No factory NSX GT3 for Australia

HONDA’s NSX supercar isn’t available in Australia until the end of the year, but the Japanese manufacturer is already in the final development stage of its GT3 race car version.

The Honda NSX GT3, which will be built and sold by Acura (Honda’s US spin-off brand), is currently undergoing the final stages of development in America.

The car will be eligible to race in both the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour, and 2017 Australian GT Championship, but Honda Australia says it has no plans to bring a version Down Under.

A Honda Australia spokesperson confirmed to Wheels there are no current plans for the NSX GT3 to race locally at all.

However, as with all GT3 cars, that doesn’t stop any racers from stumping up the cash themselves to purchase a car from Acura and racing it in Australia.

With the car yet to be officially homologated, it is too early for privateer racers to be lining up for the NSX GT3 just yet.

The racer shares the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 found in the road-going NSX – it even has an identical block, heads, valvetrain, crankshaft, pistons and dry sump setup.

There won’t be any hybrid power on the track, with the heavy hybrid system ditched along with four-wheel drive. Power will be delivered to the rear-wheels through a six-speed sequential ‘box.

The body panels are made from carbon-fibre with a new custom diffuser and rear-wing thrown in to provide downforce. Additional visual tweaks include bigger bonnet vents for better engine cooling.

The body and engine of the car will be built by Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Centre in Ohio, USA, which also produces the road-going NSX.

Initial development of the car was conducted by Honda’s race engineering arm in Japan, with testing also conducted in Europe.

The car will be homologated to 2017 FIA GT3 specification by the North American arm, Honda Performance Development (HPD), in America.

Built to GT3 specification, the NSX racer will undergo Balance of Performance testing to allow it to compete evenly against the likes of the Audi R8 GT3, Bentley Continental GT3, Nissan-NISMO R35 GT-R GT3, and Ferrari 488 GT3.

While the NSX GT3 is unlikely to take-part in the Bathurst 12 Hour until 2018 at the absolute earliest (if at all), the first official entry for the 2017 event has been submitted by Maranello Motorsport, who will field a Ferrari 488 GT3.

BMW is currently the only manufacturer to provide factory support to a GT3 team in Australia, backing the Steven Richards Motorsport M6 GT3 in the Australian GT sprint and endurance championships.