The turbocharged engine from the new Honda Civic Type R debuts as a crate engine at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
The Honda Civic Type R is arguably the greatest performance car that the Japanese automaker has sold in the United States, shy of the NSX. The heart of that high-performance Honda is the turbocharged K20C1, packing 306 horsepower and 295lb-ft of torque. That output makes this Civic the most powerful mainline vehicle that Americans have ever been able to buy at their local dealerships.
Much like the K20A before it, the K20C is surrounded by a great deal of interest in swapping this new engine into older project cars. To answer that new demand for the Civic’s most powerful production road-going engine in the USA, Honda has introduced the Type R crate engine at the 2017 SEMA Show. This new Type R crate engine will be sold through their HPD Honda Racing Line program as part of the company’s continuing effort to support grassroots racing.
The K20C1 Reserved for Select Buyers
While the HPD Honda Racing Line program will begin selling the 2017 Civic Type R engines to interested buyers, the company will not be shipping these engines out to just anyone. The Type R engine from Honda Racing is intended to support “U.S. grassroots and professional racers for verified, closed-course racing applications”. Acquiring one includes an application process and based on the initial details, the company is only going to sell these engines to road racers and rallycross racers.
This means that those Honda fans who want to convert their CRX into a Type R-powered street racing machine will likely be turned down. Applicants will have to provide information on the racing league in which they participate, seemingly making it difficult for non-road racers to get this new engine for their own project.
Those Honda racers who are approved to buy the 2017 Civic Type R engine will pay $6,519.87 (plus shipping costs) for the turbocharged 2.0L K20C1. This engine delivers the factory power ratings of 306hp at 6,500rpm and 295lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 4,500rpm. These figures make the new Civic Type R an incredible performance machine, so in a lightweight, production-based race car, the K20C1 should make for some great road-racing Honda vehicles.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
