As more OEMs are invading the aftermarket SEMA Show, it seems like some are getting creative in how it pitches their respective wares. Acura is the latest example of this.

Debuting its all-new NSX GT3 race car, the Japanese manufacturer decided to kill two birds with one stone. In other words, draw attention to the show stopper with its volume-selling product. Genius!

SEMA Show 2016

Being towed by a 2017 MDX, the NSX GT3 racer was pulled on a custom trailer. I just love how the MDX, trailer and NSX all match. Pretty nifty work here.

That said, two NSX GT3s will be raced. One will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. Another GT3 car will be raced in the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge.

Good luck to the drivers and safe racing!


The 2016 SEMA Show photo galleries are sponsored by Lexus.


SEMA Show 2016
















Acura's press release follows:

Acura Showcases Performance & Racing Spirit at SEMA

• Display to feature NSX GT3 race car atop a matching, custom fabricated trailer, towed by 2017 Acura MDX sporting an NSX GT3-inspired racing livery
• NSX GT3 IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge drivers to be announced at SEMA on Nov. 1
• Driver Meet-and-Greet at the Acura SEMA Booth 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 1

Acura's Precision Crafted Performance and motorsports resurgence will dominate its display at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 1-4. The Acura NSX GT3 race car, which will make its North American racing debut in 2017, will be featured on an NSX-inspired, custom-fabricated trailer, towed by 2017 Acura MDX wrapped in a matching racing livery. Building on the performance theme, Acura's GT3 racing partners, Real Time Racing and Michael Shank Racing, will announce driver lineups for the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge and 2017 IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship on Nov. 1. A 2017 Acura NSX supercar featuring factory-installed features and options as well as a 2017 TLX sedan with the new GT Package will complete the exhibit space.

"SEMA is an opportunity to have some fun with customization concepts, and our approach this year is to showcase Acura's performance direction by literally connecting our GT3 racing program to our production models," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of Acura.

Custom NSX GT3 Trailer
The custom NSX GT3 trailer is a joint collaboration between Acura Design, led by Dave Marek, Acura's Executive Creative Director, and the Jimmy Shine Workshop. The trailer incorporates design elements of both Acura vehicles, including a perimeter chassis inspired by the NSX GT3's roll cage and 20-inch accessory wheels adopted from the 2017 MDX, as well as running boards and a rear spoiler evocative of the redesigned MDX.

The fully functional trailer features two hydraulic pumps powered by a 12-volt battery system that lift and lower the bed. The trailer is 112 inches wide and just over 23 feet in length and is powder coated in Pearl White to match the MDX and the NSX GT3.

"We spent hours in CAD design creating a rolling, themed stage for the NSX GT3 race car," said Shine. "This is a 'next-generation' trailer that is completely custom to the NSX GT3 as well as the MDX."

2017 Acura MDX
The 2017 Acura MDX towing the NSX GT3 is wrapped in a matching racing livery and underwent further modifications including:

• Lowering the front and rear by one and three quarter inches
• Adding black-out suspension components
• Orange accented brake calipers to match the NSX GT3
• Acura Genuine accessory 20-inch black rims and tires
• Tinted windows
• Installing a tow package with bumper, electrical and transmission cooling package  
• Fabricating an NSX-themed forward lower valance "splitter" in a carbon fiber wrap with orange detail on the perimeter

"We wanted to bring out the performance cues in the MDX to not only complement the race car and trailer, but to showcase a completely custom Acura race experience," said Marek. "SEMA is a great forum to push design and creative boundaries and this display evokes Acura's performance direction."

The 2017 Acura MDX raises its game with bold new exterior styling, larger wheel and tire options and an expanded complement of premium features and technologies, including standard AcuraWatch™, which makes MDX the first luxury SUV to offer a comprehensive suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies standard equipment (www.acura.com/mdx/features - AcuraWatch).

The new MDX, America's all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV, reflects the new Acura design direction including the adoption of Acura's bold and distinctive new diamond pentagon grille. It also features a more sculpted hood, front fascia, front fenders and revised Jewel Eye™ headlights. The result is a more "executive athletic" appearance for Acura's class-leading luxury SUV. Additional styling updates include new chrome rocker panel trim, a revised rear bumper and skid garnish and the return of visible dual exhausts with bright finishers.

Acura NSX GT3
The Acura NSX GT3 race car features custom bodywork and aero components including a rear wing, underbody diffuser and enlarged hood vents for efficient engine cooling. The NSX GT3 is powered by a 3.5-liter, 75-degree, twin-turbocharged DOHC V6 engine using the same design specifications as the engine in the production 2017 Acura NSX, including the block, heads, valve train, crankshaft, pistons and dry-sump lubrication system. The engine will be paired with a 6-speed, sequential-shift racing gearbox, delivering power to the rear wheels.

The NSX GT3 utilizes the production NSX's ultra-rigid and lightweight multi-material body with aluminum-intensive space frame, which is produced by the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, the exclusive manufacturing home for the new Acura NSX. Its twin-turbocharged V6 engine will also be manufactured in Ohio. Acura products are produced using domestic and globally sourced parts.

The Acura NSX GT3 race car will add to a rich legacy of Acura sports car racing campaigns and championships, including the 1991, 1992 and 1993 IMSA Camel Lights manufacturer and driver championships, and the 2009 American Le Mans Series manufacturer, driver and team championships in both the LMP1 and LMP2 classes. Acura recently completed its final campaign of a pair of Acura TLX GT cars with Real Time Racing in the Pirelli World Challenge.

Acura TLX GT Package
Commemorating Acura's racing heritage, the TLX luxury sports sedan can now be customized to deliver an even more aggressive and sporty appearance with the new TLX GT Package, available on TLX models at Acura dealers nationwide.
Reflecting Acura's rich legacy in sports car racing, including its just completed campaign of the TLX GT race car in the Pirelli World Challenge, the TLX GT Package includes a rear decklid spoiler, front spoiler, side sill garnishes and rear underbody spoiler, along with an optional 19-inch Diamond Cut wheel and tire kit.

The spacious five-passenger TLX delivers a blend of sports-sedan athleticism and premium luxury refinement. TLX models deliver the latest iterations of Acura precision-handling technologies – Precision All-Wheel Steer™ (P-AWS™), next-generation Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®), and Agile Handling Assist (AHA).