Honda HPDARX-04b

HPD ARX-04b are rare cars with a highly unusual history. Designed and built to the then-current LMP2 regulations by Wirth Research for Honda Performance Development as the intended replacement for the hugely successful HPD ARX-03, (a series of open-topped cars that dated back to 2012) the new closed-top ‘coupe’ made its debut at the 2015 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

The step into the future for the manufacturer and the Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) team that fielded a pair of the new cars would prove to be short-lived though, as the 2015 season-opener would prove to be the only race that the cars would start. Both cars struggled on the Daytona banking.

There was though a significant postscript for the cars as Michael Shank Racing was tasked with developing and preparing the cars for test purposes. The improvements made by HPD were verified by the team in testing in early 2016 before the cars were used later that same year as the principal platform for the development of the Continental tyres used for the first season of the new Gibson V8-powered cars for 2017.

The irony of HPD’s ‘one and out’ ARX-04b is that it is, undoubtedly, the most highly developed LMP2 of its generation.

BBM Sport ran a further development programme in August and September of 2023, where the car proved to be faster than any other LMP2 cars that raced at the 2023 Silverstone Classic by recording a 1m45.8 around the GP track. There are two cars available: 1 of them is totally rebuilt with new engine, gearbox, fuel tank, belts, extinguisher and more. The other car is 70% complete, with a new engine and gearbox, but needs additional body work. There’s also a huge spares package – too numerous to list.