2023 Acura ARX-06 LMDh Prototype Racer Unleashed With Hybrid V6 Powertrain

Capable of 10,000 revolutions per minute, the internal combustion engine is good for approximately 500 kW. That’s 671 horsepower from 2.4 liters, which is borderline insane compared to road-going V6 engines. For reference, the 3.0-liter V6 of the Ferrari 296 develops 653 horsepower.

Honda’s smallest-displacement engine built for endurance racing features a 90-degree angle between the cylinder banks to lower the center of gravity and reduce the polar moment of inertia. The aforementioned 296, as well as the McLaren Artura, takes it one step further, as in 120 degrees.

Acura waxes lyrical about the combustion chamber’s design, which allows the use of low-carbon fuel. The hybrid powertrain’s control system uses in-house software, as do the brake-by-wire system and dynamic control system. The ARX-06 was penned in Los Angeles in conjunction with HPD and the chassis supplier. Designed to maximize aerodynamic performance, the car will compete in the GTP class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

5,100 millimeters long, the LMDh challenger is fitted with pushrod-type suspension fore and aft, augmented with Penske-developed dampers. As mentioned earlier, we’ll see the ARX-06 doing what it’s supposed to do starting with the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Next year’s championship concludes in October with the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, sponsored by Motul.

"We've taken the challenge presented by this new rule package, and developed what we believe is a very competitive solution," said Pierre Descamps, who led the powertrain design team at HPD. "We've gone in a new direction for HPD in the design of the ICE. It is still a V6, which of course for Honda is well-known, but we have incorporated several new elements which we believe will make best use of the MGU and battery.”