Honda to Race Acura NSX

[NSX69]

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120320/MOTORSPORTS/120329988
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Honda to race new Acura NSX

By: Gary Watkins on March 20, 2012 ​

Roger Hart - Honda Performance Development is not saying where or when the Acura NSX will race.

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Honda plans a motorsports future for the next-generation Acura NSX hybrid sports car unveiled in concept form at January's Detroit auto show.


Honda Performance Development president Erik Berkman revealed that plans to race the mid-engined car are already under discussion. He said that Honda will most likely develop the NSX to take on Ferrari, Porsche and Chevrolet in accordance with the Le Mans GTE rule book.


“The new NSX is being designed and built in America and will be developed for racing in the U.S. by HPD,” he said. “I think it will be raced in GTE, but that is being studied right now. We are looking to see how many variations of the car we can do for various classes.

“What we are saying is that the car will race but not where and when.”


Berkman said that discussions are under way already with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest at Le Mans and that they encompass the inclusion of hybrid race cars in GTE.


The new NSX, shown at Detroit with a 3.5-liter V6 combined with Acura's hybrid all-wheel-drive system and two electric motors, is due to go on sale in 2014, and Berkman said he expects it will race in 2015.

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[Juice]

Best news I've heard all day!!!

 

[swbatte]

That is encouraging. Racing = development & hopefully access to factory motorsports parts etc.

 

[Chu_Viet]

Come on Honda! Let's get it!

 

[EAC]

Did honda race the first NSX?

 

[NetViper]

Wonder if they will make a non hybrid racing version.

 

[sadlerau]

Did honda race the first NSX?

Apart from the SuperGT Championship in Japan, they had semi factory starts at the Le Mans 24 Hour race in the early-mid ninties. Even won it's class one year.

 

[sadlerau]

Wonder if they will make a non hybrid racing version.

I doubt it very much as it would dilute the main program - to race a hybrid :wink:

 

[itrsteve]

Did honda race the first NSX?

In addition to the others, Realtime Racing also had NSX. It mostly ran 96-98 in the GrandAm GT class and did very well. I hope classing will allow them to sneak another one in.

 

[blue_myriddn]

this is great news!

 

[NSX2398]

Interesting .. I just tried to find that article and it came back with "We're sorry, but the page you requested is no longer available or not found on our server." I tried searching on the article number (120329988) and it seemed to find the article but wouldn't display it.
Maybe they didn't want some/all of that information out there.

 

[NSXrunner]

Win on Sunday...Sell on Monday.

Works for me. :biggrin:

 

[CL65 Captain]

Believe it when I see it. Honda has never been a big promoter of "factory" sponsored teams. Ya, they'll sell you engines and support it for a price.

 

[myhui]

Bad news. That means engine capacity will be arbitrarily capped just to fit into one class.

Never again!!!

They did that last time.

 

[scorp965]

HPD has some cool development people; didn't they build a GT35R Odyssey 'Racing' Minivan for One Lap a few years back?

 

[Gansan]

In addition to the others, Realtime Racing also had NSX. It mostly ran 96-98 in the GrandAm GT class and did very well. I hope classing will allow them to sneak another one in.

Small correction: SCCA World Challenge GT class

 

[itrsteve]

Small correction: SCCA World Challenge GT class

I'm a dummy and regularly flip flop those, I realize it every time I'm trying to find an upcoming race on the DVR to record.

 

[jond]

Did honda race the first NSX?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nGvA-o_D0k8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[scorp965]

HPD has some cool development people; didn't they build a GT35R Odyssey 'Racing' Minivan for One Lap a few years back?

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2007-one-lap-of-america-1st-suv-05-honda-odyssey-page-5

 

[Juice]

There was also the Honda of America Racing Team. I almost broke down and bought this NSX, but is was track only so it would never see the road. :frown: