Honda NSXs Cruise The Famous Kanjo Loop In Japan

To Americans, Japanese culture might seem rather prim and proper in so many ways, so it might come as a shock to see Honda NSXs blasting down the Kanjo Loop in Osaka in a daring street race. However, this underground movement has been alive and well for some time. Often dominated by race-prepped Civics, it’s interesting to see how these three racers have built their mid-engine Honda for the illegal street races.

Watch a tuned Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 cut loose on the streets of Tokyo.

The Kanjo Loop is a highway that circles Osaka in clockwise fashion. During the day, it’s a way for commuters to get around in a hurry. But late at night, the street racers come out, transforming the continual elevated strip into a racetrack.

According to YouTuber Dino DC, the three NSXs shown in this video are among the most notorious in the country. Highly tuned, they’re owned by old street racers who were around when the scene was still new, so they apparently know a thing or two.

Just as they’re idling, the Honda sports cars not only look extra, they have surprisingly loud engines, signaling not only free-flowing exhausts which perhaps lack a cat, resonator, and perhaps a muffler, but also the presence of aggressive camshafts.

However, you won’t find any turbos, superchargers, or nitrous oxide added to these mid-engine beauties. Instead, the owners have kept the setup naturally aspirated, opting to instead add some bolt-on parts and engage in lightweighting through carbon-fiber components.

With builds like these, we’ve found people either love or hate them. While the VTEC V6s aren’t going to be throwing down crazy figures like 800-horsepower, the Hondas are incredibly well balanced and have enough get-up-and-go to be entertaining.

But for the drivers, part of the fascination of the NSX is their loyalty to Honda as well as a national pride. After all, it was perhaps the first time a Japanese automaker showed up Ferrari, so the mid-engine sports car will continue to hold a special place in certain people’s hearts.

Images via Dino DC/YouTube