The inaugural LMDh prototype race car class of 2023 is poppin’ off. We’ve already seen teasers or fully blown offerings from BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche. Now it’s Acura’s turn to hop into the spotlight.
Acura on Wednesday unveiled the ARX-06. The ARX-06, which stands for “Acura Racing Experimental, Generation 6,” will make its competition debut at the Rolex 24 in Daytona, Florida, this coming January. Ahead of that, it’ll take a bow in front of the public at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, which is part of the annual Monterey Car Week festivities taking place this week.
LMDh cars must receive their chassis from one of four approved manufacturers: Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic or Oreca. In Acura’s case, it worked with Oreca for the ARX-06’s carbon-fiber chassis, with the body’s design work coming out of the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles. The ARX-06’s future drivers also had a say, donning VR goggles for virtual cockpit evaluations during the design process. In fact, their contributions directly improved aerodynamics, as they suggested a lower overall placement for the side mirrors.
The hybrid system is the same for all competitors and is supplied, but each automaker must provide its own internal-combustion engine for these hybrid race cars. Honda Performance Development created a bespoke 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 for the job — in fact, this is the smallest displacement gas engine that HPD has created specifically for endurance racing. That should save a bit of engine weight over cars like the Cadillac Project GTP Hypercar, which uses a 5.5-liter V8. But, considering all competitors have a mandated curb weight of 1,050 kilograms, or about 2,300 pounds, Acura will simply end up with some mass-based leeway in other parts of vehicle development. A six-speed sequential racing transmission handles the cog-swapping duties.
While LMDh cars are technically capable of competing in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and its European counterpart, the FIA World Endurance Championship, it appears the Acura ARX-06 is staying Stateside for now. It’ll compete in WeatherTech’s series, continuing the automaker’s partnerships with both Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing.
