The Civic Type R HRC is heading to production, and Honda has now confirmed that buyers in the US will get it too. The car is making its North American debut at SEMA, after first appearing at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. Until now, production for Japan was the only certainty.
“This HRC-spec concept model offers a further refined “joy of driving” unique to Honda, honed at the forefront of racing environments. Today, Honda confirmed the model is in development for the US market.” This is a statement from an official press release.
Honda hasn’t revealed much about the production model. However, earlier reports suggest it will be road legal and based on the facelifted FL5 Civic Type R.
Going by the concept, this won’t be just a Type R with a few badges thrown on. The front gets a larger intake, twin air guides and a deeper lip, while the rear has bigger wing endplates and a more substantial diffuser. Honda also fitted the show car with an HRC-branded radiator and an Akrapovic exhaust.
There could be mechanical changes too, including revised suspension, larger brakes and forged wheels. Carbon-fibre parts are also expected.
The current US Type R makes 315 hp. Japanese reports put the HRC at around 335 hp, with intake, exhaust and software changes said to be behind the increase.
