Honda’s HRC promises a new line of ‘functional’ performance parts derived from racing

Honda officially takes the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) brand into the realm of OEM performance parts for on-road, off-road and track use. The cynic in me thinks this will be limited to wheels, exhaust tips and decal kits, but thankfully the language in the company’s announcement is more encouraging than that.

This gold nugget from Honda’s press release is the most interesting:

“Based on the strong interest generated by the Acura Integra Type S HRC prototypeshowcased during Monterey Car Week in August 2024, HRC has decided to move forward with the creation of new lines of authentic performance parts specifically for private consumers in North America. These new parts will utilize the technical knowledge and expertise of championship-winning HRC racing engineers, with the first prototypes expected to be ready as early as next year. As a hugely successful racing brand for many years, HRC US is uniquely positioned to offer customers parts to improve the performance of their own Honda and Acura vehicles.”

The word “authentic” is kind of obscure, but the mention of racing engineers and this line from longtime Honda executive Jon Ikeda (now senior vice president of HRC USA) sounds positive:

“To be an original HRC part, it must meet our strict standards while functionally improving vehicle performance and the driving experience.”

“Functional”, now there’s a word I like!

As Honda racing fans know, HRC recently replace Honda Performance Development (HPD)the division that previously represented the automaker’s motorsports efforts in North America. HPD sold Civic Si And Civic Type R touring cars, but from a more mainstream consumer perspective their accessories are largely limited to cosmetic packages for models like the Civic and Ridgeline. But it used to be worked their magic on the disappointing CR-Zwith upgrades to the suspension, brakes and clutch, and even add-ons like a limited slip differential and a supercharger, so owners can make it the authentic hot hatch it deserves to be. That’s the kind of thing I hope this HRC effort is teasing.

Honda will showcase nine cars at the upcoming SEMA show, including some race cars, the Integra Type S HRC prototype to demonstrate its on-road product ideas, and a Pilot HRC prototype to give us some ideas about what off-road parts the a new performance brand could have in store. I wouldn’t expect something as extreme as swapping solid axles. But I could see induction upgrades and tuning, coilovers and maybe even turbo upgrade kits? And I bet we’ll see that huge wing of the Integra concept in the catalog soon.

There are two main reasons why I’m excited about this. For starters, all the products designed to increase people’s appreciation for cars are nice to see on the market. And second, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to improve cars with aftermarket parts – and there’s enough junk on the market that can actually downgrade stock. Having factory upgrade options gives you more assurance that what you add will be compatible with your car’s technology. Plus, you can probably roll this stuff into your car payment if you take out a loan.

We don’t have any specific examples of HRC parts that will definitely go into production, but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we know more.

Are there any super cool, obscure HPD parts we’re forgetting? Email the author at [email protected]