Acura ARX-06 LMDh Prototype Teased

Acura Motorsports released the first images of the company’s new, hybrid Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototype, which will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hybrid-powered GTP category beginning in 2023. The ARX-06 nomenclature derives from Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 6. Acura Motorsports programs have been integral to the Acura brand since its launch in 1986. It currently campaigns the ARX-05 DPi in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and won the team, manufacturer, and driver championships in 2019 and 2020. It also won the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2021 and ’22, including a 1-2 finish at the 2022 twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.

Based on the ORECA LMDh chassis, the ARX-06 will feature Acura-specific bodywork, aerodynamics and internal combustion power unit. The exterior styling of the newest prototype race car was led by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, Calif., in conjunction with Honda Performance Development, the racing arm for Acura Motorsports and Honda Racing in North America, and chassis-supplier ORECA [ORganisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles].

‘The process we used in creating the exterior design for the Acura ARX-06 is the same as how we create a new Acura passenger vehicle,’ said Dave Marek, Acura Executive Creative Director. ‘The same world-class stylists that lead Acura production car design created initial sketches, then pared those down to several potential designs. Next, we created a scale model, did aero and wind tunnel model testing, and brought Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD) and our partner teams in for their feedback. The design continued to be refined throughout the testing and evaluation process until we came up with a final treatment that met our performance goals while maintaining all-important Acura styling cues. It’s been an exciting process.’

Engine supplier for ARX-06, HPD, has a rich heritage of…