There was rampant speculation around arrival of a racing version of the new NSX after the hybrid road car debuted. Honda then proceeded to show it off at the 2016 New York Auto Show.
Not much has emerged about the lightened track-stormer until now, in which the car is shown by the company’s North American mirror brand Acura undergoing some testing with no livery or even paint work to distract from the bare body to accentuate its carbon fibre weave.
If the original second-generation NSX was a technical achievement that demanded looks of admiration, this GT3 is instead just plain evil by comparison.
The NSX GT3, according to Acura, will be competing in an as-yet unconfirmed North American racing series in 2017, but we’re not ruling out Honda’s possible plans to announce its participation it in other forms of motorsport as well such as the FIA GT3 series or perhaps even offer a more track-focused version for customers to own.
The differences between the road going NSX and the GT3 are numerous. So much so, in fact, that perhaps stating its sibling relationship seems tenuous. As you can see, there’s much more carbon fibre involved in its construction and modified panels to facilitate aerodynamics and cooling have been added.
More than that, the hybrid component of the NSX has been removed to save weight but leaves the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine mounted amidships. Only in the GT3, it has been race-tuned to probably an inch of its life.
Without the electric motors providing power and drive to the front wheels, the NSX GT3 is therefore exclusively rear-driven. Meanwhile, the dual-clutch transmission has been replaced in favour of a 6-speed sequential box.
For more on Honda vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
