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HSV 010 will race in Japanese Super GT category

Honda has released full spec details of its new V8 racing car in Japan, the HSV 010.

Although Honda calls it "a racing car specially developed for Japanese Super GT category", it is loosely based on Honda’s axed 'next NSX' project.

See the Honda HSV 010 race car in hi-res

Honda put a lot of time and work into developing a new front-engined V10 super-coupe, to go head to head with the Lexus LFA.

The car was seen testing and was close to being signed off when Honda pulled the plug in winter 2008 as the economic crisis hit, around the same time Honda announced it was quitting Formula One.

Sources say Honda’s plan was to launch the new V10 super-coupe as the Acura Sports, its launch timed to coincide with the debut of Acura, Honda’s luxury dealer channel, in Japan.

In the end, both projects got canned, but not before Honda put quite a bit of work into developing a separate, pure race version of the Acura Sports for Super GT, Japan’s hugely popular tin-top race series.

The Super GT version of the Acura Sports will carry the road car’s silhouette but underneath it would be totally different, with an all-new carbonfibre chassis and swapping the road car’s 5.0-litre V10 – good for 500bhp plus – for a race-bred naturally aspirated 3.4-litre V8 to meet the new Super GT regs.

The HSV-010 GT is 4675mm long and 2000mm wide, while its wheelbase is 2700mm. It will have a minimum weight of 110kg. It also gets all round double wishbone suspension.

The road car’s high-performance, rear-biased Super Handling 4WD system has also been exchanged for a simpler, more robust rear drive layout, again to meet Super GT regs.

Honda will build a limited run of race cars to meet the requirements of the Super GT teams, but has stressed the race car will not be sold, nor form the basis of a road car.

It’s a 90-degree V8 with 3400cc capacity, rev-limited to 10,300rpm and good for 600bhp plus. For Super GT duty, the engine will have to be significantly reworked for a more endurance spec. Super GT races are longer and harder than Formula Nippon and each engine also has to last for four races.

The V8 engine will also be air-restricted to 500bhp to meet the regs in Super GT’s top GT500 class, but will lose the rev limiter.

The details of the car and the team organisation will be announced in January.

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KartKidChun 18 January 2010

Re: Honda's 'new NSX' racer revealed

I would love to see a new NSX for the road. I believe the hottest car that they make is the latest Civic Type R and that hadn't really lived up to it's expectations and so Honda is suffering. It needs a new flagship car!

roverfan1984 18 January 2010

Re: Honda's 'new NSX' racer revealed

artill wrote:
Its better we end up with some sort of NSX than nothing at all, especially as they havent replaced the S2000 either.

Exactly. Even if it makes no profit, a new NSX would act as a "halo car" for the brand. I know a lot of young people thought Honda was a cool, exciting brand in the 90s, thanks to cars like the NSX & advanced engine technology like the Vtec engines. This made Hondas desirable & "cool" for want of a better word.

They dont make any exciting cars now, so the brand suffers as a result. Not many teenagers nowadays would think of Honda as a cool brand, they would just think of their mums Jazz (or in america, that godwaful looking Crosstour thing).

Honda needs to make exciting cars again!!!! An NSX & a new S2000 please!!!

artill 18 January 2010

Re: Honda's 'new NSX' racer revealed

It would be nice to think Honda are just bluffing, and that a road car will emerge in the end, once the global recession has passed maybe. And ideally they would keep it simple. RWD is enough. Maybe a V6 could be developed from their existing engines to keep the cost down. We dont need a unique V10 or V8.

Its better we end up with some sort of NSX than nothing at all, especially as they havent replaced the S2000 either.