When Honda launched the original NSX in the UK in 1990 it claimed that it was a viable alternative to the established supercar marques. Many scoffed, and then they drove it and quickly had to re-assess their outlook. Over a decade on the car has never caught on and achieved the sales it could have. The problem of selling a Honda for £70k was simply insurmountable. The latest incarnation of the NSX reviewed here has had some minor tweaks and a price cut of £10k down to £60k. Externally the changes are mainly cosmetic; out go the old pop up lamps replaced by powerful new projector lamps, a new front spoiler tidies up the lines and follows the current fashion of linking the car to the team's F1 effort by mimicking a front wing type design. The back has been cleaned up by a new rear bumper and the rear wing has been made slightly more pronounced. There was nothing really wrong with the original design which has aged well, the only negative aspect being the slightly too long looking rear overhang which is only noticeable from some angles. These changes freshen the overall design up and leave the Honda looking pretty, purposeful and relatively modern.

Beneath the new, sharper, suit beats the same 3.2-litre DOHC V-TEC equipped V6 as in the previous model. This is no bad thing as since its original incarnation in 3.0-litre form over a decade ago it has been widely regarded as a masterpiece, if not in terms of outright power then certainly in response and noise. Indeed, the NSX was used by the Ford GT development team as a benchmark for its sound. Ah yes, the sound. A glaring omission from the "100 things to do before you die" program recently screened was to listen to an NSX at full chat. At low revs its all induction growl with a small hint of the ensuing storm to come. As the revs build so does the quality of the sound, deepening and hardening up to the V-TEC actuation point at just over 5,000 rpm. At this point something happens. The mildly bemused beast lurking behind you becomes downright psychotic. Induction, mechanical and exhaust noise all combine to become an intoxicating orchestra producing a glorious wall of sound. This engine is savage yet smooth, violent but cultured. This is Eminem lyrics to a London philharmonic soundtrack. Changing into another gear merely speeds or slows the tempo of the piece, while sixth allows one to savour the whole tune in that bit more detail.

The gearshift itself is better than the cliché of the rifle bolt. If rifle bolts were this quick and accurate then the machine gun would never have been invented. The 6 gears lie in a plane of about 6 square inches but the perfectly judged weight and self-centring mean you never engage the wrong cog by accident.

Due to the proximity of the engine to your ear the aural delights continue even at idle. A sharp stab of the throttle brings forth a gasp from the induction, like when Lennox Lewis lands an uppercut or a Ferrari owner tells you how much it cost to change his cambelt. In days gone by you could purchase a vinyl record of various steam trains to enjoy the noise. If there were a modern equivalent the NSX would be on the greatest hits album.

Honda claims that the output of the engine is the same as the outgoing unit at 276 bhp as per the gentlemen's agreement between the Japanese manufacturers. Honda does however claim a very marginal increase in torque. We could leave it at that but a few things don't quite add up. Whereas the old engine had a very pronounced "in or out" of the high lift V-TEC mode the new unit is much more linear. In common with other lesser V-TEC units Honda appears to have spent quite some time and effort in smoothing the transition. It's still there, and the experience is all the better for it, but it's now a lot less like an afterburner kicking in. Meaningful urge is available from as low as 2000 rpm and by 4000 rpm the acceleration is rapid. Low-end torque and therefore in-gear acceleration feels much quicker than before. It's much more of an effective lugger than the old unit and one can make much swifter progress with much less effort. The change is not just subjective. The latest NSX has been clocked at 4.8 seconds to 60 mph and just 10.9 to 100 mph. These are 0.5 and 3 seconds faster than the old car respectively. Maximum speed is also up to 172 mph (from 158 mph), so where there may be no claimed increase in power on paper, in reality, there is one. The performance is now on a par with the Ferrari F355, which had 380 bhp to record almost identical acceleration and maximum speed figures. Taking into account the weight advantage of the NSX we'd estimate that the Honda probably puts out somewhere in the region of 325 bhp. Honda has been getting 100 bhp/litre out of V-TEC units for years, so there's no reason why this one isn't capable of the same. Still, what the NSX loses in bar chat capability it probably regains in reduced insurance premiums due to the reduced power figure quoted.

The chassis retains basically the same set-up as that honed by Ayrton Senna almost 15 years ago, with some refinement to spring rates and roll bars. The rear track has also been widened slightly to accommodate the larger wheels. Handling wise the NSX is grippier than ever - only a foolhardy driver would approach the limit on a dry road, and even then the unobtrusive traction control system (TCS) keeps the car well reigned in. With the TCS disengaged, the new NSX is much more benign than the previous model in extremis but will still spin if provoked. Driven sensibly the NSX is very safe in the wet, traction remains superb but one has to be mindful of the perils of 300 plus ill applied horses. The extra tractability assists from this point of view as you can also use a higher gear than you would have in the old car to maintain traction without compromising outright speed. It is still possible to give it almost the whole nine yards in the first two gears with the TCS light only flickering occasionally. Only the brave or extremely talented would drive the NSX excessively hard in the wet without the TCS on.

The NSX continues to be comfortable and easy to drive in any environment, as home in the city as it is on a twisting B-road and equally adept at munching up motorway mileages. All this whilst cosseting the occupants with leather, air-con and a Bose sound system. Economy is good with mid to high 20s (mpg) achievable with a gentle right foot, though obviously this drops into the teens when driven hard. Owners will also benefit from exemplary reliability, exclusivity and glacial depreciation.

The negatives? The Honda does not feel like a 15 year old car to drive, but can't conceal its age completely; the tactility of some of the dash controls and the wiper's desire to get together with the A pillar at speed show it up. The biggest problem though is the image. The NSX's natural foe has always been the 911 and the pull of the Porsche badge has always tipped the weight in the German's favour. One can't help thinking that if Honda had adopted a Toyota style approach with their Lexus and had marketed the NSX as a separate brand, such as Acura, that the sales may have benefited.

As it is the NSX remains a rare gem. A true supercar for all days and all weathers that's easy to drive, fast, fun and desirable. If Honda can reproduce this form in the new NSX, based on the recently revealed HSC, we're in for a real treat – but will they persist with the Honda badge?