GT5 Transcripts/Honda LOCTITE MUGEN NSX (JGTC) '01

The Honda (Acura) race NSX that waged battle in the Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) underwent a thorough change in 2000 that centered on a specially built smaller gearbox. For 2001, the development team made even more improvements. The gearbox was strengthened for better reliability, and with new regulations restricting the shape of the air snorkel on the roof, changes to the car's aerodynamics needed to be made to counteract the loss of engine power. The result was an NSX that was faster and more durable than the previous model.
This did not translate to immediate success on the racetrack, however. Because the NSX had always suffered from lack of torque, it was slow coming out of corners, a particular drawback of its naturally-aspirated engine. On top of that, the NSX was saddled with a 50-kg weight handicap just for having a mid-engine setup. The Loctite Mugen NSX, wearing No. 1, signifying it was last year's overall champion, was driven by Ryo Michigami and Hidetoshi Mitsusada, the same team from the second half of the previous year. The duo got off to a good start by taking the win in the opening race, but couldn't consistently stay in the points. They made a bid for the championship, coming once in 2nd and then once in 4th, but after their defeat in the final race, they finished the season in 3rd.
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