The first ever Targa Southland is coming up next week, August 11-14, and an interesting group of vessels appear ready to take on the challenge. There’s a Chevrolet Corvette and Cavalier on the entry list, as well as a couple Ford Shelby Mustangs and a Focus. There are Subaru WRXs and BRZs, a Toyota MR2, Mazda RX-8 and MX-5, a Pontiac GTO, and a Honda S2000 and Civic. A BMW M3 is on the docket, a small but mighty Fiat 500, and even a Nissan Sentra.
On the more extreme side of the continuum, Targa Southland guests will also get to see a Lotus Elise put through its paces, and an Exocet piloted part of the time by racer, automotive journalist and SCCA Hall of Famer Randy Pobst.
But one vehicle being brought by a certain attendee will likely stand out most. Mark Baruth, a contributing writer at RoadandTrack.com, managed to get his hands on a 2017 Acura NSX and convinced the folks at Acura to let him “test” the 573hp steed through Targa Southland.
“There are only five of these cars in the world right now,” Baruth noted. “This is a pre-production model we’ll be driving. But the 2017 Acura NSX won’t even be available to the general public until September.”
The 3.5 liter, V6 twin-turbo hybrid supercar will be on display for Targa guest to not only get pictures with and drool over, but Baruth said people will also have the chance to sit in the passenger seat for a ride during some track events.
The all-wheel drive work of art, which does 0-60 in three seconds, will be plenty fun to watch out on track, too, since Baruth will be sharing part of Targa tasks with co-driver Jadrice Toussaint, an SCCA Solo Nationals champion. The car will wear the number 30 during Targa Southland to honor the 30th anniversary of Acura.
“We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to test the 2017 Acura NSX for RoadandTrack.com during Targa Southland because this is a perfect chance to wheel this car on both the street and track,” Baruth said. “It’s a great daily driver and track toy wrapped into one.”
Targa Southland combines Track Night, Solo and Road Rally adventures with a roving party. Those taking on the Targa test will first meet at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a Welcome Party/Check-in Thursday evening before reconvening bright and early the following morning for an Autocross at zMAX Dragway. After that, participants will head over to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack experience before packing up and heading to Dawsonville, Georgia that evening.
On Saturday, Targa tacklers open their day with a Time Trial at Atlanta Motorsports Park, followed by a Road Rally through the mountains of north Georgia on their way to a Cook-Out/Car Show at a secret location in Kentucky. The final day of driving fun begins Sunday with another Autocross at NCM Motorsports Park, then a TrackCross at the same venue which precedes a trophy presentation to conclude the event.
It's not too late to join in the adventure. Submit your entry now at the Targa Southland webpage.
Photo Courtesy of Acura
