Between 1997 and 1998, Honda has used its premium brand Acura to launch a strictly limited series of sports cars celebrating the victory of Italian racing driver Alex Zanardi in the CART Championship. One of these vehicles – arguably one with the best background – just found a new owner.
The Acura NSX Zanardi Edition you see before you is the last out of the 51 units assembled. For a long time, it had belonged to Miguel Duhamel, a veteran motorbike racer, who had covered around 20,000 kilometers (12,000 miles) behind its steering wheel. The exotic car flaunts numerous mods that make it even more exclusive, weighs 68 kg (149 lbs) lighter than the original and handles on track much better thanks to revised steering.
The main build highlights include stiff racing suspension, ventilated brake discs, 16-inch BBS wheels on the front axle and 17-inch ones at the rear, and a bespoke interior wrapped in leather with microsuede inlays. Interestingly enough, not even the weight minimization drive could persuade Duhamel to ditch the stock audio cassette player or air conditioner.
When it debuted 23 years ago, the NSX Zanardi Edition started from around $85,000 USD. This specimen just went for $277,017, more than tripling the original price.