Honda HSV-010 GT500 news - Coolest race car ever? - 2010

It’s not often we use the phrase ‘Is this the coolest race car ever? It just might be…’. But in this instance, we think it’s justified.

This is the Honda HSV-010, a V8-powered monster that’s set to take on Nissan’s terrifying GT-R in Japan’s GT500 series this year.

It looks astonishing. Based on the chassis of Honda’s stillborn NSX revival, the HSV-010 (HSV, by the way, stands for Honda Sports Velocity, not Holden Special Vehicles) weighs in at 1100kg and packs a 3.4-litre V8 hoofing out around 500bhp. As per GT500 regulations, a sequential manual gearbox channels all that power to the rear wheels.

The HSV-010 will race for the first time at the GT500 season opener at Suzuka on 20-21 March. We’d expect it to gain a whole bunch of decals and sponsors and stuff by that time, but Honda, please, we beseech you: leave the HSV-010 exactly as it is: naked and matte and carbon-fibrous and generally amazing.

Once more: is this the coolest race car ever? It just might be.

But if you’re not yet convinced, have a listen to this...