The 98th race of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is falling a month from Thursday, and Acura has just pulled caps from its competitors for the event. Instead of the MDX and RDX racers that the automaker has unveiled for the past few years, it will attack the hill with a pair of new TLX Type-A sedans.
Of course, the team’s NSX running in the Time Attack class will return for a third year with the goal of breaking records. And based on the entry list, it looks like the big, nasty Real Time Racing TLX GT car that Peter Cunningham drove to third overall last year is returning to runner Bret Curtis.
Acura’s Pikes Peak racing program is extremely interesting as the company’s R&D department builds and prepares race cars, and then competes with them. That’s right, Acura doesn’t hire hot shoes to push their cars uphill. The engineers who work on these things every day are the same guys who compete with them. Acura engineers currently hold the record for front-wheel drive and hybrid times uphill, and semi-retired racer Cunningham holds the Time Attack class record.
The two entered TLX race cars will compete in the show class with two different tuning and downforce states, but that’s where the similarities end.
G / O Media may receive a commission
The more common aspect of the two features performance tuning on factory transmission components. A set of high-performance brake pads in the standard brake system helps you stop. A few suspension settings help corner. An 18 “HRE wheelset and Pirelli race rubber have the rolling stock covered. That’s it. It’s generally a standard TLX, and it will be interesting to see where it sits in the field next month.
The more race-ready TLX of the two will definitely be faster at Pikes Peak. Not only because it sits a little lower and has a large wing, it will certainly help. This has a larger turbocharger and intercooler for increased power. You’ll also receive a Brembo brake package based on the upcoming TLX Type-S and high-performance brake pads. Acura doesn’t say exactly what is different about the car’s suspension, but I’m guessing it has tuned coilovers for the race and an exclusive SH-AWD system for the race. Garnish with an HRE wheelset and Pirelli racing slicks, serve hot.
The faster of the two will be driven by engineer Jordan Guitar, who has ridden the mountain twice before in an RDX and MDX. Justin Lumbard, who is a rookie competitor at Pikes Peak, will enter the most of the two TLXs. but he has been an engineer on the team for a few years.
James Robinson will return his highly modified NSX to the Time Attack class. Robinson will seek redemption in 2020, after a poor performance in 2019 that saw him sitting at the starting line for several minutes as the car in front of him restarted his career twice. By the time he sat at the starting line, his tires lost the pre-installed heat, and the heat from the engine compartment soaked up, losing precious power on a course already affected by altitude.
Robinson’s competition in the Time Attack class looks pretty good. Other than a trio of Porsches, David Donohue and David Donner in a pair of GT2 RS Clubsports, and Jeff Zwart in a 935, there’s really nothing knocking on the door for 10 minutes like your NSX does.
It will be interesting to see how these new TLX sedans work on the hill. I know I would like to give the faster of the two a chance. That thing looks like a real ripper.
And as a special surprise, Acura will be driving the field with a prototype of the new 3-liter V6 TLX Type-S turbo.
.
