Interior view of a Red, 1992, Honda NSX dedicated to Ayrton Senna, on display at the 2021 London Classic Car Show
Ayrton Senna da Silva ; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1988, 1990 and 1991. Senna is one of three Formula One drivers from Brazil to win the World Championship and won 41 Grands Prix and 65 pole positions, with the latter being the record until 2006. He died in an accident leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix driving for the Williams team. In the late 1980s, to take advantage of the close relationship Honda had formed with Senna, the Japanese company asked him to help fine-tune the Honda NSX's suspension setting during its final development stages. Test runs were conducted at various circuits, including five sessions with prototypes at the Suzuka Circuit where chief NSX engineer Shigeru Uehara and his team were present to gather Senna's direct input. Senna found the prototype NSX initially lacked chassis stiffness to the level to which he was accustomed, so the final production version was further reinforced to his satisfaction. The NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer Masahito Nakano and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara. It benefited from advanced aerodynamics and styling inspired by an F-16 fighter jet cockpit[5] and input from the late Formula One World Champion, Ayrton Senna, during the final development stages. This NSX became the world's first mass-produced car to feature an all-aluminium body. It was powered by an all-aluminium L V6 engine, which featured Honda's VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system developed in the 1980s, a 5-speed manual transmission, or starting in 1994 the SportShift 4-speed automatic transmission, also known as F-Matic, which allows the option of conventional automatic shifting or manually shifting with a fingertip shift lever on the steering column. It was presented at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show and was built in a purpose-made factory in Japan, for sale from 1990.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Syon Park, Brentford, Middx TW8 8JF
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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