For the annual SMMT test day, Honda has pulled out all the stops and has revealed two crowd-pleasing concepts that are nothing short of incredible.
One is the lifted rally Civic that you can see above, and the other is a road-legal Type R with a hand full of modifications and an engine that has been tuned to 400hp.
In charge of building the road-going version of the Type R, Team Dynamics Motorsport wanted to show what the Civic could be transformed into with a few "off-the-shelf" modifications. Exterior wise, the slightly lower stance and the wheels are the only obvious changes, but the real work lies under the hood.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged engine received a remap, a free-flowing exhaust, a new intercooler, and a new induction system. All these modifications allow the engine to breathe easier and result in 298kW and 500Nm of torque.
“We’re familiar with the race-winning FK8, however we wanted to showcase what can be extracted from the car with just a few light modifications,” said Team Dynamics manager James Rodgers. “The standard car, which we call a race car for the road, is so competent that it really doesn’t take much to take it to the next level.”
In terms of handling upgrades, the Civic now sits on Eibach Pro performance springs, adjustable anti-roll bars, and rear camber arms. A set of sticky Dunlops are also wrapped around these new 19-inch wheels.
While this is a serious Civic, it wasn't the highlight of Honda's show, their 'OveRland' build was. This Civic Type R was built by Ralph Hosier Engineering, and while it's still not finished, it looks absolutely bonkers.
Compared to the road-going Civic, the aggressive exterior modifications of this bad boy jump out at you. Sitting on massive 255/55 BF Goodrich tyres that are wrapped around rally wheels, this Type R has been lifted by 4 inches and looks like its ready to tackle the toughest terrain.
A roll cage has been fitted to this car for obvious rally purposes, and the rear suspension has had an overhaul. It utilises the car's normal suspension at the front, but a custom trailing arm mounting and modified transverse links at the rear keep things planted.
“These two wildly different interpretations of the Civic Type R showcase the standard car’s attributes, but also reflect the advanced, sporty and playful nature of the entire Civic range,” said Ralph Hosier, owner of the eponymous engineering business. “We have also had a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what can be done with a road car.”
As you can imagine, Honda isn't putting either of these cars into production any time soon, but both businesses have expressed their interest in building more vehicles if customers are interested.