packs a total output of 600 hp and needs less than three seconds for the 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) sprint.
Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute) 8 photos
Photo: Joao Paulo Caetano Moreira via Instagram
Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute)Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute)Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute)Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute)Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute)Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute)Honda NSX Senna rendering (McLaren-Honda MP4/4 tribute)
We've become so blasé that figures like these don't even feel impressive anymore, but they really need to be put into context. It's the most powerful any road-going Honda model has ever made, and, as it happens, it's not that far behind one of the Japanese brand's most famous race cars as well - the McLaren Honda MP4/4.

Yes, the legendary Formula 1 single-seater from the late '80s was developed together with the British specialists at McLaren, but the engine was a Honda affair. Back then, Formula One still used exciting powertrains, and you can do worse than a 1.5-liter turbocharged V6 developing more than 650 hp at the kind of RPMs that could make a motorcycle blush.

Honda NSX Senna rendering \(McLaren\-Honda MP4/4 tribute\)
Photo: Joao Paulo Caetano Moreira via Instagram
As good as the race car was, it probably would have weighed a lot less in motorsport history if it weren't for the man driving it. Well, the MP4/4 was actually lucky enough to be driven by two Formula One legends (we've included Frenchman Alain Prost here), but we are obviously talking about the driver a lot of people still consider to be the best of all time: Ayrton Senna.

There is already a modern car featuring his name - the glorious McLaren Senna, obviously - but we think we can all agree there's always room for more. That's because you're more likely to spot a unicorn than see the great Brazilian's name associated with a boring vehicle. And, as it happens, this Honda NSX Senna is anything but boring.

Well, sadly, we can only imagine what it's like because the only way to experience it would require the kind of trip inside the digital world you only see in Sci-Fi literature. Yes, like so many other exciting things these days, the NSX Senna is only the digital creation of a very talented man.

Honda NSX Senna rendering \(McLaren\-Honda MP4/4 tribute\)
Photo: Joao Paulo Caetano Moreira via Instagram
Ironically enough, it actually looks more in tune with the original than the second-gen hybrid model we got from Honda back in 2015. That's massively helped by the fact it doesn't have to play by the rules and worry about such tedious things as functional headlights or safety features. However, don't let that take anything away from the wonderful work that João Paulo Caetano Moreira, its creator, has put in. We've seen how the same lack of restrictions can lead to over-the-top designs that have nothing to do with the model they're based on, or with the general guidelines of aesthetics. They're plain ugly, is what we're trying to say.

João published its creation a while ago, and while his work of art is utterly remarkable in itself, there's no denying it feels more complete with the classic MP4/4 Marlboro livery applied. Hell, it even makes it seem quicker. Speaking of that, we have no idea what specs the author had in mind, but we have to congratulate him on how well he hid the side air intakes for the engine. He had us fooled there for a second, thinking it was electric, but it simply had to be a V6, didn't it? That being said, the engine is definitely bigger than the MP4/4’s 1.5-liter unit. Unfortunately, we might add.

This would probably be a good time to ask ourselves what Honda's plans for this nameplate are? The Type-S is clearly a sign the current model's time is coming to an end – and rightly so, considering it's been pretty underwhelming overall. Do people still care for a high-performance Honda sports car? Is there room for the Japanese in a market that European manufacturers seemingly dominate? Well, as long as they stay true to their roots – lightweight, good chassis, and, more importantly, high-revving smallish turbocharged engines, the answer is an emphatic "yes."


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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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