Until now, we’d only laid eyes on various 2015 Acura NSX concepts and prototypes on auto show stands or rolling in virtual reality. But, thanks to these photos, posted this morning to Acura’s social media channels, we have our first look at the 2015 NSX rolling on a road course.
According to Acura’s Twitter feed, this new NSX prototype will perform a public lap of the Mid-Ohio road course track on August 4th, just prior to the Honda Indy 200 IndyCar race.
We’re not sure yet if the 2015 NSX’s setting signifies its forthcoming manufacturing home in Ohio, or is somehow related to the NSX’s future in racing . The first point is officially on the record, and the second possibility is something of a poorly-kept secret. When the initial Acura NSX concept was unveiled at the 2012 Detroit auto show, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito openly suggested the 2015 NSX could spawn a racing variant.
In all likelihood, we suspect the 2015 NSX will be the basis for several racing variants. A release issued by Honda this March focused on the automaker’s partnership with Magnetti Marelli for IndyCar powertrain components, but suggested the relationship would also extend to a Honda entry in the FIA’s World Endurance Challenge — the same series that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and the newly combined American Le Mans / Grand-Am series by 2014. Meanwhile, a user on motorsports forum www.ten-tenths.org posted photos yesterday of what it claims is an NSX racer designed for Japan’s Super GT series.
Both ideas seem to gel with what Steve Eriksen, vice president of Honda Performance Development, told Speed.com in 2012, fresh off the heels of the NSX concept’s debut in Detroit.
“We’re studying the various series and seeing what would make sense,” he said. “There’s certainly regional series that have been traditional NSX venues; Honda has raced in Super GT for years and in the past been NSX-based.
“In America, there’s only a couple of sports car options, but certainly, I think Le Mans is ultimately where it makes great sense to have a car to show its prowess. But I think it all depends on where the regulations go in the future.”
We’ve heard whispers that a formal announcement regarding the 2015 Acura NSX’s future in motorsports is due shortly, so stay tuned to Automobilemag.com for the latest NSX news.
Source;
http://rumors.automobilemag.com/2015-acura-nsx-spied-on-a-real-racetrack-236275.html#photos-hanger
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