- Autobacs offers an ARTA GT kit for the Honda Civic Type R.
- Just 20 examples will be made for the Japanese market only.
- Features include swan neck wing, diffuser, and flared arches.
The current Honda Civic Type R already stands out in the hot hatch segment, but one Japanese company has decided that “striking” isn’t quite enough. With a new body kit inspired by professional motorsport, they’ve pushed the design into territory that blurs the line between street car and race machine.
The Arta GT kit, produced by Autobacs Seven, which is one of Japan’s largest automotive parts retailers, will be capped at just 20 units. It was created by the team behind the ARTA Civic Type R Super GT 500 race car and leaves no stone unturned in turning the Honda into a car that could easily hassle supercars on a tight and twisty circuit.
Read: Honda Has Raised Civic Type R Prices By $4,100 Since 2023 Without Changing A Thing
Visually, the overhaul begins at the front end, where a reshaped bumper and splitter are joined by a blacked-out grille. Each corner of the bumper features a pair of aerodynamic canards, and the widened wheel arches are vented with pronounced louvers. A new hood sits up top, featuring three functional vents to aid with heat extraction.
The widened stance continues along the rear with flared arches and fresh side skirts that wouldn’t look out of place on a GT3 car. There’s a set of custom wheels, a reworked rear diffuser, and a tall swan-neck wing that mounts above the hatch. A new exhaust system completes the exterior transformation.
Hardware to Match the Looks
The upgrades don’t stop here. Alongside the bodywork, Autobacs fits a new intercooler and mentions additional, unspecified tweaks to the Type R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four.
The stock Brembo brakes are replaced with a high-performance AP Racing setup featuring two-piece discs and large black calipers. Suspension upgrades promise to further enhance the car’s handling.
Completing the modifications is a new motorsport-inspired carbon fiber steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara with new buttons and switches.
Would You Pay Twice as Much?
Of course, exclusivity and extreme styling come at a cost. Pricing starts at 13.5 million yen, or roughly $85,600 before taxes. That’s more than double the standard price of a new Civic Type R in Japan, a steep premium, but perhaps justifiable for those chasing a true race car aesthetic without leaving the street
