First Look – Acura NSX GT3 Racecar

Posted on 8 July 2016 by Ken Zino

AutoInformed.comAcura has released the first official images of the NSX GT3 racecar as it prepares to campaign in North America in 2017.  The twin-turbocharged Acura NSX GT3 was photographed with exposed, lightweight, carbon fiber bodywork at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, MI as part of its continued development at circuits throughout the U.S. The NSX GT3 racecar is slated for homologation as an FIA GT3 class racecar this fall. (See Acura NSX World Debut at 2015 NAIAS. GT Racing Planned)

The NSX GT3 is produced by the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, the exclusive manufacturing home for the new Acura NSX. (See 2017 Acura NSX Priced at $157,800 to $207,500 ) Its twin turbocharged V-6 engine is also assembled in Ohio, with globally sourced parts.

The Acura NSX GT3 racecar –  of course –  has custom bodywork and aero components, including a large deck wing spoiler, underbody diffuser and enlarged hood vents for engine cooling.  It is powered by a 3.5-liter, 75-degree, twin turbocharged DOHC V-6 engine that is said to use the same design specifications as the engine in the production 2017 Acura NSX, including the block, heads, valvetrain, crankshaft, pistons and dry sump lubrication system.  The engine is mated to a 6-speed, sequential-shift racing gearbox, delivering power to the rear wheels.

The initial development of the NSX GT3 racecar was conducted by the company’s Japan race engineering arm with testing on race circuits in Europe and Japan.  Additional development, testing and final homologation to FIA GT3 global racing specifications is currently being undertaken by the company’s North American race engineering group, Honda Performance Development (HPD), in Santa Clarita, California.

Enthusiasts know that Honda – no matter what marketing name is on the car –  is a feared competitor in sports car racing, and has the championships to prove it. The list includes the 1991, 1992 and 1993 IMSA Camel Lights manufacturer and driver championships, and the 2009 American LeMans manufacturer, driver and team championships in both the top LMP1 and LMP2 classes.  Acura currently campaigns a pair of TLX GT cars in the Pirelli World Challenge.

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About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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