Honda Is Showcasing Civic Si Race Cars And Overlanding Trucks At SEMA
Japanese automaker Honda is heading to this year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show with a collection of Civic Si race cars and a few overlanding off-road vehicles. It includes the all-new Honda Performance Development (HPD) race car prototype for the Touring Car competition and a Civic Si racing car for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race.
Building upon learnings acquired from the highly successful 10th-gen HPD Civic Si TCA race car program, HPD's newest turn-key Civic Si race car is perfect for club racing, amateur touring car series, and track day events. Starting with Honda's all-new 11th-generation Civic Si, the racing model features a slew of custom HPD and aftermarket performance enhancements.
The HPD Civic Si has the same 1.5-liter turbocharged VTEC engine and six-speed manual transmission as the stock model. Still, it now has a performance ECU, a high-capacity aluminum radiator, a racing limited-slip differential, and a turbo-back dual-outlet exhaust system.
The race car is riding on Momo Etna 17-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli slick tires. It also gets custom Bilstein inverted double-adjustable dampers, Eibach racing coil springs, HPD front camber plates, and camber-adjustable rear upper arms. Of course, it also receives an APR rear wing, HPD underbody spoilers, and an HPD roll cage to complete the race-ready vibe.
Meanwhile, the Team Honda Research West (THR-W) Civic Si race car is debuting at the 25-Hour of Thunderhill endurance race from December 3 to 5, 2021. Since 2016, THR-W team members have helped improve the design and engineering of Honda production cars and trucks using their experiences from professional racing.
The newest6 THR-W Civic Si has a Hondata ECU, a Koyo aluminum radiator, a racing downpipe and front pipe with a titanium exhaust, a custom gear set, racing engine mounts, and H & R coil springs, among many other mods. It also gets a 220-horsepower version of the roadgoing Civic Si's 1.5-liter turbocharged four-banger capable of pumping out 240 pound-feet of torque, 48 more than stock.
In addition, Honda is also showcasing the Team Liquid 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback, the HPD 2022 Honda Civic Si, and the Fifteen52 Project 96 Accord Wagon. Team Liquid has partnered with Honda for this year's SEMA with a customized Civic Hatchback packing some yummy HPD and Honda Genuine Accessories. The list includes 18-inch bespoke alloy wheels, a roof carrier, and a Thule Motion XT Alpine roof box.
Also worth mentioning is the fifteen52 Project 96 Accord Wagon inspired by the race-winning Accord that conquered the Japanese Touring Car Championship in the mid-90s. It's packing a K20C1 Civic Type R engine with 306 horsepower. It also has Tein Sreet Advance Z performance coilover suspension, Brembo brakes, Toyo performance tires, and Super Touring Podium wheels.
On the overlanding front, Honda presents the Passport Trailsport Rugged Roads Project 2.0, essentially an enhanced and more off-road capable version of the newest Passport Trailsport SUV. The changes include a Jsport suspension lift kit, custom 18-inch black wheels wrapped in Firestone Destination all-terrain tires, stainless steel skid plates, and many more.
Honda also has the Ridgeline HPD Trail Tour Project Vehicle, a customized version of the 2021 Ridgeline pickup truck. It also gets a Jsport suspension lift kit, stainless steel skid plates, Firestone all-terrain tires, and a slew of bed and rooftop accessories from Thule and Jsport.
Finally, Honda will showcase an overlanding-themed Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT motorbike at SEMA. The newly-minted Africa Twin Overland highlights the bike's rugged capabilities when equipped with the finest adventure gear. The 2021 SEMA show runs from November 2 to 5, 2021, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.