Honda Civic Type R TC is the ideal machine for touring car amateurs

The TC-Class racer completes Honda Performance Development's Civic-based customer racing portfolio.

Honda has taken the wraps off its latest Civic Type R-based racer, called the Civic Type R TC. Developed by Honda Performance Development (HPD) specifically for the SRO TC Americas (American Touring Car Championship), the new TC-Class race machine sits alongside the existing Civic Si TCA and the hardcore Civic Type R TCR racers (The SRO TC Americas comprises of three race classes - TC, TCA & TCR). Honda describes the Type R TC as 'a turn-key solution for professional racers, and for skilled Type R enthusiasts who wish to transition from track time in a stock Type R to a fully built race car.'

The Civic Type R TC starts life as a body in white from Honda's Swindon plant in England. Equipped with the same 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo motor, the car then heads to Gradient Racing in Austin, Texas where the final assembly takes place. While the race car makes do with the stock vehicle's exterior sheet metal, it receives a plethora of in-house developed racing components. The rather long list of modifications includes a high-flow front grille, a J's Racing FRP vented hood, HPD/Borla downpipe and turbo-back exhaust, etc.

Apart from complete trackside factory engineering and parts support by HPD, the Civic Type R TC's price of $89,900 (₹ 63.6 lakh approx) also makes it a very lucrative option for amateur touring class racers. While it isn't exactly cheap, it is certainly a more viable option when compared to the hardcore Civic Type R TCR's price tag of $172,000 (₹ 1.21 crores approx), excluding spares! 

The Civic Type R TC will be available exclusively for registered North American racing customers through HPD's Honda Racing Line program.

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Honda Civic Type R – a comeback for the brand