Whether it was badged as a Honda or an Acura, the NSX GT3 enjoyed a solid eight-year run in the highest levels of GT racing in almost every corner of the world.
It was the racing version of the codename NC1 NSX, that launched in the preceding year and produced through 2021. The NSX GT3 retained the same 3.5 litre V6 twin-turbo engine as the road variant
Constructed by Honda in collaboration with Italy’s JAS Motorsport, the NSX GT3 made its debut at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona with two cars from Michael Shank Racing (MSR). By the end of summer, the NSX GT3 was a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – twice – and in the Pirelli World Challenge via fellow Acura loyalists RealTime Racing.
A successful first season in America was the precursor to the launch of a worldwide customer racing programme headed up by JAS Motorsport, M-TEC (Mugen Power), and Honda Performance Development (now Honda Racing Corporation US) in 2018.
This would see the NSX GT3 race in its home market in Japan for the first time – via Drago Corse and CarGuy Racing in the SUPER GT Series…
…and make its first ventures into the Spa 24 Hours via the factory-backed JAS Motorsport team.
Two evolutions were introduced across its lifespan, in 2019 and 2022, to help the car become a more consistent and comfortable vehicle for teams and drivers of all skill levels.
The first NSX GT3 Evo yielded the most successful season for its customers: First championships in IMSA (Meyer Shank Racing), SUPER GT (ARTA), and GT World Challenge America (Racers Edge Motorsports), along with a sixth-place overall finish at the Spa 24H.
More North American success followed in the pandemic-stricken 2020 season – though a first Intercontinental GT Challenge overall win at Kyalami was seemingly wrapped up only for a costly pit stop during a Full Course Yellow.
A second evolution – the Evo22 – debuted in 2022, and it achieved another fantastic season in multiple competitions: Racers Edge won its third GT World Challenge America championship in four years, GMB Motorsport won the Michelin Le Mans Cup title, and Gradient Racing finished the year with a last-to-first victory at Petit Le Mans.
The new Evo22 also continued to win races in SUPER GT GT300 via ARTA and then Team UPGarage, and in the GT World Challenge Asia series via Am/Am team Comet Racing.
Earlier this year it was confirmed that manufacturer support of the NSX GT3 would end after the 2024 racing season.
While the car is homologated to race in GT3 competition through 2029, the remaining NSX GT3 customers in IMSA, SUPER GT, and GT World Challenge America have already phased out their current cars, and it’s unlikely that outside of some of the lower-level national series (and historic events) that the car will continue to race.
The NSX GT3 won eight races and two sets of Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships in IMSA GTD, 30 races, three Drivers’ and two Teams’ championships in GT World Challenge America across the Pro/Silver and Pro-Am classes, and four races and one set of championship in SUPER GT. And this is just part of the NSX GT3’s story.
2017
IMSA SportsCar Championship – First GTD Victory (Detroit Belle Isle) – Michael Shank Racing
Pirelli World Challenge – First Victory – RealTime Racing
2019
IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTD Championship – Meyer Shank Racing
SUPER GT Series – GT300 Championship – ARTA
GT World Challenge America – Pro-Am Championship – Racers Edge Motorsports
SRO GT Sports Club – Championship – Jens Reno Møller
2020
IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTD Championship – Meyer Shank Racing
GT World Challenge America – Silver Championship – Racers Edge Motorsports
2021
Italian GT Championship – GT3 Am Endurance Championship – Nova Race
International GT Open – First Win – Reno Racing
2022
Petit Le Mans – GTD Class Victory – Gradient Racing
GT World Challenge America – Pro-Am Championship – Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR
Michelin Le Mans Cup – GT3 Championship – GMB Motorsport
Italian GT Championship – GT3 Sprint Championship and GT3 Am Endurance Championship – Nova Race
2024
Thailand Super Series – GT3 Championship – Singha Team Thailand
