Wild HRC Civic Type R Is In Development For US, Honda Says
Just what the doctor ordered for sport compact enthusiasts
Honda's Civic Type R hot hatch received a modest nip and tuck for the 2027 model year, but some of us were left wanting bigger changes to keep the CTR at the top of the class. Maybe someone at American Honda was listening, because the automaker is bringing its Type R HRC Concept to SEMA, and now says the car is "in development for the U.S. market." Sport compact fans are surely rejoicing as this car will debut under the same roof as the Nissan Sentra Spec-V concept.
Honda's concept made its debut at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon, alongside a modified Prelude Coupe that had also been breathed on by the automaker's racing division, HRC (Honda Racing Corporation). It now heads Honda's SEMA lineup at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Honda hasn't detailed the exact changes that turn a regular Type R into an HRC variant, but if the base car is the 911 GT3 of hot hatches, the HRC looks set to play the GT3 RS role. No timeframe has been given for a U.S. production launch.
Although still covered in camouflage in Honda's latest pictures, the HRC Civic clearly has a more aggressive front bumper, aerodynamic winglets over the front wheelarches, and a serious rear spoiler. Those tweaks all point to additional downforce, and we'd expect them to be paired with uprated springs and dampers, and larger brakes. The biggest question is whether HRC is able to liberate any more power from the turbocharged, 2.0L inline four. It currently makes 315 hp (319 PS) in U.S. trim, which is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
What else is Honda bringing to SEMA?
The HRC is one solid reason to swing by Honda's SEMA stand next month (November 3-6, 2026), but it's not the only one. There's also Honda's Passport Baja Spec Trophy Truck, which has a twin-turbo, 2.4L V6 powertrain that employs hybrid technology to help it wind out a monstrous 1,300+ horsepower (1,318 PS). The Trophy Truck is backed up by a trio of modified Passport Trailsport chase vehicles.
For anyone who's looked at the new Prelude hybrid coupe and wished Honda would junk the electric bits and drop in the Civic Type's engine and six-speed manual transmission, they'll want to check out the Hasport Prelude Club Racer. It's the modern-day Prelude most of us have dreamed about, but the Honda gurus at Arizona's Hasport wasn't content to leave the idea as a dream.
Felix Rosenqvist's 2026 Indy 500-winning Honda IndyCar, the Honda-powered 2026 Aston Martin Aramco Racing AMR26 F1 racer, and a 35-horsepower Honda N600 microcar that competed in the 1970 Baja 1000 race are also on display. And HRC U.S. is launching its line of official performance parts at SEMA 2026, including sports exhausts, lightweight forged wheels, and a short-throw shifter for models like the Civic Type R, Passport Trailsport and Integra Type S. Honda and Acura will offer the upgrades through dealerships and online starting March 2027.