With the release of the latest generation NSX, Acura showed us a GT3 counterpart to the street car that would be set to start racing in 2017. As the calendar year comes to an end, and 2017 approaches rapidly, we are getting quite close to the racing season for this new NSX GT3. As such, the 2017 Acura NSX GT3 Racecar will make an appearance at SEMA 2016.
As we know, the stock NSX comes with a twin-turbo V6 and a set of electric motors to put power to the ground. But because this is GT3 racing, the electric motors have been ditched and the NSX GT3 will be powered exclusively by the same 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V6, presumably with a significant power increase and power going to the two rear wheels only. Rather than the fancy 9-speed automatic transmission found in the street car, the NSX GT3 will have a six-speed sequential gearbox, better suited for racing. The NSX GT3 is set to compete in two different series, the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
For the reveal at SEMA 2016, Acura have pulled out a few more stops and towed the not-so-street-legal NSX GT3 out behind a custom 2017 MDX featuring matching livery and trailer. As with any car that has a GT3 variant, the NSX should benefit greatly from the development necessary to produce a GT3 caliber race car.
Perhaps what is more exciting is the prospect that this gives us for a hardcore, yet street-legal, version of the NSX that may feature less technology and more weight reduction instead. Likely to receive the Type-R name and subsequent red badges, this ‘purified’ NSX could be more of an homage to the first car from the late 90’s. Lightweight, agile, raw, and above all, fast. These qualities made the original NSX one of the best cars of its time and there are a fair amount of people that wish the current car was a bit more like the original. Maybe they will finally get what they’re looking for all thanks to this GT3 variant.
The SEMA show will run from November 1-4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Stay tuned to TFLcar for more coverage from the show.
Roman, of course, has had a chance to drive the street-going NSX and the original NSX at the same time, both on the road and on the track. To see what he made of the new car, be sure to watch the video below:
