Honda NSX to star at Pikes Peak hill climb – report

Honda will race not one, but two NSX models up the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), Autoblog reports. The company’s technologically advanced hybrid sports car will take on the Race to the Clouds in two different variations.

The first will take part in the Time Attack 2 Production class, meaning that it will stick very close to the production car’s recipe of a 3.5 litre twin-turbo V6, three-motor hybrid system and all-wheel drive – adding only safety equipment like a roll cage to make it race-ready.

It’s the second car that will be more interesting, as it will be entered in the Time Attack 1 category, allowing performance and suspension modifications, aerodynamic addenda and other tweaks.

In fact, we already have an inkling of what this second entry might be – a previous report stated that this car will be shorn of its electric motors to make it rear-wheel drive only, with electric superchargers hooked up to the V6 to make up for lost grunt.

The report also mentioned that the much-rumoured Type R version of the NSX will be rear-wheel drive as well, ditching its front electric motors for reduced weight. Both cars will be driven by Honda R&D engineers James and Nick Robinson, the latter being the NSX’s dynamic development leader.

A third car will enter the Electric – Electric Modified class, featuring the four-motor electric powertrain that motivated last year’s CR-Z racer in the Exhibition category – driven by Super GT driver Tetsuya Yamano, it will reportedly be gunning for overall victory. A 2015 Honda TRX1000 ATV will also take part in the Pikes Peak Challenge – Exhibition Powersport class, ridden by Keith Steidl.

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