Marysville-built NSX shines at Daytona

A car assembled in central Ohio turned heads this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway.

The Acura NSX GT3 completed an endurance sports car racing debut Saturday and Sunday at the Daytona in Florida, as a pair of Michael Shank Racing (MSR) Acuras, leading 171 of 634 laps, prior to a best finish of fifth in the 27-car GTD field at the season-opening Rolex 24, Acura Motorsports said in a release.

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“This weekend’s endurance classic marked the North American sports car racing debut for the Acura NSX GT3, with the MSR team fielding a pair of cars for a stellar driving lineup,” Acura said.

Developed from the production Acura NSX, the NSX GT3 uses what Acura called “the production NSX’s ultra-rigid and lightweight multi-material body with aluminum-intensive space frame.”

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The vehicle is produced at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio, which is the only production site worldwide for the NSX.

The 3.5-liter racing engine uses the same design specifications as the production Acura NSX, including the block, heads, valve train, crankshaft, pistons and dry-sump lubrication system. A six-speed, sequential-shift racing gearbox delivers power to the rear wheels, Acura said.

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Said to be the most expensive car made in the United States, the Marysville plant produces about eight to 10 NSX vehicles a day.

The starting cost of the Acura “supercar” last year was $156,000 and tops out at $205,700. All models are custom built, Honda officials in Ohio said.

Honda employs about 13,000 people in Ohio, including about 1,000 workers who live in the Dayton area, company officials have said.

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