Rocky mountain high (speed): Acura to field two NSXs, NSX-inspired electric prototype at Pikes Peak
All three cars will compete in different classes, with accomplished Pikes Peak drivers taking each wheel.
Considering Acura unveiled a GT3 NSX racecar at this year's New York Auto Show, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the race series would be where the NSX gets its start in motorsport. As it turns out, the 2017 Acura NSX's motorsports debut will actually take place at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb later this month. And it only gets better from there.
Acura will field two NSXs (NSXes?) this year. The first, a stock model with safety additions only, will run in the Time Attack 2 class, while a modified NSX with chassis lightening and a custom exhaust will run in Time Attack 1.
The Time Attack 2 NSX will put James Robinson, a member of Honda's powertrain development group, behind the wheel. His brother, Nick, an engineer on the NSX project, will handle the Time Attack 1 car. James previously drove a first-generation NSX up Pikes Peak, and Nick won the PP250 motorcycle class last year.
But that's not all. Acura is also bringing out what it calls "an NSX-inspired prototype vehicle" in the hill climb's Electric Modified class. Honda did something similar with a CR-Z based prototype last year, and it won the Challenge Exhibition class.
This new model will feature three times the power from its four individual electric motors, all of which is bolted to an NSX body. Yipes. At the helm is Tetsuya Yamano, who drove the CR-Z prototype to its class victory last year. The hill climb kicks off on June 26.