Acura earlier in August announced that the 2022 model year will be the last for its NSX, and that it will offer a more powerful NSX Type S variant to mark the end of the supercar's run.
Well, the NSX may be disappearing from showrooms in the not too distant future, but it will remain on the racetrack for a few more years still.
Acura on Thursday unveiled an updated NSX GT3 Evo22 race car, which starts racing in 2022 and is homologated through 2024. It is eligible for multiple competitions including several sanctioned by IMSA and SRO, as well as Japan's Super GT.
This is actually the second update for the NSX GT3 racer which first appeared in 2017. The first update was introduced in 2019. It isn't clear whether teams running earlier versions will be able to upgrade to the new Evo22 spec.
2019 Acura NSX and Acura NSX GT3 Evo
What does the new spec bring? Key changes include upgraded intercoolers for the car's 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6, revised spring rates and suspension geometry adjustments, increased fluid tank sizes for endurance racing, wheel system revisions for faster tire changes, and the FIA-mandated rain light. There are also new options for air conditioning and lighting systems.
Note, NSX race cars skip the electric motors of their road-going counterparts, meaning drive is to the rear wheels only. The race cars also use a 6-speed sequential transmission instead of the road car's 9-speed dual-clutch 'box.
Production of the race cars is handled by JAS Motorsport in Milan, Italy, using chassis sourced from the NSX plant in Marysville, Ohio.
The earlier cars have proven quite successful. The NSX GT3 and later NSX GT3 Evo have recorded 25 class wins in IMSA GTD and SRO GT competition. In other words, the new NSX GT3 Evo22 has some big shoes to fill.
