Honda Civic Enters FIA World Touring Car Championship

Industry Insight and photos provided by AutoMotoFoto.net

Honda today announced that the Honda Civic will race in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).

“We have made a decision” said Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito “to enter into the WTCC with the European Civic. We will develop a totally new engine for this project and we are all excited about starting this new challenge.”

For this project, Honda has formed a joint partnership with Mugen and J.A.S. Motorsport. Honda R&D is developing a bespoke racing engine, while Mugen will manufacture and maintain it. J.A.S. Motorsport will develop the race car, using the new Honda Civic 5 door produced in Honda’s manufacturing plant located in Swindon (UK).

The racing engine is a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder direct injection turbo-charged petrol engine, developed in accordance with FIA’s Super 2000 regulations.

Honda’s ambition is to join the WTCC as early as this season, with a string of “inaugural rounds”. Discussions are currently being held with the FIA, but these rounds would include Japan (held on 21 October 2012 at Honda’s Suzuka circuit), followed by China and Macau. Honda will then enter a two car team, managed by J.A.S. Motorsport, into every race in the 2013 championship season.

This activity is being run independently to the Honda Racing British Touring Car Championship winning team. Three-times BTCC Champion, Matt Neal and Gordon ‘Flash’ Shedden will be behind the wheel of the race-prepared Team Dynamics version of the new Civic and lining up on the grid at Brands Hatch on 1 April for the first race of the 2012 season.

Racing has always been a fundamental element of Honda’s DNA. In the late 1950s Honda first entered the Isle of man T.T and then Formula 1 in the 1960s. The FIA WTCC is the next chapter in Honda’s on-going commitment to world motor sport and provides a perfect platform to demonstrate its racing spirit to Honda’s numerous fans around the world.

Link Engine Management: S2000

The new S2000 PlugIN ECU from Link Engine Management has arrived! It is specifically designed to give you full control over the Honda S2000 AP1 F20C...

JE Pistons Ultra Series Pistons for Honda B Series Engines

Ultra Series pistons for Honda B series engines combine JE’s premium features and all-new industry first technology into an off-the-shelf piston kit...

EXEDY Stage 2 Cerametallic Clutch Kit for 2017-2019 Honda Civic

Cover designed to achieve approximately 40% higher clamp load than OE part. Electro galvanized stamped cover with anti-burst ductile iron pressure...

AEM Induction Systems Cyber Monday 20% Off Sale

There's no better time to upgrade to an AEM performance air filter or intake than on Cyber Monday! Get a 20% off sitewide discount with promo code:...