JAS Motorsport has unveiled the latest Honda Civic TCR car, which will be eligible for racing in various touring car championships around the world in 2023.
The car is based on the latest FL5 Type-R production car, which had been revealed earlier in the summer of 2022.
Having débuted the previous FK7 model at the start of the 2018 season, JAS Motorsport will now introduce the latest Civic – the third to have been turned into a TCR racer – at the start of 2023.
Amongst the key features are “a brand-new exterior design and aerodynamic package to improve downforce, a new chassis for enhanced cornering stability and greater driver safety, upgraded braking and transmission systems plus a race-prepared version of the four-cylinder, two-litre turbocharged engine featured in the Type R production vehicle.”
An endurance version of the race car will be available for series such as the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, VLN, 24h Series and other long-distance races.
The car had its first run at the Circuit Tazio Nuvolari in Italy on 5 December by Néstor Girolami. A ‘thorough track-based test and development programme’ is now underway before the first cars are delivered to customers.
“We are delighted and excited to reveal the all-new Honda Civic Type R TCR, designed and built by JAS Motorsport at our specialist facility at Arluno, Italy,” said JAS Motorsport TCR Project Leader Mads Fischer.
“We send our most sincere thank you to Honda for not only continuing to give us their blessing for this project, but for their renewed commitment to customer racing globally through a TCR programme that we are incredibly proud to be at the centre of.
“The new Type R TCR features significant enhancements in chassis, engine, suspension and braking, while we’ve used the extensive knowledge gained through the NSX GT3 and Civic Type R TCR Customer Racing Programmes to create our safest and most driver-friendly cockpit yet.”
The relationship between JAS and Honda goes back to 1998, and previous Civic TCR cars have now achieved 398 TCR race victories and 74 major titles in the category globally.
Delivery to customers is due to start in April 2023.
