Acura has released the first photos of the electrified ARX-06 prototype, which is going to make its competition in January at the Rolex 24 Daytona.

Acura ARX-06

The ARX-06 is the follow up the ARX-05. It’s based on a new ORECA LMDh chassis with an electrified hybrid powertrain, that features a twin-turbocharged 2.4-liter V6. The V6 is the smallest internal combustion engine ever created by the Honda Performance Development team and has a performance target of 500 kW. The hybrid powertrain also features an electric Bosch Motor Generator Unit (MGU) and Williams Advanced Engineering battery pack. The good news is that the engine revs to the maximum 10,000 rpm set by the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championship rules.

Acura also worked with ORECA “ORganization Exploitation Compétition Automobiles” to create the new ARX-06. HPD’s Vehicle Performance Group worked with the ORECA design team and engineers to simulate chassis layout geometries and lap time optimization studies.  The teams also “coded” the new car into HPD’s static and dynamic Driver in the Loop simulators to develop the ARX-06’s vehicle dynamics and vehicle dynamic control systems. The exterior styling of the Acura ARX-06 was led by the Acura team in Los Angeles, who worked with HPD and ORECA.

“We’re extremely pleased with our relationship with ORECA,“ said Mark Crawford, HPD Large Project Leader for the ARX-06.  They’ve been great partners throughout both our ARX-05 DPi program and now with the ARX-06.  The GTP [Grand Touring Prototype] project has brought with it a new set of challenges and, while you certainly can see the Acura ‘family resemblance’ to our previous collaboration, the ARX-06 is an entirely new design.”

The Acura ARX-06 will have its public debut this week on August 19 at the The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, in Carmel, California.