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For the upcoming 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship season, the sequence’ premier Daytona Prototype Worldwide (DPi) racing class will probably be rechristened Grand Touring Prototype. The title harkens again to the sanctioning physique’s 1981-1993 golden age, higher often known as “GTP.”
IMSA is additional flipping the script with a raft of recent laws, together with instituting a standardized hybrid-assist system. Geared toward rising gas economic system and sustainability, the group’s directives have despatched opponents again to the drafting board, together with defending-champion Acura. Honda’s luxurious model is responding to the green-tinged rulebook with this all-new ARX-06 Le Mans Daytona hybrid, set to debut Friday at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering throughout Monterey Automobile Week.
Acura ARX-06 race automotive
This rear-drive LMDh racer is powered by a purpose-built twin-turbo 2.4-liter V-6 from Honda Efficiency Growth backed by the aforementioned series-mandated hybrid {hardware}. A standardized Bosch Motor Generator Unit lives within an Xtrac 6-speed sequential gearbox backed by a Williams Superior Engineering battery. Output is quoted at 500 kw, or 680 hp, to satisfy sequence targets.
IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship will mandate certainly one of 4 prototype chassis subsequent season. Unsurprisingly, having gained a number of DPi championships in recent times with Oreca, Acura has primarily based the ARX-06 on the constructor’s new LMDh chassis.
Acura officers say the GTP class’ parameters have been designed to draw new opponents, partially by enabling groups to type entrants that look extra like automakers’ road-going fashions. We’re unsure what Acura avenue automotive appears to be like like this, however we dig the ARX-06’s getup nonetheless. Its look comes courtesy of the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, having gone by way of the same design course of because the automaker’s manufacturing fashions. With the outgoing ARX-05 DPi, the Acura LA crew’s affect had been restricted to designing the nostril, so the possibility to pen a whole automotive should’ve been an thrilling problem.
Acura ARX-06 race automotive
The ARX-06 retains the hammerhead visage of its predecessor, up to date to incorporate numerous visible cues impressed by the brand new NSX Kind S, in addition to bigger chicane-style headlamps. The latter got here in response to suggestions from the drivers, who complained that the ARX-05’s lights had been a blind spot for nighttime racing.
Acura’s ARX-06 makes its competitors debut this January within the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing campaigning the brand new automotive. The kickoff venue is suitable, as a result of Acura is the race’s defending champ, having scored a 1-2 end on the legendary enduro in 2022.
—by Chris Paukert