Honda built its reputation on affordable, reliable cars. But that same engineering obsession also produced some genuine collector icons. This list ranks Honda’s most valuable machines by real auction and market data.
Not by hype or nostalgia. That means a few surprises. The Honda NSX, often assumed to be the brand’s priciest car, doesn’t take the top spot. Neither does the S2000 CR, despite its cult reputation and skyrocketing resale values.
Instead, rarer homologation specials and one true concept car outrank them both. This list blends production legends, JDM-only specials, and a single show car that never reached buyers. Values reflect recent auction results and dealer listings, not original sticker prices. Many of these cars sold for a fraction of their current worth when new.
What unites them is scarcity. Every car here was built in limited numbers, often just a few hundred units or fewer. From hand-ported hot hatches to a $2 million concept, here are the eight most expensive Hondas ever made.
8. Honda Civic Type R (EK9)
The EK9 started Honda’s Type R legacy on four wheels. It launched in Japan in August 1997. Its B16B engine remains legendary. It produced one of the highest specific outputs ever from a naturally aspirated engine. Honda hand-ported the cylinder head. That gave the tiny 1.6-liter four-cylinder real bite at high revs.
The EK9 was JDM-only. It never officially reached the United States or Europe. That exclusivity now drives serious money. Clean, unmodified examples in Championship White regularly exceed collector expectations at Japanese and import auctions.
Weight was the real trick. Honda stripped sound deadening and used thinner glass to keep the car light. The result was a front-wheel-drive hatchback that out-cornered cars twice its price. Enthusiasts still call it the purest Type R ever built.
Specifications
- Engine: 1.6L B16B DOHC VTEC inline-four
- Horsepower: 182 hp @ 8,200 rpm
- Torque: 118 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm
- Length: 163.6 inches
- Width: 66.7 inches
7. Honda Integra Type R (DC2)
The Integra Type R arrived first, before the Civic Type R existed. Honda launched it in September 1995. It’s still called one of the greatest front-wheel-drive cars ever built. Some magazines rank it above cars costing far more. The B18C engine used hand-polished intake ports. Every unit was individually tuned on the assembly line.
Honda reinforced the chassis with extra spot welds. That rigidity let the DC2 handle like nothing else in its class. Around 25,000 units were built for Japan. Fewer than 4,000 came to the United States.
That American scarcity matters most today. US-spec DC2s in unmodified condition now command strong premiums over JDM copies. The DC2 proved a small, light coupe could beat rear-wheel-drive rivals on a track. That reputation only grew with time.
Specifications
- Engine: 1.8L B18C DOHC VTEC inline-four
- Horsepower: 197 hp @ 8,000 rpm
- Torque: 134 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm
- Length: 172.6 inches
- Width: 67.9 inches
6. Honda S2000 Ultimate Edition
Honda closed out the S2000’s production run in 2009 with this send-off model. It marked the end of an era for the brand. The Ultimate Edition wore a specific Grand Prix White paint. It also included a removable hardtop as standard. Graphite-colored alloy wheels set it apart visually. Every detail signaled this was the final chapter.
Beneath the bodywork, the CR retained the late-model S2000’s double wishbone suspension, while torsion stabilizer bars helped reduce body roll during aggressive cornering. Honda produced the model in limited numbers, positioning it as a special send-off that celebrated the S2000’s legacy and rewarded its dedicated fan base.
Because it closed out the model, collectors treat it differently. It represents the last pure, naturally aspirated S2000 Honda ever sold. Values have climbed steadily as clean examples get harder to find. Buyers pay a premium just for the “last of its kind” story.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.2L F22C DOHC VTEC inline-four
- Horsepower: 237 hp @ 7,800 rpm
- Torque: 162 lb-ft @ 6,800 rpm
- Length: 162.2 inches
- Width: 68.9 inches
5. Honda S2000 CR
Here’s the first contradiction on this list. The S2000 CR is arguably Honda’s most talked-about modern collectible. Yet it doesn’t crack the top half of this ranking. Rarer, older specials still outvalue it at auction. Honda built the CR, short for Club Racer, starting in 2007. It stripped weight and sharpened the suspension for track use.
An aluminum hardtop replaced the folding soft top. That alone shaved meaningful weight off the nose. Honda called it the closest thing to a factory race car with license plates. Around 650 units were built in total.
Clean examples have crossed six figures at major auctions in recent years. Some have pushed toward the quarter-million mark. Still, its comparatively higher production numbers keep it behind rarer NSX variants. Fame doesn’t always equal top dollar.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.2L F22C DOHC VTEC inline-four
- Horsepower: 237 hp @ 7,800 rpm
- Torque: 162 lb-ft @ 6,800 rpm
- Length: 162.2 inches
- Width: 68.9 inches
4. Honda NSX-R (NA2)
Honda revived the NSX-R nameplate in 2002 for a Japan-only special. It was based on the facelifted NA2 chassis. This was Honda’s answer to a decade of supercar evolution. Rivals had caught up, so Honda sharpened the NSX to compete again. The 3.2-liter V6 got new internals over the standard NSX. Output landed right at Japan’s informal horsepower ceiling of the era.
Honda fitted a stiffer suspension and lighter wheels. Carbon-ceramic brake options later followed on the NSX-R GT variant. Curb weight dropped to roughly 2,800 pounds. That made it noticeably sharper than the standard NSX around a track.
Only a limited run left the Suzuka plant. Most stayed in Japan, which restricts supply for global collectors today. Auction results have pushed well past the original sticker price. Some pristine examples now trade for several times their original cost.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.2L C32B DOHC VTEC V6
- Horsepower: 276 hp @ 7,300 rpm
- Torque: 224 lb-ft @ 5,300 rpm
- Length: 174.4 inches
- Width: 71.3 inches
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3. Honda NSX Type S
This is the second contradiction on the list. The modern NSX Type S is Honda’s newest flagship, yet it lands outside the top two. Honda revealed it in 2022 as the send-off for the second-generation NSX. Only 350 units were built worldwide.
Power jumped thanks to turbochargers borrowed from the NSX GT3 race program. All four wheels received the extra output through a hybrid all-wheel-drive system.
A larger carbon fiber spoiler and new five-spoke wheels widened the car’s stance. Interior changes were modest but deliberate. The original MSRP already sat near $170,000. Fully loaded examples pushed past $200,000 out the door.
Because it’s the newest car on this list, values haven’t fully settled yet. Early resale numbers already show strong appreciation. Its combination of hybrid technology and small production run guarantees long-term collector interest. It just isn’t Honda’s single most valuable car yet.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.5L JNC1 twin-turbo V6 hybrid
- Horsepower: 600 hp combined
- Torque: 492 lb-ft combined
- Length: 178.5 inches
- Width: 76.3 inches
2. Honda NSX Zanardi Edition
Honda built this 1999 special to honor Alex Zanardi’s back-to-back CART championships. Only 51 units were ever produced. Every one used the mid-mounted 3.2-liter V6 from the standard NSX-T.
But weight-saving changes made it noticeably sharper to drive. Honda deleted power steering entirely on this model. It also fitted a fixed roof instead of the removable Targa panel.
A single-pane rear window and lightweight forged BBS wheels cut further weight. The finished car weighed about 150 pounds less than a standard NSX. Pop-up headlights and a signature red-over-black colorway made it instantly recognizable. Most were finished in New Formula Red paint.
Recent auction estimates have placed clean examples between $240,000 and $280,000. Some damaged or high-mileage cars have still sold for over $100,000. With only 51 built, the Zanardi Edition ranks among the rarest street-legal Hondas anywhere. Scarcity alone secures its high position here.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.2L C32B DOHC V6
- Horsepower: 290 hp @ 7,100 rpm
- Torque: 224 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm
- Length: 174.2 inches
- Width: 71.3 inches
1. Honda HSC Concept
The most expensive Honda ever made never reached a single customer. It was a pure concept car, shown once and never sold. Honda revealed the HSC at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2003. Speculation immediately pegged it as the next NSX successor.
It shared the same mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout as the outgoing NSX. Dimensions were nearly identical to Honda’s flagship sports car of the time.
The aluminum 3.5-liter V6 sat amidships, just like its predecessor. Swan-style doors and CCD cameras replacing side mirrors signaled real ambition. An all-aluminum frame carried carbon fiber body panels. That construction kept the concept remarkably light for its size.
Honda ultimately shelved the project. Company leadership confirmed years later that it was only a technical bridge toward a future car. Only one HSC was ever built, and it was never intended for sale. Today it’s valued at roughly $2 million, making it Honda’s single most expensive creation ever.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.5L i-VTEC V6
- Horsepower: 300+ hp
- Torque: not officially disclosed
- Length: 167.3 inches
- Width: 74.8 inches
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