- The HRC variants could be the ultimate versions of Honda and Acura’s performance cars.
- The first model would be based on the Honda Civic Type R or Acura Integra Type S.
- Honda hasn’t said when sales of its racing-inspired performance parts will begin in the US.
Last October, Honda’s official tuning and motorsports division, Honda Racing Corporation USA, announced plans to produce and sell performance parts for Honda and Acura models. Now, the company’s president has hinted at an even bigger goal—factory-built models equipped with HRC parts from day one. These high-performance variants could potentially sit above the existing Type R and Type S models, offering an even more extreme take on Honda’s performance lineup.
Speaking at the Rolex 24 Hours, Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe confirmed that HRC US has already started developing performance parts and suggested that a dedicated HRC model could be on the horizon.
Read: Honda Launches Performance Parts Division As It Takes SEMA By Storm
“Today I cannot tell the exact plan yet, but yes, we should create such kind of performance model together with HRC racing technologies,” he told The Drive. “We don’t have any concrete plan yet, but the first one would be based on the current existing models like Integra Type S or Honda Type R.”
The senior vice president of HRC, Jon Ikeda, is similarly eager to see a new model like this hit the market. It could serve as the perfect middle ground between a Civic Type R or Integra Type S and a dedicated race car while remaining road-legal.
“You have the Type S or Type R for the road and [on the other end] you have a race car that you can buy for the track—so this would be something in between—right at the verge of where your significant other won’t want to ride with you,” Ikeda said. “If you’re going to put the HRC brand name on it, that’s what you’re saying [that it’s the ultimate expression of that model], and it has to be street legal.”
As promising as this sounds, such a model isn’t coming tomorrow. Ikeda admitted that navigating safety regulations will be a major hurdle, and it’s still unclear which parts and modifications will pass approval. However, he hopes customers will eventually be able to pick and choose HRC upgrades much like Porsche’s à la carte performance options.
