Honda developing hotter Civic Type R HRC for US buyers

Honda has confirmed that a more powerful version of the Civic Type R, called the HRC, is being developed for buyers in the United States. The car was shown at the SEMA Show, the large automotive specialty event held in Las Vegas. The details come from Honda's own announcement.

Honda used its SEMA stand to display the project. The company also showed an electrified Baja Trophy Truck and a Prelude set up for racing. One outlet noted that a 1,300-hp trophy truck was expected to be the main attraction on the stand, but the new Civic drew attention too.

What the company has said

The Civic Type R is Honda's performance version of its hatchback. The HRC name refers to Honda Racing, the company's motorsport division, and signals a car tuned for more track performance. Honda has not yet said how much more power the HRC will produce, or how it will differ from the standard Type R.

For Indian readers, the Civic Type R is not sold in India, so this development does not affect local buyers directly. It does show where Honda is putting its performance effort, and US-spec cars can sometimes reach Indian enthusiasts through importers, though none has been announced.

The electrified Baja Trophy Truck shows Honda testing battery power in off-road racing. The Prelude display points to continued interest in its coupe for track use.

What is not yet known

Honda has not announced a price, a launch date or full specifications for the Civic Type R HRC. It is also not clear whether the car will go on sale in the US or remain a development project. Further details are expected to come from Honda later.