Honda Civic Type R HRC Rally XP is ready for the dirt

The Honda Civic Type R may be seen by many as one of the best turbocharged hot hatches meant to carve mountain roads while still being practical as a daily. But for Honda Racing Corporation, it can do more than just be one of the best FWD hot hatches on the road.

At the 2025 SEMA Show, Honda is showcasing the off-road-ready Civic Type R HRC Rally XP. Fresh from off-road testing to confirm the durability and capability of the car with F1 driver Liam Lawson in Texas, the Civic Type R HRC Rally XP took learnings from the HART Acura Integra Rally Car and is street legal. In fact, HRC said this particular Civic Type R is built to compete in the American Rally Association (ARA) 2WD class to help bridge Honda’s touring car legacy with rugged performance innovation.

The vehicle started life as a stock Civic Type R and was given racing safety components. It's also equipped with parts from HRC's racing catalog, which includes camber/caster plates, an oil cooler kit, an intercooler, a radiator with reverse cooling flow hoses, a clutch plate differential, new suspension components, and TCR hood vents. The result is a hatchback that comes with better cooling, improved handling over any terrain, and faster engine response.

Aside from those, HRC also gave the Civic Type R HRC Rally XP prototype components like bigger brakes for better stopping power, a custom exhaust, underbody protection, and a carbon fiber hydraulic parking brake.

For now, the rally-spec Civic Type R is being evaluated by HRC for future commercial programs. But since it's rally competition-ready, we're curious just how capable it is when taking on dirt, gravel, and everything in between.

The Civic Type R may be regarded by many as one of the best road cars, but HRC just proved that it can also be capable in rally stages.