1990 Acura NSX: 100 cars that matter.

In the early 1980s, Honda was poised for a breakthrough. The Japanese automaker was looking to deliver exotic performance without sacrificing reliability, and its entry into the Formula One championship in 1983 gave Honda the resources, ambition, and ideas.

In 1984, engineers developed a mid-engine, rear-drive sports car, a departure from the front-engine, front-wheel-drive cars that had been the target of prancing horses and charging bulls. It is a mid-engine, rear-drive sports car that sets itself apart from the front-engine, front-wheel-drive cars. Deep in the bowels of Honda's skunkworks, the company tested the theory by converting Honda's hatchback compact car, the City, into a mid-engine mule. The car's handling was thrilling, but the company said it lacked the technology to drive it on public roads.

It was soon put away, but Honda engineers never forgot the dynamic potential of the City Mule. Eager to prove to the world that they could build a "new" "sports car" and an "unknown" (with "X" substituted as the mathematical "unknown"), the NS-X was born in 1985. Early sketches depicted a radical F-16-inspired body, with the engine positioned midship, behind the driver.

Engineers were torn in 1986 between whether to build the early NS-X in sheet steel or aluminum. Ultimately, Honda chose aluminum for its new sports car, making it the first all-aluminum monocoque mass-produced vehicle ever built by a major automaker.

The lightweight aluminum did not require a larger, heavier engine to achieve its performance goals, and Honda landed on a V-6 engine. In the U.S., Honda's emerging luxury brand, Acura, needed a halo car, and the NSX (American Honda preferred no hyphen) fit the bill.

In 1989, the NSX debuted at the Chicago Auto Show. Tadashi Kume, then president of the company, presented a prototype powered by an Acura Legend SOHC V-6 engine. He instructed engineers to adapt Honda's variable valve timing and lift electronic control (VTEC) of the inline four-cylinder engine to the NSX's V-6 engine. Critics who drove early prototypes also said the car lacked power.

Legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna also cooperated. When Senna visited Suzuka to test Honda's new F1 car, he drove the NSX and pressured the engineers to make the body stiffer.

According to Honda, Senna told the team, "I don't know if I can give proper advice on a production car. But I feel it's a bit fragile."

Senna said that he was "very happy with the car, but I think it's a little bit fragile.

In 1990, the World Beater was introduced. This everyday supercar lasted for 15 years, but the Japanese recession killed off several other sports cars, but not Honda's breakthrough.

Note to readers: Motor Authority has compiled a list of 100 cars that changed enthusiasts forever. From supercars to sedans, SUVs to muscle cars, these are the cars that ignited our love for cars. Do you think we missed something? Leave a comment below or contact us here.