Acura Still Working Towards Customer Cars for 2018

Photo: Halston Pitman/RealTime Racing

Honda Performance Development is close to finalizing details on likely customer sales of its new Acura NSX GT3 for 2018, according to HPD Race Team Leader Allen Miller.

The California-based organization, which has spearheaded development of the mid-engined GT3 contender, has continued to work through details on making its race-winning car available to teams in North America, and potentially abroad.

However, according to Miller, a final plan or decision has yet to be taken for next year.

“We’re getting closer,” he told Sportscar365. “That’s still our goal, to offer it for customer sales.

“Honda global is such a big organization, there’s a lot of people that all have to agree. We’ve been working our way through the different areas.

“I think we’re pretty close to having it done. Hopefully we can announce it pretty soon.”

Miller said a number of details still need to be worked out, including pricing, availability and where the cars would be produced.

The cars utilized by the factory supported Michael Shank Racing and RealTime Racing teams initially rolled off the production assembly line at Honda Research & Development in Ohio before being sent to JAS Motorsport in Italy for final assembly.

A total of seven race chassis have been built to date, with four cars currently competing between the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge.

Miller said a final decision on customer sales would have to be made pretty soon in order to ensure deliveries for October or November, ahead of the start of the 2018 season.

With the works support currently given to MSR, which gave the car its first win at Detroit, and PWC squad RealTime set to wind down at the end of the year, he said the goal would be to have all Acura teams on a “level playing field” in 2018.

Both teams are expected to continue next year, but in customer capacities.

A number of other teams, meanwhile, have already expressed interest in running NSX GT3s, including HART, which has been assisting fellow Ohio-based squad MSR.

“I know there’s been discussions with other teams and people,” Miller said. “There has been interest.”

A final decision on customer sales beyond the North American market, which HPD oversees, however, is one of the topics that still needs clarification.

Miller said it’s the goal to make the cars available worldwide, although indicating that customer  sales and support in Europe and Asia would need to involve HPD’s counterparts in those regions.

“What the whole final process is, that’s what’s being defined with all the different entities within Honda,” Miller said.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John