Nico Tjen's Honda NSX-T targa
Since his first modified E38 BMW 7 Series, to his modified limited edition E36 M3 convertible and then onto his first properly famous car: NSX GT. The bright red 1990s supercar infused wide race-inspired styling elements of Japanese JGTC/Super GT race cars with the slammed stance and fat Rays GTC wheels from the tuner world to snap necks like no other late model Aussie-built car before.
NSX GT scored attention from all over the world and was legitimately famous in tuner circles as the first true JGTC/Super GT-styled build on a street car. Nico scored a swag of show trophies with the car before moving it on and replacing it with a couple of Lamborghinis. However, Nico had always wondered what the NSX GT style would look like on a targa top variant instead of the coupe.
Nearly 10 years later he's finally scratched that itch and rolled out a successor to his former coupe - say hello to ALIENS. But rather than merely repeating the play straight from the book, he took it further and more extreme than before. Lower, faster and decidedly nastier.
The original NSX GT rocked a custom wide bodykit from J's Racing, Canberra's well-known house of custom bodywork, and the Targa does as well. The front bar, sideskirts and rear pods are all Jerry's work, blowing the Honda's looks out from svelte to pure aggression - maybe it would still be on sale today if it looked as good as Nico's!
The race inspiration meant Nico could draw on parts from the factory lightweight NSX-R model as well as wild carbon fibre pieces from the Japanese and American aftermarket. The front guards are Japanese Sorcery items, as are the brake ducts, with NSX-R front hatch and rear spoiler, while the rear hatch is now a carbon fibre item along with the custom Super GT-style slimline mirrors.
All that bodywork would look naff if the body wasn't hovering just above the tarmac. Extreme lowering jobs have really become en vogue of late, and this has driven a cottage industry for people wanting to slam their high-end, supreme-handling supercar and retain its famous corner-carving ability.
There are Japanese Tein RA adjustable coilovers fitted under each corner of Nico's NSX, paired to an adjustable air suspension kit that allows him to sit pretty when parked and raise up for track days. Kits like this Umbrella set-up have been around for a few years from other tuning houses like Top Secret and Aragosta and it makes sense if you've got a dual-purpose street/track car.
Nico also fitted NSX-R front and rear chassis braces and custom swaybars to round out the handling package. It's not revolutionary but when you're dealing with a car set-up by Ayrton Senna you don't have to start from scratch and, by using the highly developed NSX-R parts, Nico could radically improve his car's cornering by using bolt-on parts.
The brakes were replaced with similar units as found on NSX GT, being StopTech four-piston brake calipers all 'round, paired to stainless brake lines that'll resist swelling under high-pressure situations or long, hot track sessions. Thankfully, as the NSX is a light car to start with, massive brake upgrades are rarely needed - the efficiency of the standard equipment is excellent.
However, one area that did need work, especially in the 21st Century, was the engine. The naturally aspirated V6 was a cracker when it first saw action 24 years ago. Back in 1990 206kW was quite a bit and helped the lithe Honda keep pace with the Ferrari 348 and Porsche 964.
Today, even hot hatches have more than 206kW so Nico saw fit to throw a CT supercharger onto the C32B 3.2-litre V6. Pumping 6psi into the high-compression engine, it's paired to high-end Gruppe M carbon intake and exhaust and Taitec extractors, making for a highly addictive wail emanating from the rear of the Formula Red beast.
The newfound power is easily enough to overpower the 19x10.5-inch AME rear wheels (18x9-inch on the front) and super-fat 295mm-wide tyres. They're a new look compared to the Volk Racing GTC wheels Nico previously used on NSX GT (and fitted to ALIENS for a short time in 2012) but the new hoops certainly move with the times and help give the Targa its own identity.
Nico went through the cabin, too, as the standard tan leather was a bit too "Country Club" and not "Manic Sports Prototype Racer". The stock carpet has been replaced with Honda's signature R-spec carpet from an NSX-R, along with more NSX-R carbon fibre trim pieces for the dash and console. They're offset with high-end Recaro Pole Position high-bolstered bucket seats (retrimmed in classy black leather) as well as a simple, timeless MOMO steering wheel that has been mounted to the ultimate race accessory - a quick-release mechanism.
ALIENS is still a streeter so Nico fitted a Pioneer headunit and speakers, DD subwoofer and Audison amp to pump tunes.
While Nico may never cop the kind of attention Brad Pitt does when he walks through the Sydney CBD, any time ALIENS comes out it sees dozens of camera phones and admiring stares from pedestrians and other drivers alike.
And what's not to love? ALIENS is a supercharged, widened, slammed tribute to one of Japan's greatest cars from the halcyon 1990s performance car era.
Nico Tjen's 1997 Honda NSX-T - basic specifications
Engine: Honda C32B 3.2-litre VTEC V6
Modifications: CT supercharger (6psi kit), Gruppe M carbon airbox, Gruppe M exhaust, Taitec headers
Transmission: Six-speed manual with short-shift kit
Struts: Tein RA adjustable coilover struts with Umbrella variable ride height air kit
Other modifications: NSX-R front and rear member braces; custom swaybars
Brakes: Stoptech 4-piston calipers (all 'round) with stainless brake lines
Bodywork: J'Racing custom widebody front bar, side skirts, rear pods; Sorcery wide front guards; NSX-R front bonnet, NSX-R rear spoiler; carbon fibre rear hatch, custom Super GT carbon fibre mirrors; custom front LED indicators; custom rear LED taillights, Sorcery brake ducts
Wheels: AME TM-02 Tracer 18x9-inch front; 19x10.5-inch rear
Tyres: 225/35 front; 295/30 rear
Interior: NSX-R red carpet, Recaro Pole Position seats retrimmed in leather, MOMO steering wheel with quick-release, carbon fibre dash and trim pieces, Pioneer head unit, Audison Bit One processor, Pioneer speakers, DD subwoofer, Audison amplifier
Text: Frank Slacks Photos: Ved Kay
