Honda RA272 '65

The Honda RA272 '65 is a race car produced by Honda. It first appeared in Gran Turismo 7, where it was added as part of Update 1.29.

The car appears to be the #11 driven by Richie Ginther, who placed 7th in the 1965 Formula One World Championship, enroute to Honda's first Formula One victory at that year's Mexican Grand Prix.

In-game description[]

"The F1 machine that scored Honda its first F1 victory."

Honda has always been at the forefront of innovation. This dates back to the company's early days, a precedent established by founder Soichiro Honda. An example of its technical prowess was its Formula 1 race car in 1964. Called the RA271, it featured an aluminum shell over a space frame body and a 1.5-liter V-12 engine mounted transversely in an unusual fashion amidships. Unfortunately, the car did not fare well in its debut season.

The following year, Honda radically changed the RA271, resulting in the RA272. The RA272E engine was a more efficient version of the previous V-12 with lighter components. The construction of the rear suspension was changed from an inboard to an outboard setup, which allowed the weight to be reduced from 1,157 lb (525 kg) to 1,098 lb (498 kg), signifying a drastic decrease. The drivers for the new, improved Honda race car were Ronnie Bucknum, in his second year, and new arrival Riche Ginther.

Legend Cars (GT7)[]

One of the most iconic cars in Honda's history is this F1 machine—the Honda RA272. Honda was the first Japanese automaker to compete in F1 racing. In 1965, this car earned Honda its first F1 win at the Mexican Grand Prix, the final round of the season. With an aluminium monocoque chassis up front, and a spaceframe aft of that... It was powered by a horizontal 1.5L V12 mounted midship. The RA272 was developed and raced by Richie Ginther, an American racer of the 1960s. Honda has since earned many victories as an engine supplier, but it all began with the RA272.

Café (GT7)[]

Jeremy[]

This is the car that inaugurated Honda's near 60 years of F1 Grand Prix history. After a rough start in 1964, Honda was back in '65, with this RA272... Which took a title victory at the Mexican Grand Prix, the final round of the season. 1965 happened to be the last year in which F1 machines were allowed to run on 1.5L naturally-aspirated engines. And let me tell you, the engine that powered this RA272 was something special! A V12 with a 1,495 cc displacement, it was capable of a whopping 230 horsepower! Surprisingly, the displacement per cylinder was a mere 125 cc, a reminder of its motorcycle engine know-how. What's more, weighing in at 215 kg, this super compact engine was mounted horizontally midship! Have you ever heard of such a thing being done with a Formula One car? But if you give it some thought, you'll see that it actually makes a lot of sense. By mounting an engine on its side, you can shorten the wheelbase and put less stress on the gearbox. Compact and easy to handle, Honda's early attempt at an F1 machine really hit the ball out of the park. The track on which the Mexico Grand Prix takes place is 2,300 m above sea level. The low air pressure typically gives engines a bit of trouble outputting power. In designing the RA272's engine, former aircraft engineer and Honda's F1 team leader Yoshio Nakamura... Made sure it would function at high altitudes, giving the RA272 an edge over its rivals. The driver of the winning car was Richie Ginther, a real professional behind the wheel! All these ingredients came together in Honda's first F1 win. And with that, a glorious history was born!

Acquisition[]

Game	Purchase location	Credits	Other methods
Gran Turismo 7 (v1.29+)	Legend Cars	2,500,000^[1]	---

Trivia[]

This is one of seven licensed Formula 1 cars in the series, the others being the Ferrari F10, the F2007, the Lotus 97T, the Mercedes W08, the McLaren MP4/4, and the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R.
- It is also the second licensed F1 car to allow custom liveries, after the MP4/4.
  - Coincidentally, both the MP4/4 and the RA272 are part of the same GT Café extra book, Honda Motorsports.
In the Livery Editor, the rear exhaust is considered as a rear wing, to which paint can be applied.
At the time of its addition, the RA272 was the oldest licensed Formula 1 car to appear in the series.
- This record was broken by the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R '55, which was added in a later GT7 update.
In addition to custom liveries, GT Auto also provides the option to install the front Honda badge, classed as a front grille item.

Gallery[]

Notes[]

↑ Price as of August 2023.

[1] Price as of August 2023.

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