Motul has been all-in on retro cars recently. From for ‘80s and ‘90s engines, through to becoming an , it seems dedicated to automotive nostalgia. Now, it has brought those vintage vibes to a modern chassis: the 2022 Acura NSX Type S.

Motul and Acura are far from strangers. Motul has long been a , and will be an official sponsor of the upcoming . So, with that event marking fifty years of Motul’s 300V oil, why not design an NSX livery concept to celebrate?

Wrapping a decal scheme meant for retro race cars around modern street cars, with all their crumple zones and load-bearing pillars, is always a risky endeavor. Directly translating proportions, angles, and the overall shape of a livery on a body it wasn’t built for can make it look awkward and misshapen — not what you want.

Motul, in contrast, took the right approach: Rather than lifting a classic vinyl scheme directly off an existing vehicle, they designed a modern livery with classic inspiration. The sequence of lines down the side, thickest at the bottom and thinnest at the top, recalls Kaido-style graphics popular with boxy 80s cars. It also matches the decal on their ‘80s oil compounds, for what we in the business call brand consistency.

While putting a classic-looking livery on a modern chassis poses risks, manufacturers love doing it anyway. Ford’s are a recent example, but and are no strangers to the trend either. As the of pop culture nostalgia rolls on, I’d bet we’re going to see more and more ‘90s liveries replacing those hard ‘80s lines in heritage cars.

Maybe stop before we rehash the Fast and the Furious era, though. I’ve seen enough Bomex kits for one lifetime.