Redesigned Civic Type R TCR Race Car Breaks Cover
Italian touring-car specialist JAS Motorsport begins 2018 preparation with TCR cars based on 2017 Civic Type R.
JAS Motorsport announced July 12 that they had begun building an updated TCR-spec Honda Civic Type R for competition in touring-car racing. Based on the 2017 road car, the Type R TCR will sport redesigned looks and other tweaks to match the FK8 Civic.
As a builder of many Civic touring cars from World Touring Car Championship, to the previous-generation Civic Type R TCR, Italian builder JAS received approval from TCR regulators to move ahead with the build. In addition to the next-generation facelift, the Civic TCR wears more aggressive aerodynamics with an adjustable racing suspension. TCR regulations mandate a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that produces 330 horsepower.
Owing to their inclusion in the Hankook 24H Series and VLN championships, Civic TCR buyers may check options for endurance racing. Those include improved lighting, a driver cooling setup, and anti-lock braking system.
Customers will begin taking deliveries of the 2018 Civic TCR around December 15, 2017. JAS expects to deliver 25 cars in time for the start of the 2018 season, an indication that the TCR specification is growing. To date, 50 Civic TCRs compete in eight TCR-spec championships across the world.
A little bit more about TCR…
Marcello Lotti, former World Touring Car Championship boss, founded the TCR specification and launched it in 2015 with the TCR International Series. Aimed at providing high-quality cars in a cost-capped environment, several international and national touring car series have adopted the ruleset.
To maintain parity and make the cars attainable, the TCR rulebook caps costs at around $135,000 to purchase the car. Some additional fees may apply, but the idea is to keep manufacturers from pouring development money into the championships.
The formula has worked so far with TCR now in its third year. During that time, the previous-generation Civic (above) has competed heartily. Honda currently leads the manufacturer’s championship in the TCR International Series and the teams’ championship headed by Norbert Michelisz’s M1RA squad.
[Photos: JAS Motorsport]