Acura has taken the camo off its ARX-06 to give us our first clear look at the brand’s new LMDh car that will compete in the 2023 IMSA Sportscar Championship, where it will look to follow on from its Manufacturers’ Championship triumph in 2022.
We’ve seen it out on track already putting in plenty of testing laps, but it’s scheduled to make its competitive debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January in the new GTP category.
It’s the latest of the IMSA class of 2023 to be unveiled ahead of the season getting underway, and it will join the BMW M Hybrid V8, Porsche 963 and as yet un-named Cadillac on the GTP grid.
The car itself is based on the new-generation Oreca LMP2 chassis, and Acura has styled the bodywork with several cues from its road car line-up, including those striking LED headlights.
It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.4-litre V6 developed by Honda (revving up to 10,000rpm, mated to a spec IMSA hybrid system and producing the 680PS (500kW) allowed under the LMDh regulations.
The ARX-06 is due to be unveiled in the metal in California on Friday 19th August as we head towards the start of the 2023 season.
"Precision Crafted Performance is at the heart of everything Acura does," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and Acura brand officer. "If you're a performance brand, you have to go racing. It's that simple.
“Now, with the introduction of the new, electrified Acura ARX-06, we look forward to facing off against other premium automotive brands from around the world – and continuing our winning ways."
Acura
ARX-06
LMDh
GTP
IMSA
Daytona 24