Ultimate Track Toy: Acura ARX-05 DPi Race Car
This weapons-grade Acura prototype traveled 11k miles during the course of 2022 IMSA season.
If you’re a well-heeled Honda fan looking for the ultimate track toy, the folks over at Bring a Trailer have something you need to check out. This Acura ARX-05 DPi was built to compete in the IMSA Prototype Challenge, and saw action at some of the most prestigious events on the calendar, including races at Daytona, Laguna Seca, and Road America. It also won its class four times over the course of the season, which isn’t bad, given that it was only raced ten times.
In the pictures you can see that while it’d hardly been neglected, the Acura has earned a patina only endurance racing can provide. Nearly every bit of the carbon-fiber bodywork has some sort of battle scar, and I personally the love the scorch marks around the side-exit exhaust pipes. In reality, this is more of a weapon than a car, and it’s about suited for street use as a bulldozer is to campaign at Le Mans.
Power comes from a twin-turbo 3.5-Liter AR35TT V6 engine, which is good for 600 horsepower, and pumps power exclusively to the rear wheels via a Xtrac P1159F six-speed gearbox. While this obviously a unique race car, it also boasts some off-the-shelf kit, including engine management software from McLaren, six-piston brakes from Brembo, an ORECA-built carbon-fiber monocoque, and 18-inch Rotiform forged aluminum wheels.
So if you have the resources to buy this machine, it’s likely you could actually maintain it, since it’s not completely bespoke. In the comments, a representative from Honda Racing HPD said that while the racer doesn’t come with spares, the crew is willing to work with the new owner to provide parts, and potentially even engine rebuilds, which are recommended every 3,500 miles.
While there are a few videos accompanying the listing, the video detailing the start up procedure is by far my favorite, as it shows just how far removed this machine is from a normal car. Seriously, one of the steps involved in firing the engine is removing the wheels. That’s likely not something we’ll ever see a roadgoing vehicle, though the geniuses at Apple will likely come up with something equally idiosyncratic if they ever deliver on the promise of building a car. Enjoy the video!
Photos: Bring a Trailer