Following Acura’s racy treatment with the Integra, Honda is rolling out HRC performance concepts for the Civic Type R and the Prelude.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a fair share of Honda Racing Corporation (formerly Honda Performance Development) concepts roll out onto show floors far and wide. Now, Honda’s back with more concepts at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, including HRC-ified versions of the Civic Type R hot hatch and the Prelude coupe.
Broadly speaking, the Civic Type R HRC Concept brings leans on the same parts stock and general theme as the Integra Type S HRC build. At least, it seems to be that way once you get past the funky, mid-2000s ad campaign wrap. That is, HRC components like a big wing, a beefier intercooler, oil coolers and some suspension and chassis upgrades appear to be on offer here.
Honda doesn’t really specify what it did, as such, to create the concept. It just says that the car was developed “in the pursuit of ‘ultimate driving performance'”. Beyond that, Honda says it came about by “incorporating HRC technologies and the expertise of its racing drivers” to further “refine the ‘joy of driving’ unique to Honda honed at the forefront of racing environments”. Thanks for clarifying there.
The Prelude HRC Concept makes its debut in a similar vein, though the details are a bit more obvious. Carbon fiber abounds, and there’s a large rear-mounted wing as well as a larger front spoiler, HRC-branded side skirts, larger brakes and gloss black wheels. Odds are, being a performance prototype, HRC may have ditched the rear seats and installed some chassis stiffening to make it a more thrilling drive. The Prelude is an interesting prospect, given its hybrid powertrain and lightweight potential compared to an ordinary Civic sedan, or even a Civic Si.
Normally, folks would need to take their cars to aftermarket parts outfits if they wanted to improve their car’s performance. More and more automakers are building out their in-house catalogs, though, as enthusiasts drive demand for upgrades and there’s a ripe opportunity there to cash in through after-sales transactions, beyond servicing.
