Honda Reveals Menacing Civic Type R-GT for GT500 Series in Japan
Honda Racing has revealed a new racing version of the Civic Type R, fittingly referred to as the Civic Type R-GT.The car will run in Japan’s Super GT Series top GT500 class starting with the 2024 season. The race-prepped CTR will begin testing at the Okayama International Circuit in Japan from July 25-26.
It’s pretty clear at this point that we’re smitten with the 11th-generation Honda Civic Type R. Like head-over-heels in love type smitten. It’s a 10Best winner, Editors Choice winner, and on top of all that, the fastest front-drive car we’ve ever lapped around Virginia International Raceway (VIR). So excuse us for a moment while we indulge in the glory of the new Civic Type R-GT.
The CTR-GT will run in Japan’s top-class Super GT, the GT500 series, starting in the 2024 season. Honda hasn’t released any details regarding the car itself, but based on the one photo we’ve seen, the Type R-GT means business.
Two Civic Type R’s Worth of Power
Super GT rules limit manufacturers to a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, something Honda confirmed, but we still expect output to be somewhere in the range of 550 to 650 horsepower. Combine nearly double the horsepower along with significant weight, aero, and technical upgrades, and we’d pay to see the advantage the Type R-GT has over the standard CTR’s 2:58.8 lap at VIR.
honda
The visual differences are drastic when comparing the Type R-GT to the standard Type R, even with just one picture. Of course, that’s expected, but we’re still taken aback at how aggressive the aero looks on the Honda. The focused intent on winning is quite clear.
“From the 2024 season, we will participate in the SUPER GT GT 500 class, one of the highest categories in Japan, with our constant desire for victory, we will aim to win the championship from the first year, so please keep your expectations high for the permeance the Civic Type R-GT will demonstrate in the coming years,” said Honda Racing Corporation President Yasuharu Watanabe.
Testing for the car will officially take place at the Okayama International Circuit in Japan from July 25-26.
Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
