Honda updates Civic WTCC for 2016 season

As the opening round of the 2016 World Touring Car Championship draws closer, the Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team has just unveiled their title contender for this year's championship with an updated Civic. Still using the current platform, the 2016 Civic WTCC gets new look along with various mechanical upgrades from last year's race car.

The Castrol colors still remain but now features an upward sweeping design as opposed to last season's downward kink. The front end of the car gets a new look, now adapting the Civic Type R's fascia. Visual changes aside, Honda says the 2016 Honda Civic WTCC received significant development in the powertrain department by Honda R&D. The new engine was further tuned by MUGEN and additional improvements were in the mechanical sections.

The team also gets significant changes, namely the driver lineup. While the team retains Tiago Monteiro, Honda welcomes Robb Huff and Norbert Michelisz to the team. Huff was the WTCC champion back in 2012 driving for Chevrolet and, before moving to Honda, was Lada's works driver. He replaces Gabriele Tarquini who then took Huff's place over at Lada. Michelisz, on the other hand, is the reigning Yokohama Independent's Trophy champ but now joins the factory team under Honda Racing Team JAS.

The Civic was first used in the World Touring Car Championship during the latter half of the 2012 season, taking its first podium in Macau. Honda then entered as a factory team full time in 2013 and was able to bag the manufacturer's cup on its first try with the combined efforts of Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro. Specifications of the 2016 Honda Civic WTCC follow the current regulations of the series. The race car is equipped with a 1.6-liter, turbocharged engine.