Honda still makes some of the cheapest, enthusiast-focused cars, even though SUVs are very popular and make a lot of money. The Honda Civic Si and Type R, as well as the Acura Integra and Type S, are good examples of cars that can perform well on both the street and the track. But what about a trim level that is bolder and more spicy than Type R or Type S? At the 2025 Rolex 24 in Daytona, Honda Racing President Koji Watanabe told reporters that the company should make models with real HRC parts that are more powerful than the ones it currently offers. “I can’t tell you the exact plan yet, but I think we should work with HRC racing technologies to develop such a performance model,” Watanabe said. “HRC US, the American side, has already begun creating performance components.” Watanabe was asked if Honda would think about making and selling ultra-high-performance cars like Ferrari’s XX program. When I asked Watanabe if these faster cars would be based on existing Honda and Acura models, he insisted that they would be based on either the ARX-06 IMSA GTP prototype or the RB17-style hypercar he talked about in 2024. Watanabe told Invoice Pricing, “We don’t have a firm plan yet, but the first one would be based on current models like the Honda Type R or the Integra Type S.” The head of Honda’s racing team said that HRC’s American section is already making performance parts for current models, which means this is more than just a pipe dream. The Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype was first shown off by the company at Monterey Car Week last year. Yuki Tsunoda, an F1 driver, gave it a thumbs up after a quick test drive and even asked the company head to get one brought into Japan for him. When asked about the next step up, Jon Ikeda, senior vice president of HRC US and one of the prototype’s main creators, said that an HRC trim might be it. “This would be something in between—right at the point where your significant other won’t want to ride with you,” Ikeda said. “You have the Type S or Type R for the road, and [on the other end] you have a race car that you can buy for the track.” “You’re implying [that it’s the best representation of that model] if you’re going to put the HRC brand name on it, and it must be street legal.” “Customers should click on ‘I want this part on it and that part on it,'” Ikeda said. “Porsche and everyone else does this.” He also said he wasn’t sure which parts or changes would meet safety standards and other requirements. We won’t skimp on safety, though, so everything has to be approved. Both HRC execs stressed that there is no set timeline and that everything is still in the early stages. However, it is interesting to think about how much better a Civic or Integra might perform after factory racing. We are going to watch.
