Drive
Paul is now the proud owner of his dream car, but behind the stylish exterior is the underdog tale of the first supercar to balance power with reliability & usability.
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3 min read
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Published
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Watch the full episode of In My Garage on the Horizons by RAC YouTube Channel.
The Japanese Domestic Market, or JDM, car community is one of the fastest-growing enthusiast scenes in Western Australia. Cars like the Nissan Skyline have become household names, while pop-culture moments such as The Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift helped cement Japanese performance cars into global automotive folklore. But there’s one Japanese supercar that pushed boundaries in more ways than power and style. Nestled within Paul’s impressive collection of Japanese sports cars, supercars and motorcycles is his most prized possession: a dark green 1991 NA1 Honda NSX. A car that challenged Europe’s finest, and forced manufacturers like Ferrari and Porsche to rethink what defined the modern supercar.
When Honda launched the NSX, it set out to build something revolutionary - a supercar that delivered race-bred performance without sacrificing reliability or usability. Featuring an all-aluminium body and chassis, a high-revving 3.0-litre V6 and suspension development with the help of F1 World Champion Ayrton Senna, the NSX proved itself both on road and track. Becoming the daily driver of automotive legend Gordon Murray, and his inspiration behind the Mclaren F1.
Yet unlike its European rivals, the NSX could comfortably handle everyday life. School runs, grocery trips or commutes to work, even through peak-hour traffic on Kwinana Freeway, were all well within its capabilities. Something Paul admits he still enjoys, even if he now drives it sparingly to preserve its condition.
Paul sourced his NSX directly from Japan, ordering it in the rare Brooklands Green, a special-order colour seldom seen outside the domestic market. As a true JDM, the car benefits from several subtle differences compared to export models, including the original titanium shift knob, lightweight manual steering configuration on early models, and unrestricted Japanese-spec detailing that enthusiasts often seek for authenticity. For Paul, owning a genuine JDM was essential; it represented the car exactly as Honda intended.
His connection to the NSX stretches back to childhood. Paul vividly remembers a poster featuring a red NSX positioned behind a Honda Fireblade superbike, the supercar looming like a predator stalking its prey. That image stayed with him for decades, quietly shaping an ambition that would eventually become reality. Today, Paul is the proud owner of not one, but two NSXs.
Cars have also played an unexpected role in Paul’s personal life. Years ago, his passion for Japanese performance machines led to a chance encounter with a fellow enthusiast, a woman behind the wheel of a Subaru WRX who would later become his wife. Sharing the same automotive obsession, the pair built a life surrounded by cars, each eventually owning their own NSX alongside a growing collection of performance vehicles.
While Paul’s garage includes an enviable lineup of JDM machinery, including a prized TRD Toyota MR2, the NSX remains the emotional centrepiece. Now, as he teaches his son to drive in another MR2 from the collection, Paul hopes to one day pass on not just the cars themselves, but the passion and memories tied to them.
For Paul, the NSX isn’t simply a supercar. It’s a lifelong dream realised - and a reminder that the cars we admire as children sometimes stay with us long enough to become part of our story.
In the latest episode of In My Garage, Richard meets Paul to discuss his beloved NSX, out now on the Horizons by RAC YouTube Channel.
