Honda: nuovo V6 2.8 litri turbo per le LMP2 2011

Earlier this week, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest announced revised technical regulations that will go into effect for the 2011 season. Much like the current American Le Mans Series rules, the current LMP1 and LMP2 classes will be combined into a single class based on the current P2 regulations with smaller racing engines. A new P2 class will be created with similar chassis rules, but like GT2, the engines have to be production based and cost no more than $90,000.

At the end of the 2009 American Le Mans Series season, Honda scaled back its sports car racing effort, shutting down the LMP1 program after just one season and dropping the Acura badging. The partnerships with de Ferran Motorsports and Fernandez Racing were ended, leaving just Highcroft racing to run the updated Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-01c in North America. In Europe, UK-based Strakka Racing is running an identical car in the Le Mans Series. These cars will remain eligible for the new P1 class with their 3.4-liter racing V8.

For those teams that want to run in the new LMP2, HPD has announced a new twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 based on the unit found in everything from the Accord to the Acura ZDX. The new engine will be available for use in any chassis, however ALMS has not yet announced its plans for implementing the 2011 rules package.

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[source: Honda Performance Development]