The new Acura ILX will try to find its racing spirit in an appearance at this year’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Honda Performance Development and Team Honda Research West(THR-W) announced today that they are preparing two Acura ILX race cars to compete in the gruelling endurance race.

“In 2011, THR-W approached Gary Robinson (Acura Public Relations Manager) with a proposal to campaign two Acura ILXs in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, as a way of showcasing Acura racing spirit and durability. THR-W focuses on endurance racing because of the teamwork, strategy and durability that is required to succeed. The team aspect of endurance racing gives many associates an opportunity to work together outside of their normal development roles.”

Team Honda Research is no stranger to the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, having previously entered an Acura TL, RSX, and various Honda models with success.

Details on the two ILXs(HPDTX7001 and HPDTX7002) are limited so far, but based on the results of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, I would think development with a hybrid powertrain would be the way to go.

Have a look at some concept renderings and progress photos below, then follow along on Honda Racing/HPD’s blog for future updates.

[Source: Honda Performance Development]