In most quarters, the new Civic Type R from Honda is a pretty exciting car. It’s got more aggressive looks than the standard Civic, finely-tuned performance gains and even a hefty rear wing. But if you look at that car and wish for more, then Honda’s new race car might appeal to you.
Called the Civic Type R-GT, the new racer takes the Civic and adds a whole lot more of everything. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to spot the original Civic hiding under all the new carbon fiber, aerodynamic tweaks and race-ready modifications that Honda has made to this car.
Developed by Honda Racing Corporation, the new racer has been built for the Super GT series in Japan, which Honda currently competes in with a modified NSX racer. However, that car will retire from racing duties at the end of this year, when it will be succeeded by the Civic Type R-GT.
Across the bodywork you’ll spot all manner of carbon fiber additions, including a new front end that’s shaped to channel air around the car. There’s also a set of massive fenders, a new diffuser at the rear and that gaping wing, which looks big enough to serve Thanksgiving dinner on.
Under the skin, Honda has also made all manner of performance updates to the racer, but it remains tightlipped on most of them. All it says for now is that the Type R-GT is fitted with a two-liter direct injection turbocharged inline four-cylinder racing engine. As the standard Civic Type-R manages 315 hp 310 lb-ft of torque from its two-liter motor, we can expect this race-spec edition to make a whole heap more.
Before it makes its debut in Super GT next year, Honda has an extensive season of testing ahead of it. The Type R-GT will first hit the track this week, taking to the Okayama International Circuit in Japan on July 25 and 26.
Then, once the NSX-GT retires from racing at the end of 2023, the Type R-GT will take over Honda’s racing duties in the 2024 Super GT season, which kicks off in the new year.