10-Year Throwback: The Blue Bunny

2024 Intro

In little than 2 months, nan Las Vegas Convention Center will travel live pinch nan 2024 SEMA Show. Right now, car builders crossed nan US are difficult astatine activity connected their show creations, pinch nan ‘SEMA crunch’ conscionable astir nan corner.

Since 2008, we’ve been diving heavy into nan SEMA Show, and it’s ever breathtaking to spot nan latest advancements successful aftermarket automotive capacity and caller styling trends. Ten years ago, 1 standout was nan world’s first Rocket Bunny-kitted NSX, a collaboration betwixt Kei Miura successful Kyoto and Tuner Galleria successful Chicago.

We’ll person to hold and spot what collabs nan 2024 SEMA Show has successful shop for us, but until then, let’s revisit 2014 Dino’s characteristic connected 1 very wide Acura.

2014 Feature

The NSX has gone down successful history arsenic 1 of Japan’s very fewer ‘true’ sportscars. Before you jump connected that connection and statesman to unleash the hate, fto maine astatine slightest elaborate connected it. You see, complete nan past fewer decades Japan has churned retired an awesome number of accelerated and tin cars – some pinch nan imaginable for much power, which has kept america grinning and enjoying ourselves passim nan years.

But if you deliberation astir it, astir of these cars were conscionable enhanced versions of regular accumulation vehicles. You cognize the drill; develop a chassis that sells well, make 2 aliases three variants of it and past publicise it each by creating nan halo car of nan line-up: a hot-version pinch a blown engine, wider fenders and immoderate chaotic color. There’s nothing wrong pinch that of course – these cars person fuelled our passion for years, aft each – but location person only been a fewer proper, one-off sportscars created by nan Japanese automakers.

And a long, agelong clip ago, erstwhile Honda still shared immoderate of its awesome knowhow pinch america enthusiasts alternatively of making hybrid metropolis cars, it created nan NSX. The idea was to bargain income distant from Ferrari and Porsche – a beautiful large extremity to group itself, but we all knew that Honda had everything it needed to propulsion it off.

In mentation nan NSX was a sublime machine – one developed from nan crushed up to beryllium nan champion imaginable driver’s car ever made by nan company. If you’ve ever driven 1 successful anger you’ll cognize what a saccharine and communicative chassis they managed to create. This was an era when Ferrari and Lamborghini chassis and suspension arms resembled poorly-welded plot gates astatine best, truthful erstwhile Honda came retired pinch an all-aluminium car – that’s nan chassis and assemblage panels – nan full world took notice.

So nan look was arsenic follows: a comparatively ray chassis, a handling package tuned by nan awesome Ayrton Senna himself, and what turned retired to beryllium 1 of nan astir ageless designs ever conceived. What you had was 1 of nan astir iconic cars to travel retired of Japan…

Ah, but wait – what astir nan engine? Well, I near that retired connected purpose. You see, this is wherever Honda could have, and should have done better. Of course, there’s thing incorrect pinch the transversely-mounted C30A (or C32A that followed later) – it was a great motor pinch acceptable power, but it didn’t beryllium successful nan NSX. What this car really needed was a V8. The Honda engineers knew it and enthusiasts knew it, but successful full Japanese style, nan apical level executives at Honda decided to spell nan V6 way – possibly because they were frightened they’d make excessively large of an effect and attract too overmuch attention.

It’s precisely for nan unsocial measurement that it came into nan supercar world that nan NSX was besides 1 of nan astir costly cars to ever travel retired of Japan. Over the years, this is simply a car that has held its resale worth beautiful well too – until now, that is. Kei Miura astatine Rocket Bunny has been keeping an eye connected NA1 prices for immoderate years, because that encephalon of his ne'er really stops thinking…

He wanted to create a afloat assemblage conversion for nan NSX for a agelong time, but patiently waited for nan correct moment. The car would not only beryllium 1 of nan wildest projects he’d ever embarked on, but besides thief him spell connected a tangent and show group that he’s not conscionable each astir bolt-on overfenders.

And seeing that a awesome car is ne'er complete without existent substance, it’s nan backmost of this SEMA 2014 show car that I’m starting disconnected with. You spot those 2 pipes that instrumentality retired from nan halfway of nan bumper? That’s a civilization GReddy exhaust strategy designed to spell on pinch nan wide consciousness of nan car.

It’s portion of an absorbing ensemble of parts that joins up to nan once-famous, but now discontinued, Gruppe M supercharger kit. It’s acold from inconspicuous, sitting atop of nan C30A that powers this car – and seeing nan banal power shield won’t clear it,  also very visible through the see-through motor hood.

It’s instant confirmation that this NSX must beryllium a existent blast to drive; power boosted to around 365hp thanks to debased compression forged pistons and an AEM motor guidance system. See, this is what I was getting astatine – with a saccharine chassis for illustration this, these are nan benignant of numbers that Honda should have been gunning for!

This show is conscionable nan benignant of point that I want to spot erstwhile I show up to sprout a car, because, let’s beryllium frank present – cipher really cares astir a widebody, crazy-looking beast of a car pinch a banal engine! Bear in mind that it would be as achy to sprout arsenic it would be for you to publication nan feature, but hey, astatine times it conscionable can’t beryllium helped – particularly if nan car is new, aliases if nan task is each about shocking and impressing in the aero department. The motor upgrades are matched pinch a fewer bully touches successful the driveline – namely an NSX-R shorter cogwheel group and a Science of Speed clutch and flywheel upgrade.

So each of a sudden, this NSX that we saw past week sitting successful nan Nitto booth astatine nan SEMA Show successful Las Vegas, go moreover more typical than its looks could ever suggest.

And boosting nan way of nan car by pumping retired its beforehand and rear made sense.

And it’s a activity of caller aerial to spot nary bolts aliases rivets holding connected overfender strips. While there’s nary mobility that look has its place on immoderate cars, I’d person to opportunity nan NSX is not 1 of them. This car runs connected Stance adjustable coilovers which person been group astatine a tallness that would let nan car to header pinch American roads (something that ain’t excessively easy!). Sure, it tin beryllium slammed correct to nan ground, but that would conclusion nan intent of being a well-sorted thoroughfare car.

Appropriately, nan NSX sits connected Miura’s ain 6666 Wheels which are manufactured successful collaboration pinch Enkei successful Japan. The chosen satin achromatic colour creates a bully opposition against nan impossibly-hard-to-photograph blue chrome wrap. I’m judge you’ll person a awesome clip hunting my reflection connected nan detail shots! Miura-san collaborated pinch Jim Pan and his unit astatine Tuner Galleria successful Chicago, who put their car guardant for what is nan first Rocket Bunny NSX conversion successful nan world.

To make it hap Miura-san originated a USDM Acura NSX successful Japan – a car that has been his regular driver for rather immoderate months now – and built each portion of nan kit astir that. Once each was constructed, fitted, aligned and prepped, it was dismantled and sent complete to nan US wherever it was fitted to this car. I conscionable emotion proceeding of these cross-cultural, across-the-world type projects.

But what does nan conversion entail, I perceive you ask?

Well, earlier I get to that I amended springiness you a small disclaimer here. If nan thought of chopping up, cutting and binning aluminium assemblage parts from an NSX makes you queasy, please look distant now. Go to Google Images and hunt for pictures of tranquil landscapes aliases something.

As you tin imagine, location were a batch of modifications needed to make this car look nan measurement it does, starting pinch the front extremity design.

Much for illustration pinch nan BenSopra conversion for nan R35 GT-R, location was nary existent measurement of giving nan NSX a JGTC-look without creating a one-piece beforehand cowl that would fuse the bumper, hood and fenders into one.

A mini framework was past constructed and bolted onto the beforehand extremity of nan chassis, from which nan large single-piece FRP cowl is hinged and supported from. Those state struts thief make nan full opening and closing process easy, and for thing aftermarket it each useful beautiful effortlessly.

When lifted up, it decidedly looks beautiful wild! That halfway opening is location to thief nan radiator expel its power – just nan benignant of item you would want if you were building a track-going NSX.

The rear is wherever tons of cutting and chopping had to beryllium done successful bid to accommodate Miura’s ain fender design. The bumper-less look we first saw connected nan BenSopra 380SX useful very good pinch nan NSX – except this car isn’t wholly without one. Miura designed his ain rear bumper conception which matches up to nan wider fenders and tucks successful to springiness that signature look to nan rear end.

From this perspective you tin spot really nan rear extremity mildly curves upwards to meet nan steeply-raked ducktail spoiler.

Front and broadside canards subordinate nan multi-piece rear diffuser for added effect – finishing touches that adhd yet much aggression. Oh yes, and there’s nan rear helping of course!

A consciousness of completion is added pinch a elemental yet well-appointed interior, which tin beryllium really appreciated erstwhile you plaything unfastened nan driver’s broadside door.

Carbon-Kevlar Bride seats certainly fresh nan full taxable of nan car alternatively well.

And I’m beautiful judge you will get arrested if you don’t fit Takata harnesses to an NSX. That JGTC GT500 nexus conscionable can’t beryllium broken!

Simple things are ever champion and pinch an interior arsenic ageless arsenic nan NSX’s location wasn’t overmuch other that was needed to assistance nan wide quality than a leather Personal steering wheel.

This is 1 car that has evidently been good cared for. If Honda really developed a V8 for nan NSX, then maybe it would person had nary issues reaching that 180mph apical velocity indicated connected nan speedometer!

The badge says it all.

I won’t spell overboard and telephone this innovative, but astatine nan aforesaid clip it’s bully to spot Miura-san bringing a caller perspective to Rocket Bunny brand.

Call it a operation of wildness, coupled to a much grown up measurement of executing things. Yep, that’s a adjacent capable assessment. Although nan overfender craze is far from over, I for 1 americium beautiful excited to spot wherever this will return him. Maybe c fibre production? I cognize I’m not nan only 1 that would love to spot this coming from TRA Kyoto, because if you switch aluminium pinch c it does make much sense, right?

The Speedhunters
Instagram: thespeedhunters

Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
[email protected]

Additional Photos by Larry Chen
Instagram: larry_chen_foto