To make the most of the occasion, Acura is installing 24 cameras along the course to capture the pace car’s run. But this won’t just be for a cool photo gallery. Acura will use the cameras to create a 360-degree video that will be posted to the company’s social media channels after the NSX completes its climb. Look for that to drop sometime on the morning of the 28th. The NSX heads up Pikes Peak at 7:40 AM Mountain time (9:40 AM Eastern).
We’ll have plenty more information about the Pikes Peak Hill Climb throughout the coming days. For now, check out the NSX pace car in the image gallery above, read Acura’s official press blast below, and be sure to scroll through the amazing photo galleries from the practice sessions (Day 1 and Day 2) shot by our own Drew Phillips.
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Pikes Peak-first 360-degree video to capture NSX run to the top
TORRANCE, Calif. (June 25, 2015) – The next-generation Acura NSX supercar will serve as the official pace car in the 93rd running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 28. With a custom racing-inspired livery, the twin-turbo charged NSX pace car will lead the field of 140 entrants to the top of the 14,110-foot Colorado mountain.
“The Acura NSX is the ultimate performance vehicle, and a novel way to promote its capabilities is the iconic race up Pikes Peak,” said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura Division. “As the pace car, the beast that is NSX has yet to be fully let out of its cage, but fans and drivers will get a first glimpse of the unique character, performance and handling it will deliver in this one-of-a-kind racing environment.”
Powering the NSX through the 12.4-mile, 156-turn course is a bespoke 75-degree twin-turbo V6 engine mated to a 9-speed dual clutch transmission and three motor Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system, which delivers ‘on the rails’ cornering capability essential to conquering the demanding mountain course. The pace car was specially prepared for the race by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., which is also leading the global development of the NSX. The supercar will be driven by Sage Marie, senior manager of American Honda Public Relations, a two-time Pikes Peak competitor and road racer. Marie won the first Pirelli World Challenge B-Spec race in 2012 and has raced in several other major motorsports events, including the 2013 and 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
In a Pikes Peak first, Acura will install 24 cameras along the course to capture the NSX’s historic run as the official pace car with a 360-degree series of images of supercar. Fans can head to Acura’s social media channels – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube – where the images will be transformed into to an exclusive video, after the NSX heads to the top of the mountain at 7:40 a.m. MDT. Additionally, the run will be covered live on Acura social media channels.
For those able to attend Pikes Peak in person, the NSX will be available for viewing at a number of pre-race activities including the event’s media day and VIP reception in Colorado Springs on Thursday, June 25, and at the popular Fan Fest in downtown Colorado Springs, 5–10 p.m. MDT on Friday, June 26.
The NSX is one of four Acura models making the Pikes Peak run, which also includes the Acura ILX and TLX sports sedans and a previous generation NSX.
