After Nearly 20 Years, a Legendary Japanese Sports Car Returns with an Unexpected Twist

Aug 15, 2025 | Sports, U.S.

Honda has revived a long-discontinued nameplate in a way that’s sure to ruffle some feathers.

Front view of a yellow Acura car with a sleek, modern design, featuring a prominent Acura logo in the center of the hood and a narrow, horizontal LED headlight on the left side.
Front view of a yellow Acura car with a sleek, modern design, featuring a prominent Acura logo in the center of the hood and a narrow, horizontal LED headlight on the left side.

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Between the Integra and the Prelude, Honda has recently revived some iconic nameplates from its back catalog. Thankfully, in each case, it stayed pretty faithful to the original concept.

But the brand isn’t finished. Having teased that it was working on a new Acura RSX (as in, the early 2000s Integra successor) earlier this year, Honda is back with a pre-production prototype as part of Monterey Car Week.

Yellow electric SUV with sleek, angular design and black roof, parked indoors against a dark concrete wall. The vehicle features sharp LED headlights, black wheel arches, and multi-spoke black alloy wheels.
Though the RSX takes the form of an SUV, it’s packed with sporty coupe inspirations in the aggressive front fascia. – Credit: Acura

Acura’s RSX revival

True to Honda’s word, the RSX is, unfortunately, no longer destined to be a sporty tuner coupe like it was in the oughts; instead, it will be making its return as an all-electric crossover. Before you roll your eyes, however, Acura already has a car like the former in the Integra, and it just got an update.

In any case, an RSX EV promises thrilling performance in its own right. According to Acura, the model will feature dual-motor all-wheel drive, sport-tuned double-wishbone front suspension and Brembo brakes all as standard.

Front view of a yellow Acura car with sleek, narrow LED headlights and a prominent Acura logo on the hood, partially illuminated against a dark background. The car features a modern, aerodynamic design with sharp lines and a black lower grille. The front right wheel is visible with a stylish, multi-spoke rim design.
The electric age is giving many one-discontinued nameplates a new lease on life, though not always as expected. – Credit: Acura

And remember — even though the prototype takes the form of a high-riding crossover, careful battery placement can result in a lower center of gravity than you’d expect.

As such, Acura does claim it will deliver a “fun to drive and engaging driving experience.” In that sense, it’ll take on driver-friendly EVs like the Mustang Mach-E and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Sleek yellow Acura SUV with a black roof and tinted windows, featuring sharp, angular design lines and modern black alloy wheels with red brake calipers, set against a dark, industrial background.
Acura took inspiration from the NSX for the taillight, but Tesla’s second-generation Model Y appears to have been first to the punch. – Credit: Acura

An in-house EV

As significant as it is that Honda is reviving the Acura RSX nameplate, the car itself is notable for its own reasons.

That’s because, unlike the Honda Prologue or the Acura ZDX, Honda engineered this EV completely in-house. It’ll be among the first models built on the brand’s proprietary platform, and it’ll be the first assembled at the Honda EV Hub in Marysville, Ohio.

Rear view of a yellow Acura RSX prototype car with a continuous red taillight strip across the back, set against a dark background with a spotlight illuminating the vehicle.
Like many brands, Acura is moving away from a logo in favor of an alphabetical representation. – Credit: Acura

Accordingly, Honda has some big aspirations for the RSX. In running the ASIMO OS operating system, the car will bring automated driving, advanced driver assistance systems, machine learning and over-the-air updates, among many other forward-thinking features.

As if that wasn’t enough, the RSX will support vehicle-to-load charging. In practice, this means that it will effectively be able to function as a portable generator, capable of powering both homes and devices.

Sleek yellow electric SUV with a black roof and tinted windows, featuring sharp angular lines and modern design elements. The vehicle has large black alloy wheels with intricate spoke patterns and red brake calipers, set against a dark gradient background.
The raked roofline gives this forward-thinking electric crossover a good dose of sporting appeal. – Credit: Acura

More to come

While the vehicle you see before you is only a prototype, it’s likely that the production version will be a close match. Moreover, Honda has stated that the revived Acura RSX will be coming in the second half of 2026. In the meantime, you can head to Acura’s website to stay updated.

Front view of a sleek, modern yellow car with sharp, angular design elements and slim horizontal LED headlights, set against a dark background with a spotlight highlighting the center of the hood and front bumper.
Front view of a sleek, modern yellow car with sharp, angular design elements and slim horizontal LED headlights, set against a dark background with a spotlight highlighting the center of the hood and front bumper.

Acura RSX Prototype

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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