Why Did Toyota Just Add A Honda NSX To Its Museum?

When you visit a car manufacturer's museum, you expect to see important cars from the company's history on display. The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, for example, features the first 356 ever built, every 911 generation, and some of the automaker's greatest race cars.

Toyota, on the other hand, is doing things a little differently. Located in Nagakute City, Japan, the Toyota Automotive Museum not only showcases some of the Japanese automaker's most historically important cars, but also a celebration of the entire auto industry. Unusually, that means you'll see plenty of Toyota's competitor cars on display.

The latest car added to the collection is a stunning first-generation Honda NSX. Toyota clearly understands the importance of Honda's mid-engine masterpiece. In short, the first-generation NSX changed supercars forever.

When it launched in 1990, the Honda NSX (sold in the US as the Acura NSX) was a more affordable alternative to supercars produced by Ferrari and Lamborghini. It could tear up the track yet still be comfortable enough to be used every day. The first mass-produced car with an all-aluminum body, the original NSX was powered by a mid-mounted 3.0-liter aluminum V6 producing 270 horsepower.

It was popular enough to spawn a second-generation model in 2016, once again sold as the Acura NSX in America. The fact that it's parked next to the iconic Lexus LFA supercar speaks volumes about Toyota's serious respect for the original NSX.

This isn't the only Honda you'll find at the Toyota Automotive Museum either, as a first-generation Civic, an N360, and an S500 are also on display. Other sports cars being displayed alongside the NSX include a Nissan Skyline GT-R and a Mazda MX-5 Miata. You have to commend Toyota for honoring its competitors' achievements at its own museum. That right there is pretty darn special.