Acura's commitment to performance started well before Acura Division was founded.
Soichiro Honda, who founded Honda Motor Co., Inc., in 1948, was a racing enthusiast at heart. He steered the company into competitions early on and the racetrack has provided a training ground for engineers and designers of Acura vehicles.
Engineers who worked on championship racing engines are often assigned to design the engines of Acura's passenger cars. In fact, the chief engineer of the race-inspired engine of the new Acura RSX sports coupe previously worked on championship-winning Honda Formula One engines.
Honda has been successful in every form of motorsports in which it has competed. Honda-powered cars won six consecutive Formula One Constructors' World Championships (1986-91) and five consecutive Formula One Drivers' World Championships (1987-91).
Race-prepared Acura Integra automobiles won two consecutive International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) International Sedan Manufacturers' Championships and three consecutive IMSA International Sedan Drivers' Championships (1988-90).
The Comptech Racing Acura-Spice GTP Lights race car, powered by a modified Acura NSX engine, carried driver Parker Johnstone to three consecutive Manufacturers' Championships and three consecutive Drivers' Championships in the prestigious IMSA Camel GTP Lights series (1991-93). The Comptech Acura also captured the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring in 1993.
In 2006, Acura announced the marque would enter the very competitive American Le Mans Series with three factory-supported teams (Andretti Green, Fernandez and Highcroft) competing in the LMP2 class during the 2007 season against a variety of auto manufacturers, including Porsche and Mazda.