- According to HRC President Koji Watanabe, production of the Civic Type R HRC Concept is going into production
- It will have all-new aerodynamic parts, retuned suspension and possibly a new exhaust.
- All parts will be sold in the US later, but it is unknown whether the production car will be sold in the US.
We all know and love the Honda Civic Type R, but perhaps we know it too well. You can argue that no update is needed for the sake of perfection, but we will say that there is always something to improve. Based on the latest video from Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) and the latest reports from Japan, Big Red agrees with us – the Type R HRC Concept is set to hit showrooms this year.
HRC President Koji Watanabe told car watch Regarding Honda’s plans to bring the HRC concept into production. During the Type R owners’ event at Honda-owned mobility resort Motegi, Watanabe-san expanded on the HRC concept that was teased at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon.
He says it will arrive very soon, within “100 points” days, and the car is currently being developed. He added, “But please look forward to it.”
Photo by: Honda
Developed by Honda Racing
If you’re familiar with the Acura Integra Type S HRC Concept, this exercise will look very familiar, except it comes with a much more serious edge. HRC’s video shows the car being developed at the Suzuka Circuit with Honda drivers Ayumu Iwasa, Takuma Sato and Hiroki Otsu, and the camouflage parts are extensive.
The entire front end including the bumper and fenders looks completely different. The fenders are inspired by the Super GT, with wide box flares, while the car has a more aggressive front lip, side skirts and rear spat to complement it. The rear wing also has a different profile, but does not appear to be fundamentally changed.
There is also clearly development of the suspension and chassis, as Sato commented on the stiffness and rigidity of the development car. It’s possible that the wider front fenders will accommodate a staggered tire setup to enable more front grip. Honda also doesn’t remove its best pros from active racing for no reason, which means this is a more serious product than originally anticipated.
Will it come to America?
We’re not sure whether the production car will come stateside or not. But Watanabe-san said parts for the concept will be sold in the US later, meaning owners can do it themselves.
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Source: Honda
Motor1’s Opinion: This car coming to the state will do gangbusters, and owners will have to pay up. If there are no changes to the engine, it shouldn’t be too difficult to homologate. Either way, we have about 100 days to wait and see.
