Honda Racing Corporation announces performance parts division for US Honda, Acura customers

Honda’s US motorsports arm, Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US), has long flirted with accessory packages for production models – so the fact it has gone this long without offering parts directly to consumers is surprising.

But the company is finally entering the fray with a new retail division dedicated to creating “authentic” performance parts for street, track and off-road applications – such as those already available for Toyota owners under the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) and Gazoo Racing banners.

Appropriately announced days ahead of this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the new business was formed following strong interest for the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype shown during Monterey Car Week in August. That striking Indy Yellow sedan previewed a potential line of HRC performance parts – the kind the new division was set up to create.

Those components, designed to increase downforce and improve high-speed stability, included a larger front splitter and cooling ducts, larger hood vents, side splitters and an adjustable carbon fibre rear wing with aluminium uprights. There were also several lightweight carbon parts such as a vented bonnet, rear doors and even one-piece Recaro bucket seats.

In effect, HRC’s efforts mirror those in Japan, where Honda sells Modulo appearance parts under the Honda Access banner; customers in the archipelago can also buy performance kits from the closely-affiliated (but not Honda-owned) tuner Mugen. Prototypes of the new parts, said to leverage the knowledge and expertise of HRC race engineers, will be ready as early as next year.

“HRC US has been winning races and championships on and off road for three decades, and we’re excited to apply this experience to new lines of performance parts for Honda and Acura enthusiasts eager to augment their performance driving experience,” said HRC US senior vice president Jon Ikeda. “To be an HRC genuine part, it must meet our exacting standards, while functionally improving vehicle performance and the driving experience.”

Illustrating its breadth of racing expertise, HRC is showing no less than nine race and tuned road cars at SEMA on November 5 to 8. These include the current Red Bull RB20 F1 car, the Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototype, Álex Palou’s championship-winning IndyCar racer, the IndyCar-engined CR-V Hybrid Racer concept and the aforementioned Integra Type S HRC Prototype.

GALLERY: Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype

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