S. luxury brand Acura, Honda has been a major contender in IMSA's top prototype class since its ARX program returned in 2018. While the last two Acura prototypes have been championship and major race winners in America, the company has been reluctant to commit to any program that would put a Honda or Acura on the grid at the 24 Hours of Le Mans .
According to two reports published on Friday, however, that could be changing very soon. The deal is expected to feature Inter Europol Competition, a major player in European LMP2 racing, as a service provider in a role similar to the one Meyer Shank Racing currently fills in IMSA GTP. -based Honda competition arm has since been merged into the global Honda Racing Corporation as HRC US.
That makes the Acura-badged prototype a global Honda product—one that would likely race under a Honda badge if it were to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and, starting next year, the Asian Le Mans Series. In IMSA, HRC US currently operates one of its two ARX-06 entries in partnership with Meyer Shank. Since WEC rules mandate two full-time entries to race at Le Mans, the global HRC organization could enter into a similar partnership with Inter Europol.
A two-car WEC entry, a requirement for any car to race at Le Mans, would also open the door for the American Acura programs to apply for their own one-off spots on the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans grid. Honda would join Ford and McLaren as new additions to the 2027 World Endurance Championship field. Existing programs from Toyota, Ferrari, Cadillac, Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, and Peugeot are expected to continue into 2027, as is a new program from Genesis set to kick off this season.
Porsche, which still races in IMSA with its WEC title-winning 963, dropped out of the European championship for the upcoming season. The news could bring new excitement to the endurance racing scene and potentially create more opportunities for Honda to showcase its capabilities. With the announcement, it remains to be seen how Honda will balance its commitment to IMSA and Acura with its growing interest in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
This move would mark a significant expansion of Honda's motorsports presence, potentially allowing the brand to tap into new markets and gain more visibility. However, it also raises questions about how Honda will manage its resources and prioritize its various racing programs.
