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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:

2019 Acura NSX gets a refresh and an eye-catching new color

After two model years and about 1,000 deliveries to the U.S., Acura's given the 2019 model a few enhancements and a small price bump. The car debuted at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering, during the festivities surrounding Pebble Beach. While there are no major powertrain changes, some new color options and a few chassis refinements will be appreciated by NSX fans. Let's start with the hardware, since this is a sports car, after all. Most important, there's new all-season rubber, still Continental SportContacts but the next version thereof — the 6. Acura claims better handling in all conditions, and the way tire technology has been improving, we'd believe it. The optional Pirelli Trofeo Rs remain — and remain highly recommended for anyone looking to sample the NSX on track, which is an exhilarating experience. Acura says the rest of the enhancements we'll mention shaved a full two seconds off the car's time at Suzuka, so take that for what it's worth. They consist of a 26 percent stiffer front sway bar and 19 percent stiffer rear bar; 21 percent stiffer rear toe link bushings; a 6 percent stiffer rear hub; and a new software calibration for the computer controlled bits: the SH-AWD system, magnetorheological dampers, electric power steering, and stability control systems. For a car as precisely engineered as the NSX, these are relatively significant improvements. Don't necessarily expect it to shave two seconds off your personal best lap time, but if you're highly attuned to the chassis dynamics, the '19 NSX should offer more precise and direct feedback to the driver. No need to be precisely attuned to the cosmetic changes — they're pretty obvious. Thermal Orange, a new exterior color, and the chrome beak-ectomy (it's not body colored) crown the exterior changes. Inside, the leather/Alcantara combo seats are now available in blue, and the full leather seats can be had in red. While the price for the 2019 model has gone up by $1,500, Acura says that there's now $4,700 in formerly optional equipment (power seats, satnav, premium audio, parking sensors, and sport pedals) included as standard equipment. That sounds like a good deal to us. If you want one, the order books are open and cars will be delivered starting in October. Related Video:

Honda sending two NSX racers and new EV concept to Pikes Peak

Honda is always good for a few interesting Pikes Peak entries. In 2015, Acura supplied a 2017 NSX prototype for pace-car duty. This time around, two NSXes will compete alongside a reconfigured version of the company's four-motor electric racecar. Those aren't the 2016 entries above. The one on the right is last year's pace car and the one on the left is a first-gen NSX that did the hillclimb the past few years. The 2016 cars haven't been unveiled yet, but we know that one will be in the Time Attack 2 Production class, which is mostly stock with the addition of items like a roll cage, and the other will be in Time Attack 1. TA 1 allows modifications to the powertrain, additional aero aids, suspension changes, and other tweaks, so expect to see a lot more power and a big wing on the back. The cars will be driven by James and Nick Robinson, brothers who work for Honda R&D in Ohio. Honda will use a version of the four-motor electric powertrain from its 2015 CR-Z Exhibition class entry in a new EV. (We got to drive a non-race tune of this setup in Japan last year.) The 2016 version, which will wear a different body, moves to the Electric - Electric Modified class of last year's frontrunners. We're told this car is aiming for an overall win at the 2016 race; the CR-Z took 11th place overall in 2015. The EV will again be driven by Tetsuya Yamano, a Japanese Super GT driver. Oh, and there will of course be a factory entry or two from Honda's Powersports division. Honda engineer Keith Steidl will ride a 2015 TRX1000 ATV in the Pikes Peak Challenge - Exhibition Powersport class. In the past, Honda has fielded plenty of other neat stuff in the Race to the Clouds. In 2012, it ran an NSX fitted with a twin-turbo V6 from an LMP2 car, and the 2013 race saw the very practical 532-horsepower turbocharged Odyssey minivan join the Exhibition class. The 2016 race marks the Pikes Peak hillclimb's 100th anniversary (but not the 101st running since competition took some breaks back in wartime). We're looking forward to June already. Related Video: Image Credit: Honda Green Motorsports Acura Honda Electric Hybrid Racing Vehicles pikes peak exclusive