Acura Teases New ARX-06 LMDh Prototype Race Car
My brain hurts looking at this.
What's happening
Acura released the first teasers of its new ARX-06 race car.
Why it matters
It will join the new LMDh class in next season's IMSA series.
Acura's ARX-05 DPi prototype has been one of the best-looking race cars on the IMSA grid for years, and based on the first teaser's of the brand's follow-up racer, the ARX-06, that streak should continue. The sixth-generation prototype from Acura, the ARX-06 will compete in the new LMDh class for the 2023 season.
The ARX-06, which stands for 'Acura Racing Experimental, Generation 6,' was designed by the team at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, California, with Acura's stylists working alongside engineers from Honda Performance Development and chassis supplier Oreca. The process for designing the ARX-06 was the same as with a production car, with designers starting with sketching before moving to scale models and wind tunnel testing. It had to meet all performance goals while still having recognizable Acura design cues, which can be especially difficult with these radical prototype race cars.
It's like reading a Magic Eye book.
Its angular front end has huge spear-like LED lights, with their shape echoing the light signature of production cars like the Integra. The wild Type-S livery makes it difficult to see other details -- it's like those old Magic Eye books -- but the ARX-06 has a massive front splitter and rear diffuser, a sweet tailfin with a top-mounted wing, cool aero pass-through elements and blue brake calipers. As for powertrain, nothing has been announced beyond the fact that the ARX-06 will use a hybrid motor.
Acura says it will continue its partnerships with Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing for the 2023 season. The ARX-06's predecessor won the IMSA DPi championships in 2019 and 2020, took home victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2021 in 2022, and got podium finishes at other major races in 2021. The ARX-06 will share the track with other LMDh race cars from BMW, Cadillac and Porsche in 2023, with Alpine and Lamborghini joining in 2024.