Photo: Honda
Between prepping new models and expanding their offering with additional vehicles in worldwide markets, Honda has taken the time to come up with an entirely new Civic Type R-GT. The model replaces the NSX-GT in the GT500 Class of the Super GT Series and will be ready to feast on apexes for the 2024 season.
Teased in a premiere, the new Civic Type R-GT is being developed by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), and despite sharing its name with the road-going hot hatch, it looks nothing like it. It has boosted looks that improve the aerodynamics, featuring dedicated front and rear ends, fat fenders, and a massive wing out back. The prototype pictured by the Japanese automaker has a black overall look and several decals adorning its body and rides on special wheels shod in sticky tires.
Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection. The lump is described as having been "developed and refined through racing," and the magic numbers are yet unknown. Still, it will dwarf the road-legal Civic Type R in all performance-related aspects. The hot hatch boasts 315 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-pot. It enjoys 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) of torque in the US-spec, works in concert with a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching, and returns 24 mpg (9.8 l/100 km) combined.
We had a pretty clear picture of what we should expect from the brand-new racer, as the automaker based in the Land of the Rising Sun previewed it at the beginning of the year with the eponymous concept. Shown at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, the study tried mirroring the looks of the street-legal Civic Type R, featuring similar greenhouse and faux lights. The massive aero parts did set it apart, however, and it sat way closer to the asphalt, riding on different wheels with center locking, which were wrapped in slick tires. Rounding off the special appearance of the racer was the special livery mixing white, red, and blue.
Honda couldn't be bothered with releasing some juicy details about the show car, but in all likelihood, we're looking at a custom chassis aimed at racing. The same can be said about the prototype(s). We can also expect rear-wheel drive and a lot of power from the 2.0-liter four-banger mentioned above, which will obviously stay true to the GT500 regulations. The mill will get its chance to shine under the hood of the new Civic Type R-GT on July 25 and 26, 2023, as the prototype will be put through its paces at the Okayama International Circuit in Japan, part of the pre-testing session. The goal is to have the car, which is described as being "a dedicated race machine," ready for the 2024 season.
Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection. The lump is described as having been "developed and refined through racing," and the magic numbers are yet unknown. Still, it will dwarf the road-legal Civic Type R in all performance-related aspects. The hot hatch boasts 315 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-pot. It enjoys 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) of torque in the US-spec, works in concert with a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching, and returns 24 mpg (9.8 l/100 km) combined.
We had a pretty clear picture of what we should expect from the brand-new racer, as the automaker based in the Land of the Rising Sun previewed it at the beginning of the year with the eponymous concept. Shown at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, the study tried mirroring the looks of the street-legal Civic Type R, featuring similar greenhouse and faux lights. The massive aero parts did set it apart, however, and it sat way closer to the asphalt, riding on different wheels with center locking, which were wrapped in slick tires. Rounding off the special appearance of the racer was the special livery mixing white, red, and blue.
Honda couldn't be bothered with releasing some juicy details about the show car, but in all likelihood, we're looking at a custom chassis aimed at racing. The same can be said about the prototype(s). We can also expect rear-wheel drive and a lot of power from the 2.0-liter four-banger mentioned above, which will obviously stay true to the GT500 regulations. The mill will get its chance to shine under the hood of the new Civic Type R-GT on July 25 and 26, 2023, as the prototype will be put through its paces at the Okayama International Circuit in Japan, part of the pre-testing session. The goal is to have the car, which is described as being "a dedicated race machine," ready for the 2024 season.
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