Acura Motorsports today have released the first images of the company’s new Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototype, which will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hybrid-powered GTP category beginning in 2023.
The Acura ARX-06 [Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 6] carries forward a line of Acura and HPD branded prototypes that go back to 199, just five years after the launch of the Acura brand back in 1986.
Exterior styling of the newest prototype race car was led by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, in conjunction with Honda Performance Development, the racing arm for Acura Motorsports and Honda Racing in North America, and chassis-supplier ORECA [ORganisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles].
“The process we used in creating the exterior design for the Acura ARX-06 is exactly the same as how we create a new Acura passenger vehicle,” said Dave Marek, Acura Executive Creative Director.
“The same world-class stylists that lead Acura production car design created initial sketches, then pared those down to several potential designs. Next we created a scale model, did aero and wind tunnel model testing, and brought HPD and our partner teams in for their feedback.,” Marek recounted. “The design continued to be refined throughout the testing and evaluation process, until we came up with a final treatment that met our performance goals while maintaining all-important Acura styling cues. It’s been an exciting process.”
Based on the ORECA LMDh chassis, the ARX-06 will feature Acura-specific bodywork, aerodynamics and an internal combustion power unit.
Acura will continue its partnerships with the proven, race- and championship-winning Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing organizations to campaign the hybrid-powered Acura entries in 2023.
