One to Buy: ex-Tatsuru Ichishima Spoon Sports 2008 Honda NSX-R GT
Just five examples of the legendary Super GT-inspired NSX Type R GT were built by Honda, one of which was sold to a customer while the other four were retained by the company.
Conceived with a view to give the NSX every chance of success in the new-for-2005 Super GT formula set to take over from the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, Honda produced a tricked out special to homologate longer, wider bodywork with improved aerodynamics and more effective cooling.
The wide body GT body kit comprised new extended carbonfibre nose and tail aprons, bigger cooling intakes, bigger spoilers, deep side skirts and bigger venturis. Most distinctively, Honda added a blanked off intake snorkel on the rear window.
Set to go under the hammer at Bonhams’ Amelia Island auction on February 29th is a spectacular NSX-R purchased in 2007 as a body-in-white direct from Honda by Tatsuru Ichishima, the head of legendary tuning house Spoon Sports.
Ichishima wanted to build an NSX-R GT-type machine to celebrate 20 years of Spoon Sports and to race in the 2008 Macau Grand Sport Road Challenge. Chassis ‘001707’ was built up accordingly and, with Ichishima himself at the wheel, went on to finish sixth overall (third in class) in Macau.
With its cast-iron provenance, rich history and a unique specification that honours the NSX-R GT and Spoon Sports in the most spectacular fashion, this is one very special Honda.
Reprinted below is Bonhams’ description:
Estimate: Refer to dept.
VIN. JH4NA1154MT001707
Revered racecar by one of Japan's leading tuners
Purpose built by Spoon Japan for its owner, Tatsuru Ichishima
Finished 3rd in class at the Macau Grand Prix Road Sport Challenge
Built to commemorate Spoon's 20 years of racing history
Iconic Spoon/Type One livery
THE HONDA NSX
Honda's first supercar, the NSX, set new standards for the class on its arrival in 1989, possessing the expected stupendous performance while remaining as civilized and easy to drive as the average family hatchback.
Honda was already committed to Formula 1, supplying engines for the all-conquering McLarens of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, and was able to call on the latter to assist in developing the NSX, which is the only road car ever to benefit from the great Brazilian driver's expertise. The result was a car that wowed the motoring press when the scribes first got their hands on a pre-production prototype in the summer of 1989.
Despite being developed during F1's turbo era, the NSX's 24-valve 3.0-litre V6 engine was normally aspirated. Equipped with the new VTEC variable valve timing system, the all-alloy unit produced 270bhp initially, which was good enough for a top speed of 168mph and a 0-60mph time of less than six seconds. Those performance figures put the NSX on a par with Ferrari's 348 GTB, but in terms of comfort, ergonomics, driving dynamics and build quality, the NSX was in a different league entirely.
In 1997 the NSX underwent a performance upgrade that saw the arrival of a larger (3.2-liter) engine with increased power and torque, which cut the 0-60mph time to 4.7 seconds. This revised model, being the type offered here, also featured a six-speed manual gearbox, variable power-assisted steering, and a drive-by-wire throttle.
THE CAR OFFERED
The NSX Type R on offer here started life as a 'body in white' race chassis purchased directly from Honda Racing in 2007.
This NA2 model NSX-R was specifically built for circuit racing to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Spoon Sports racing in Japan. To celebrate this feat, the CEO of Spoon Sports, Mr. Tatsuru Ichishima, decided to build a racecar based on one of Honda's most notable platforms, the NSX-R.
An icon of the tuner world, Spoon Sports/Type One, based out of Tokyo, has been one of the top motorsport contenders specializing in the Honda brand. This NSX was one of their pinnacle builds, purpose built to participate in circuit racing with their founder at the controls.
This Honda underwent a complete build in preparation for the 2008 Macau Grand Prix, where it would be driven by Ichishima himself. The car was equipped with a plethora of Spoon components from their parts catalog. For the race in Macau, the car was equipped with a naturally aspirated engine setup; at some point after it completed its races, the car was updated with a prepped C30 engine block (3.0 liter) which was then mated to a single turbocharger for a conservatively estimated 440 horsepower, and with considerably higher torque figures then its previous naturally aspirated powerplant.
To prep the car for wheel-to-wheel race duty, the chassis was lightened and stiffened, then fortified with a roll cage.
The interior was painted in a special gray color which adorns most of Spoon Sports' race cars. It is believed that the NSX was lightened to an impressive 980kg (approx. 2,160 lbs).
Lightweight body panels were also utilized to aid weight loss. The doors and dashboard are all made of lightweight carbon fiber, while other panels including the front hood are also of lightweight composite construction.
The suspension is by race-prepped adjustable coilovers, with other suspension components also receiving the Spoon treatment. The aerodynamics all came from Spoon to assist in downforce.
This is just a small list of components utilized to make it competitive, which resulted in a 3rd in class and 6th place overall at the 2008 Macau GP Road Sport Challenge. The iconic blue and yellow livery – as iconic to Spoon fans as "Martini" or "Rothmans" colors – make this already desirable vehicle an even more appealing prospect.
The availability of this NSX-R represents a truly unique opportunity to acquire a legendary vehicle from one of the best Honda tuners in the world.
