Between Mopar’s 707-horsepower Hellcat engine and Honda’s 306-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter from the Civic Type R, the crate engine gods have smiled on both axles today.
Like Mopar, Honda took advantage of this week’s SEMA show in Las Vegas to announce the availability of the front-drive monster’s engine in standalone form. No doubt this news immediately inspired visions of the cobbled-together HR-V Type R you really wanted, but be warned. This engine comes with an asterisk.
That’s because the 306 hp, 295 lb-ft engine is only available for purchase through Honda Performance Development’s Honda Racing Line program. Yes, forget about spirited on-road motoring in a vehicle inspired by a now-deleted Honda tweet. The Type R crate engine is a track-only proposition.
Honda claims the engine’s availability “to U.S. grassroots and professional racers for verified, closed-course racing applications through the HPD Honda Racing Line program” follows years of enviable Type R motor availability in Europe and Asia. Now that the engine sits in a U.S. production vehicle, the automaker’s spreading the fun around. Honda noted its “long-term commitment to the support of grassroots racing” in the United States and elsewhere.
Once a buyer proves they’re obtaining the motor for sanctioned racing purposes, Honda will hand it over for the sum of $6,519.87, minus shipping costs.
Having proven its track prowess in the hands of experienced racers, it’ll be interesting to see the Type R’s engine set up shop under the hood of specially modified and purpose-built track machines. Maybe someone’ll bring a HR-V.
[Images: Honda]
Seems a real shame they are ignoring the fast and furious crowd that would love to shoehorn one of these in an old Prelude, CRX, or Integra.
There are already about a million CR-V engines out there begging to be swapped into a Civic somewhere. Some boost gives cheap power that easily exceeds the Type-R anyway.
When even old B-series Hondas can make 300 hp, and K-series make 400hp, and boosted engines can double that, tuners don’t really need this engine until they start showing up in wrecking yards.
(and I guess the Accord version will be much cheaper and easier to find for those interested)
Finally the perfect engine swap for the CRZ!
Especially if it goes in behind the driver.
Yeah, without the ability to swap it into a street car I’m not sure how much use something like this would get. Most sanctioning bodies are pretty specific when it comes to allowed engines. Maybe if you’re doing Formula D or Rallycross?
That’ll make for one helluva lawnmower.
Would it fit in a S2000?
I’m guessing it’s a major PITA to adapt an engine designed for a transverse application into a chassis that requires a longitudinal application.
LS swap!
The main barrier to this engine finding a home in a street driven car is the $6.5k cost, not Honda or the EPA. Huge chunks of the US have either no emissions testing or no vehicle inspection at all.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_inspection_in_the_United_States
That’s for sure. A 300hp crate motor for 6500 bucks? You can buy two for that price most places, or three if you’re willing to go cast iron block and heads.
I am predicting that it will take no more than 22 days after release before the first 5 are on the street.
….and 22 hours later, at least two of them will have been stolen.
“….and 22 hours later, at least two of them will have been [wrapped around a tree]”
Fixed it for you.
Does LeMons count as a sanctioned body?
Not too bad I suppose. The 707 horsepower Hellcat engine retails for almost 20k which makes it a fairly good deal when your talking supercharged lumps.
Ford’s 5.2 Aluminator engine is almost 20k as listed in the FRPP catalog and rated at 580 horsepower (on a side not there is a guy running a 5.2 in similar configuration naturally aspirated with a stock block and heads with upgraded valve springs and aftermarket cams designed to support a 10,000 rpm redline and a 14:1 compression ratio. Not too shabby for production castings, especially the stock valves and factory CNC ported heads)
GM steals the show though with the 6.2 LT4 at just under 15k with 650 horsepower.
Each can probably be had for a few thousand less than what the manufacturers are suggesting for retail (I went looking for the cheapest Ford mill and found it just a tad under 16k).
Or the Chevy 572 for $18k with 727 HP.
https://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines/big-block-zz-572-720-r
Indeed I’d still crown the LT4 the cheap speed king though. A pulley and a canned tune later and its making more power than the Hellkitty hemi and the big block for less money.
How difficult is it to “manufacture” career-client cars and sell them to private owners? bishimoto for example could I do it right?
That is a pretty good price for that engine; I was bracing myself for worse.
It would still be a lot more fun to build a K-series motor to the same ~300whp this thing makes…. sans turbo, on pump gas. In bodies that can weigh as much as 1000lb less than the current Civics. Ah, if only I had money to burn.