The first NSX went on sale in Japan in September 1990. Honda combined a mid-engine layout with an aluminium monocoque and developed the car around both performance and occupant comfort. Its case is the whole design, rather than a single engine statistic.

We put that coherent road-car concept ahead of the Supra, but behind the R32’s blend of technology and racing success. An editorial list weighted more heavily towards usability and construction could make the NSX number one. The narrow gap is a choice of criteria, not a measured lap-time difference.

Source: Honda · Photo: 先従隗始 · CC0. Resized/recompressed; image retains source license.