For the upcoming 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship season, the collection’ 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 called “GTP.”
IMSA is additional flipping the script with a raft of recent rules, together with instituting a standardized hybrid-assist system. Geared toward rising gasoline financial system and sustainability, the group’s directives have despatched rivals 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 Automotive 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 Improvement 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 collection 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 based mostly the ARX-06 on the constructor’s new LMDh chassis.
Acura officers say the GTP class’ parameters have been designed to draw new rivals, partly by enabling groups to fashion entrants that look extra like automakers’ road-going fashions. We’re undecided what Acura avenue automotive seems like this, however we dig the ARX-06’s getup however. Its look comes courtesy of the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, having gone via the same design course of because the automaker’s manufacturing fashions. With the outgoing ARX-05 DPi, the Acura LA workforce’s affect had been restricted to designing the nostril, so the prospect to pen a complete 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 plenty of visible cues impressed by the brand new NSX Sort 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
