Route KS

Suzuka, Mie Pref. – In the shadow of Suzuka Circuit in a peaceful, manufacturing town, there sits the immaculate showroom of Kawagen Corporation Japan Co., Ltd. It is a place that looks like less of a monument to automotive greatness, and more of a museum of fine art. Route KS, as it’s called, is the church of the NSX and we are blessed to pray at her altar.

The Honda NSX is the crown jewel Honda’s modern motorsport history. Originally designed by Masahito Nakano, the mid-engine platform had considerable input and development testing from the late, great Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna da Silva. From its inception, Honda achieved a pure driving experience in a vehicle that took styling cues from the cockpit of an F-16.

A first generation NSX easily commands a $100,000 price tag. A first generation NSX-R is a unicorn. You may have the money, but you may not be able to find a seller willing to part with it. At the time of this article, the Suzuka showroom of Route KS had three; including the personal NSX-R (NA2) belonging to Japanese motorsport legend Keiichi Tsuchiya.

What makes the first generation NSX so good? The size of the engine and the numbers it produces should not be the focus? Balance. It’s not just the Variable Valve Timing & Electronic Lift Control of the C30 engine. It’s not just the driver-friendly, ergonomic layout of the interior. And it’s not just that balanced weight distribution of the platform. It’s all of those things because it is a car for the driver.

Route KS has three locations; Tokyo, Suzuka, and Osaka. The company offers a variety of services from sales to guided tours, as well as, owner registry and events. For more information, please visit their site at: www.route-ks.com/english