NSX Le Mans

[robfenn]

Hi Guys,

Do any NSX geeks know if this picture is of the GT1 or GT2 car? It says it's a GT1 in the ad but it looks very similar to the GT2 in terms of aero as pictured on this website.

Suggested GT1

GT2

Confusingly someone on the forum a while ago said the car on the left pictured here is a GT2 car (looks the same as the others to me!).

I'm sure there is a video on YouTube featuring a Le Mans car test, but can't find it, can anyone help?

Any pointers towards NSX le mans info would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Rob

 

[troca]

I have seen the pictures of the top two cars, but have no info to verify the class they ran in. Saw some stuff on the top car with the black rear quarter, but can't recall where or what was said about it, but I seem to recall mention of GT1. The three car picture has the two GT1 cars with the headlights showing and the Kunimitsu GT2 car. These cars ran '95 LeMans with the 84 car winning GT2. I think one of the GT1 cars DNF'd with trans problems, don't recall just now where the other finished. There is an English tape I found of the '95 LeMans race (almost all run in the rain) where the McLarens won that has footage of the Kunimitsu car doing an amazing driving job around a car that had spun out in a corner and was still moving as #84 came around and nearly T-boned it. Incredible how that one moment of good driving could have been the deciding moment between DNF and a GT2 win.

 

[robfenn]

Sounds great!

I'm still confused though! So you think the right hand side car in the bottom pic is the GT2 car?

Do you think it is coincidence that the car in picture 2 is number 46, the same number as the left car in the bottom pic?

Clearly the top car has standard bodywork unlike in the bottom pics...perhaps it was necessary for what appears to be the Austrian race series it has been used for.

 

[Ponyboy]

The NSX in the top pic lacks the GT1 bodywork and very likely the engine spec and arrangement of the NSX GT1 cars as well. That would have made the car totally uncompetitive in the GT1 LeMans class. I've seen this particular one for sale a couple of times w/i the last several years - off and on the market infrequently. EDIT: I see the listing is just a "parts package" and not a sale of the car itself.

The middle pic'd #46 NSX campaigned LeMans in 1994 and is a GT2 car.

The bottom pic'd #46 NSX campaigned LeMans in 1995 and is a GT1 car.

Troca, you need to put that video online!:biggrin:

 

[troca]

Yes, I'm positive that the darker red 84 car is the Kunimitsu GT2 LeMans winner. That is easily verified a hundred ways as it and it's driver are pretty famous in Japan and, of course, the NSX world. I think the only other Japanese winner of LeMans was the Mazda GTP car. I bought the video from a large die cast and automotive book and video dealer on the east coast. I'll try to see if I can come up with the video info and where I found it and post that, as I doubt I can figure out how to get a section of VHS on to the web site; tune a stand alone ECU-no problem, but post a video- duh!

 

[troca]

OK, the company that had the video in VHS format was EWA, they sell books video stuff and die cast. The VHS I have is NLA and has not been redone in DVD. I did see on their website, however, if you search "LeMans DVD" the top of the list video shown has a content listing of '95 NSX turbo, which I believe are the GT1 cars in the three car picture. I may get that one, it's only $19.95.

 

[91 NSX]

Lots of good info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_NSX

 

[robfenn]

Thanks guys! Helpful info.

I'm hoping to buy the moulds for the Le Mans car, i'm just trying to find out exactly what bodyshape the moulds are of!

Hopefully then i can produce a carbon fibre kit.

 

[trev0006]

Those cars a re gorgeous.

 

[troca]

Interesting, not that there are significant differences between the GT1 and the GT2 car, especially rear quarters, and some of the front bumper vents might need to be a bit larger as the race cars have openings designed for entry of high velocity air. I do like the very clean look, however, keep me posted about what you're doing. For what it's worth, I have made bodies from the original molds for both Ford GT40 MKIIB's and Ford MK IV in the course of past projects and have always had a strong interest in LeMans cars.

 

[troca]

Geez, have to be more careful in my own posts. First sentence should read "NOTE" that there are significant differences instead of not that there are significant differences.

 

[Ponyboy]

It's about time someone made molds of the GT2 NSX for consumer purchase. FWIW, HART has campaigned an NSX with slightly different bodywork. There's a photo album in my gallery for reference.

Compare and contrast:

'95 Team Kinimitsu LeMans NSX

HART NSX

Both are good looking and even better looking, IMHO, than the body kits that make the NSX look like a Transformer.

 

[robfenn]

Thanks for that! They look hot!