For decades, the most exciting road cars available have spawned track versions to be used in some of the most demanding competitions across the world. And in most cases, the differences between road and track versions are not all that great.
It is exactly this point Japanese carmaker Acura is trying to make by pitting the road-going NSX against its track counterpart, the NSX GT3 Evo. Driven by the same pilot, IMSA GT Daytona point leader Trent Hindman, both cars were tested in 0 to 60 mph runs, braking tests and lap times on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Before we go into it, it’s important to know that, except for a few modifications, the two cars are nearly identical. They share 80-percent of their underlying components, including the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6.
In the road NSX, the engine is controlled via a 9-speed DCT transmission and develops 573 hp, aided by three motors, while the GT3 Evo uses only the combustion engine, tweaked into developing 550 hp.
Despite the GT3 Evo being specifically designed for the track, its acceleration time proved to be slower than that of the road going NSX.
Hindman found that the track GT3 reaches the 60 mph mark in 4.35 seconds, a lot more than the 2.92 seconds it takes the road NSX to reach the same speed.
When it comes to braking, the results are comparable, says Hindman, despite the differences between the two. The road car tested was fitted with carbon ceramic brake pads, something the GT3 is not allowed to have due to regulations.
As for lap times, there were no surprises here. The race car completed the Ohio lap in 1:25.33 minutes, while the road-going NSX clocked in 1:34.76 minutes.
You can have a look at the entire showdown between the two cars, complete with the insight provided by the driver, in the video attached below.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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