Honda NSX Prototype to Race at 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Every year, a plethora of high-performance cars gather at a certain British event known as the Goodwood Festival of speed. This year, the Festival is set to take place at the end of June (from the 27th to the 29th), and it’s a particularly special year for Japanese automaker and motorsports veteran, Honda. After several years of merely displaying their newest NSX Prototype at various motor shows and auto expos, this year they’re putting the pedal to the metal and racing the car at the aforementioned Festival of Speed.
For those of you who don’t know, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, known in the UK as simply the Festival of Speed or FoS for short, is performance car show and hillclimbing event. In motorsports, a hill climb is exactly that – an uphill course that driver’s race to complete in the fastest possible time. The Goodwood FoS features an intensive and world-famous 1.16 mile hillclimb that demands the best from its drivers and cars alike.
But, the FoS is more than just a race – it’s a commemoration of “legendary drivers, teams and manufacturers from around the world.” With a long history of motorsports success, obviously it’s a great event for Honda to participate in. This year, in addition to the racing NSX Prototype, Honda will also feature a “1989 3.0L NSX, once driven by Ayrton Senna himself, and a 2005 3.2L, illustrating the original model’s rich history and development.”
As for the NSX Prototype that will be making the climb, Honda has not revealed much new information that we didn’t already have. In a press release, they described how the supercar will get “an all-new, three-motor high-performance hybrid system that combines torque vectoring all-wheel drive with advanced hybrid efficiency through the use of three electric motors – one motor integrated with the V6 engine and it’s all-new dual-clutch transmission driving the rear wheels, and two motors driving the front wheels.”
These motors will use standard regenerative braking technology to maintain their power, complete with premium lithium-ion batteries. As the press release mentioned, it will get a new dual clutch transmission with “more than six gears”. We’re betting on a seven-speeder, but it could be more than that.
In short, it’s a high-tech supercar that will aim to compete with the best of the best when it officially launches in full production-spec in 2015. It’s rumored to displace either 3.5L or 3.7L, something powerful enough to compete with the likes of the BMW i8 or Porsche 911.
All in all, we can’t wait to see the inevitable videos of the Honda NSX Prototype making the intensive climb up the Goodwood FoS course. We’re sure it will be a pleasing experience in every way – both visually and audibly – so be sure to stay tuned in a couple months when the event actually takes place. Until then, thanks for reading and stay tuned tomorrow for even more Japanese car news!
