NSX GT3 Evo25 Homologated to Race in Italian GT

Photo: Nova Race

A new version of the Honda NSX GT3, dubbed the Evo25, has been homologated to run in the Italian GT Championship this season and will be campaigned by the Nova Race team.

The upgraded car, which was revealed by Nova Race in the run-up to this weekend’s Italian GT opener at Misano, features a raft of changes compared to the previous Evo22 model, with the front and rear aerodynamics having been significantly modified.

It has been homologated by the Italian national federation ACI as a variant option of the Evo22, for use in domestic competition only, with Nova Race the sole team to race it.

Varese-based Nova Race has run Honda machinery in Italian GT since the end of 2020, and is running two examples of the Evo25 this year after collaborating with long-time European Honda motorsport partner JAS Motorsport to create the update.

Technical director Gianluca Curti told Sportscar365: “We made this development during this winter together with JAS Motorsport, as the Evo22 is now pretty old and we wanted to offer something new to our drivers and improve our performance.

“Our main target was to add downforce to the car as we were lacking compared to newer GT3 models like the Ferrari 296 GT3, BMW M4 GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3 R.

“To do this, we asked JAS to design a new rear wing, which features a ‘swan neck’, and now we can increase the angle of the rear wing by three degrees more than the Evo22. The endplates have also been redesigned to improve air flow under the wing.

“At the front of the car, we have a new bumper to improve brake cooling, and a double ‘flick’ [canard] at the side, which should help us because last year in hot temperatures we were missing front grip and we suffered with understeer. Also, the side pods have been changed to improve air flow to the intercooler and keep the temperature low.

“We have replace the fuel pumps with bigger ones because the old ones were too small and were always working at 100 percent, which heated the fuel. The new ones are working at 25 percent of their capability, helping to keep the fuel cool.”

Curti added that off-season testing revealed that the car has lost a “little bit of top speed” with the aero modifications, but that improvement in cornering performance has more than offset this disadvantage.

One of the team’s two cars entered in this weekend’s Misano endurance round will be shared by Rodolfo Massaro, Giovanni Berton and Francesco de Luca, while the other will be piloted by team founder Luca Magnoni, Paolo Rocca and Andrea Bodellini.

The reveal of the Evo25 follows the withdrawal of direct factory support for Honda GT3 customers following the 2024 season, with the car no longer being used in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and SUPER GT this year.

The Evo22 however remains in competition, with Bridger Motorsport notably running a sole example of the car in the British GT series, and JAS has committed to supporting customers wishing to campaign the car through 2027.

Honda has so far showed no inclination towards developing an entirely new FIA GT3 model to replace the NSX, the road car version of which ceased production at the end of 2022 following a limited production run of ‘Type S’ models.

Photo: Nova Race

Photo: Nova Race

Photo: Nova Race