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Acura NSX to race in GT3 or GTE

Honda is reportedly planning to roll out a racing version of the new Acura NSX. It just hasn't decided yet on which class it wants to enter it into, to whose specifications it will build it, and which department will be tasked with the project. The original NSX competed principally in Japan's own Super GT series. So did the subsequent HSV-010 GT that was originally designed to be the NSX's replacement. But Acura's new supercar is as much an American vehicle as a Japanese one, and as such it looks more likely to compete on American soil. The options which Honda is considering boil down to GTE and GT3. What's the difference, you ask? Until just a few years ago, international sports car racing was split between GT1, GT2, GT3, and (to a lesser extent) GT4 classes. GT1 was phased out in 2009, GT2 was reformatted into GTE (with both Pro and Am categories), while both GT3 and GT4 carried on. Today GTE is run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its associated championships around the globe: the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series, and the United SportsCar Championship. Meanwhile GT3 is run in series like the Blancpain Endurance Series and a growing number of regional championships. (GT4 is run in lower-level series for amateur racers.) Acura currently runs the TLX-GT in the Pirelli World Challenge here in America. But as the series moves to GT3 specifications as well, the company is facing the decision of either adapting the existing racer to the new regulations (and coming away with a potentially compromised package), or replace it entirely. The NSX could prove just the ticket, however the GTE class may ultimately give it more exposure. Whichever rulebook Acura opts to play by, it likely won't be running under hybrid power – an element which would add complication but not necessarily much benefit under current regulations. The automaker will also have to decide who will develop the new NSX racer, with both California-based Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Italian outfit JAS Motorsport (which fields Honda's WTCC team) eyed as potential candidates. Related Video:

Honda tags Civic, Accord, HR-V, Fit and more in fuel pump recall

American Honda Motor Company's recent issues with fuel pumps continue, as a new recall affects a large number of Honda and Acura vehicles from the 2018-2020 model years. The recall covers a total of 136,057 vehicles, including select 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX, and RLX Sport Hybrid models, as well as 2018-2019 Honda Accords, Civic Hatchbacks, Civic Type Rs, HR-Vs, 2019-2020 Insights, and 2019 Fits.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign No. 20V314000, published May 28, 2020, states that the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tanks of the aforementioned vehicles could falter or completely fail. Should the low-pressure fuel pump fail, the car could stall, regardless of its state of motion. Recall documents reveal fuel pump might fail due to swelling of the fuel pump motor impeller, which would cause the pump to seize. This issue is the result of a problem with how the parts were manufactured. These "lower density impellers" were "exposed to production solvent drying for longer periods of time." This caused some impellers to have surface cracking, which resulted in "excessive fuel absorption," which warps the impellers. Here's a breakdown of how many vehicles of each type were potentially affected:  2018-2019 Acura NSX: 146 2019 Acura RDX: 34,405 2019 RLX: 124 2019 RLX Sport Hybrid: 206 2018-2019 Honda Accord: 11,227 2018-2019 Civic Hatchback: 24,235 2018-2019 Civic Type R: 1,785 2018-2019 HR-V: 39,676 2019-2020 Insight: 14,959 2019 Fit: 9,294 Honda will notify owners to schedule an appointment with local dealerships. The fuel pump assembly on all affected vehicles will be replaced for free. For more information, visit NHTSA. Related Video:

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.