Some of us dream about owning a Honda NSX. Some of us have aspirations of owning a race car. Well, now you can realise both ambitions in one shot with the new Honda NSX GT3.
Believe it or not, the awesome clump of metal in these pictures will go on sale to the customer race teams at some point in 2018.
The NSX GT3 has won multiple races in the US-based IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and it has now been made eligible for several race series, including the Nurburgring 24-Hour race, Australian GT Championship and Pirelli World Challenge.
We’ve already gushed at length over the long-awaited NSX hybrid supercar and this racer shares much in common with the regular production car.
It is powered by the same 3.5-litre V6 engine, using the same block, heads, crankshaft, pistons and dry-sump lubrication system as the production NSX, and shares the same clean-sheet design, multimaterial space frame that makes the production car so rigid.
However, the GT3 racer does without the fiddly hybrid bits, in a bid to minimise weight and adhere to race rules. Another key change is the fact that power is sent through a six-speed sequential gearbox, rather than a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Additionally, the car has been optimised for high-speed aerodynamics with the addition of larger front cooling intakes, underbody diffuser and large rear wing.
Honda insists the NSX GT3 racer was always part of the plan, being developed alongside the second-generation NSX with the aim of developing “a sophisticated supercar with bare-knuckles racing chops”.
“We have already seen the quality of the car proven by its victories in the USA and its ability to convincingly lead the Daytona 24 Hours on its series debut,” said Robert Watherston, head boss of motorsport at Honda Europe.
“With the customer support of Honda, JAS Motorsport, HPD and Mugen, we look forward to seeing the NSX fighting for victory in the most prestigious GT3 races in the world.”
So, how much will it cost?
Upwards of €465,000 (around £416k) and that just gets you the car.
A mandatory spares package will hit you for €90,000 while race support and training from JAS Motorsport will set you back even more.
For more articles like this, receive our weekly e-newsletter, including partner deals and all things motoring, register your email below.
Please note: You cannot subscribe to Smart-Motoring unless you put a tick in the checkbox below to indicate have read and agreed to our privacy policy.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.