Motorsport: Le Mans

Le Mans boost for Honda

Honda is gearing up for an attack on the Le Mans 24 Hours

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Honda enduro bid gaining pace in US with Acura

10th May 2007

While the Japanese company remains focused on Formula One, its US luxury arm Acura has embarked on a sportscar programme with the aim of victory in the French enduro.

The road to Le Mans started in March, when three Acura LMP2-class prototypes contested the Sebring 12 Hours. The next step is for these division two cars to race at Le Mans in 2008, before Acura moves up to join Audi and newcomer Peugeot in LMP1 – possibly as early as 2009.

Although Honda enjoyed some GT class success with the mid-engined NSX in 1995, it has never mounted a serious race-winning Le Mans challenge. To date, despite several big-budget attacks from Nissan and Toyota, Mazda remains the only Japanese firm to have conquered the 24 Hours. Its rotary-engined prototype toppled Mercedes and Jaguar to win the 1991 event.

Judging by current results in the US, Honda could be next. On its debut, an Acura raced by Brit Dario Franchitti, plus team-mates Tony Kanaan and Brian Herta, came close to winning at Sebring. Since then, the car has shown good speed in the following three rounds of the American Le Mans Series.