There are driving videos, and then there are driving videos. This one’s the latter: Ayrton Senna wheelin’ an NSX-R in your grandpa’s leather loafers. Suzuka circuit. Not a got-dang helmet in sight.
If you haven’t watched this before, prepare for glory.
We love this video because it shows an impossibly stylized version of the way Ayrton Senna drove his race cars, something closer to rolling rock ‘n’ roll than racecraft. You know the way a Jack White riff clings together by its threads as the very seams of time-space tear around the guitar? That’s how we remember Senna’s driving.
The man rode the edge. It’s why this video of Senna at the launch of the Honda NSX-R, circa 1992, has become a near-biblical touchstone for enthusiasts.
That touchstone quality has aged like a fine Bordeaux, especially as the lens of our cultural nostalgia has fixed on the ‘90s. The video’s ‘90s affectations feel so twee and ancient in 2024, namely the ankle pants, funny little circular sunglasses, and of course, those infamous tube socks (nobody could have made this Urkel fit cool but Ayrton Senna).
But there’s something timeless in this video, too, a treasure worth unearthing: Japan’s love for Senna. The people swarming Senna are stand-ins for a nation; Japanese fans cheered on Senna unlike any other driver of the era.
At the surface level, the Senna-Japan connection was forged by his ties to Honda Motorsport, a company that powered the Brazilian’s best years in Formula 1. By rooting for Senna, Japanese fans in turn rooted for the home team. (Do note, however, that none of Senna’s teammates—including serial champion Alain Prost—enjoyed the favoritism of Honda or Japanese fans like Senna did).
But there was more to it than that, a cultural appreciation for Senna that extended beyond his heavy right foot and Honda power. The Japanese people identified something in Senna that resonated.
It’s all here in the video, plain to see.
Thanks to our friends at Built By Legends, who once brought Best Motoring to our computer monitors here in North America, Motor1 interviewed the producer who set up the cameras for Senna’s now-infamous blast in the white NSX-R.
To be completely clear: If you love this exact clip of Ayrton Senna, his methodical and rhythmic working of the NSX-R’s pedals—and the pristine view of those tube socks—you have Yasuhiko Tanabe to thank.
Tanabe worked as both a producer on that fateful day, and as the former Editor-In-Chief of Best Motoring, he said via translated email. (Our many grateful thanks to both Mr. Tanabe and our friends at BBL for their time and the translation, respectively).
[Senna] rode the edge. It’s why this video of Senna at the launch of the Honda NSX-R, circa 1992, has become a near-biblical touchstone for enthusiasts.
“At that time, it was customary for Honda-contracted drivers to drive Honda cars and interact with the press on the day after the F1 race sponsored by Honda,” Tanabe said. Before filming Senna on that fateful day, Tanabe covered similar drives with Lotus driver Nelson Piquet in 1988 and Tyrrell’s Stefano Modena in 1991.
“I remember that when Senna won his second championship in 1991, he cancelled the event, so only Modena came.”
That earlier cancellation meant the NSX-R launch tingled with anticipation. Even the Best Motoring producer who’d worked with F1 stars up close felt a sense of the occasion. Senna was different gravy.
The fact this film exists was more like a stroke of luck than a marketing exercise, Tanabe explained, which lends the footage its casual-but-visceral edge.
“Actually, the main reason the Best Motoring team was present at Suzuka was because we were shooting the NSX-R with Motoharu Kurosawa… the day before and early morning of the Senna event,” Tanabe said. “Since we had already finished shooting, we pitched Honda the idea of a video segment of the Senna event. They accepted our proposal, and this is how that Best Motoring video piece became a reality.”
Fans of Best Motoring’s infamous videos will likely have a lightbulb moment, the same as I did, when they recognize the video layout—angled views of both the tach and the driver’s feet—grafted over the cockpit footage. It’s classic Best Motoring.
“Naturally, we set the foot cam shooting at Senna's feet,” Tanabe said. “We didn't realize how beautifully, cleanly, and clearly Senna moved his feet until we checked the recording.”
The fact this film exists was more like a stroke of luck than a marketing exercise.
The camera was a SONY CCD, about the size of a middle finger, Tanabe said, linked to a recorder that sat in the NSX-R’s passenger seat. Aiming the camera was no chore, since Best Motoring had pioneered, practiced, and perfected the angle.
In pit lane, Tanabe buckled Senna into the NSX and pointed out the cameras to explain how they were set up.
“Senna with a small voice just said, ‘OK.’”
Senna took off, leaving only a greasy smoking eleven where the NSX-R once sat, a crush of excited onlookers in his wake. The Brazilian drove quickly out of frame while the crowd waited anxiously for his return.
“I can't say [much about how his driving looked from the outside], since all we could see from us was the West straight in front of us, but Senna had the pedal to the metal for sure,” Tanabe said. “Of course I was excited. I was a driver myself at the time, so here he is, the fastest and the best in the world.”
Tanabe would’ve loved to snag a picture with Senna, who was only an arms-length away, but the constraints of the shoot and abiding professionalism got in the way.
“The Honda representative was just showing us around, so it was like everyone was trying to figure out how close we could get to Senna, but trying not to get too close,” Tanabe said. “It was not like I was nervous, but more like I was interviewing Shohei Ohtani, who suddenly appeared in front of you; You know like a superstar.”
“But I was there to make a special segment, and I knew I couldn't mess it up.” It was all over in a flash, Tanabe noted.
“When Senna arrived, he circled around the NSX-R, got into the car, and took off. I think he returned to the pit immediately after two laps,” Tanabe said. “After he got out of the car, I remember he left the track in a hurry after giving his driving impression. I think it must have been about 20 minutes for the whole thing.”
Senna was all smiles for the press, but as quickly as he arrived, Senna vanished. This video endures as a statement of time, place, and a certain magical connection between Japan and a driver.
“I think Japanese people fell in love with Senna because of the story of Senna and Soichiro Honda,” Tanabe said. “Honda at that time had captured the hearts of Japanese motorsports fans. Its founder, Soichiro Honda, is a success story that represents not only motorsport fans but also Japan itself.”
“When the driver is a Brazilian who calls [Soichiro Honda] “father,” and who also has close ties to Japan, it is no surprise that the Japanese fans are rooting for him.”
Plus, Tanabe said, Senna had a certain nobility that explained his appeal to Japanese fans.
“I can only judge this by my impression through the media, but I can say that he does not show emotion, respects others, and speaks politely, which are also virtues that Japanese people cherish....” Tanabe said. “In other words, he had the characteristics of a “Samurai,” a character that we can relate to.”
