2018 Acura ARX-05 Endurance Racer Bringing V6TT To Track

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ARX05_009

 

Acura racer… coming in hot!

This new ARX-05 will race in 2018 for Team Penske in the DPi class of endurance racers — some of the fiercest competitors on US tracks.

Acura’s motorsport V6TT serves here and will power the car for its Rolex 24 race premiere in Daytona.

On to the design!~

It is mean.  Mean and fast.

This nose tells cars in front: You’re About To Get Passed.

 

2017 Acura ARX-05

 

Acura Reveals Striking ARX-05 Prototype Race Car in Monterey; Debut Set for Daytona

– MONTEREY, Calif.
  • Acura to take on top WeatherTech SportsCar Championship category with renowned Team Penske running pair of Acura ARX-05s in 2018
  • ARX-05 will be displayed this week at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering; Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion; and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Concept Lawn

Acura today unveiled the new Acura ARX-05 prototype race car at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Acura Motorsports will join forces with the legendary Team Penske organization to field a pair of the new Daytona Prototype International (DPi) entries in the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The Acura ARX-05 (Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 5) is the latest in a line of endurance prototypes to be fielded by the brand dating to 1991, just five years after the 1986 launch of the Acura marque. Based on the very successful ORECA 07 chassis, the new ARX-05 prototype showcases Acura-specific bodywork and design features, including Acura’s signature Jewel Eye™ headlights, and utilizes the race-proven AR35TT twin-turbocharged engine, based on the production 3.5-liter V-6 that powers the Acura MDX, RDX, TLX and RLX models.

“At Acura, Precision Crafted Performance is at the heart of everything we do.” said Jon Ikeda, Acura vice-president and general manager. “Whether it is our production cars or a prototype race car, if you want to be a performance brand you need to perform.”

The multi-year DPi program will be administered by Honda Performance Development (HPD), the racing arm for both Acura Motorsports and Honda Racing in North America. The competition debut of the Team Penske Acura prototypes will take place at the season-opening Rolex 24 in January, 2018. One of the team’s two ARX-05 entries will be piloted by the legendary Juan Pablo Montoya along with sports car champion Dane Cameron. The second driver pairing will be announced at a later date.

“Right from the start, Acura has raced – and done so successfully,” said Art St. Cyr, President of HPD and Acura Motorsports. “We’ve won with the Acura Integra Type R, the RSX, the first-generation NSX and with the Le Mans prototypes. Most recently, we’ve won with the new Acura NSX GT3. The ARX-05 is our fifth-generation prototype, and we expect great things from our partnership with Team Penske.”

DPi rules require manufacturers to use one of four approved prototype chassis, fitted with IMSA-homologated, manufacturer-designed and branded bodywork and engines. In the case of the ARX-05, the bodywork was developed by a team led by Acura Global Creative Director Dave Marek.