Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - All-New Honda Civic Type R Prototype to Make U.S. Debut At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

May 3, 2022 � TORRANCE, Calif.Next-Generation 2023 Honda Civic Type R in prototype form will run demonstration laps in camouflaged livery at the July 1-3 Honda Indy 200
2023 Civic Type R to be presenting sponsor of Honda Indy 200 weekend

Honda�s all-new 2023 Civic Type R prototype will make its U.S. public debut during the July 1-3 Honda Indy 200 NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The highly anticipated Civic Type R will be wearing a special camouflage designed exclusively for Type R. In addition, the Civic Type R will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Honda Indy 200 race. The car will make several demonstration hot laps during the weekend, and serve as the lead vehicle as the start of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday, July 3.

The all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R is already showcasing its trackworthy credentials, having recently set a new track record for a front-wheel drive car at the legendary Suzuka Circuit, home to the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. During final performance testing and evaluation, the new Civic Type R lapped the Suzuka�s 3.6-mile figure-8 configuration in 2 minutes 23.120 seconds.

The historic performance broke the previous track record set by the 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition � a lightweight, specially-tuned, track-focused version of the outgoing car � by nearly one second. A video highlighting the achievement is available here, and an in-car view of the record lap can be seen here.

American Honda has a long history of involvement in central Ohio and at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Honda was the first Japanese company to establish auto manufacturing operations in the United States, opening Honda of America Manufacturing in Marysville, Ohio, in 1982. The company has had an Official Vehicle relationship with Mid-Ohio since 1994.

Today, Honda operates multiple manufacturing facilities and a major Research & Development center in Ohio. Combined, they employ more than 13,000 associates and have the capacity to produce more than 650,000 vehicles and 1.18 million engines annually.

In all, Honda drivers have won 11 of the 16 Indy car races since the series returned to Mid-Ohio under the Honda Indy 200 banner in 2007; including a 1-2-3 podium sweep in 2019 as Dixon scored his sixth Mid-Ohio win. Dixon�s other Mid-Ohio wins have come in 2007, 2009, 2011-12 and 2014, leading his nickname �Mr. Mid-Ohio.� Honda�s most recent winner at its Ohio �home circuit� was rising star Colton Herta, who led 57 of the 75 laps en route to his fourth career INDYCAR race win.

About Honda
Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. Honda has the highest fleet average fuel economy and lowest CO2 emissions of any major full-line automaker in America, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency�s (EPA) latest data. The award-winning Honda lineup includes the Civic and Accord, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda�s electrified vehicle lineup includes the Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid and in the future, the Civic Hybrid. In 2024, Honda will introduce it�s first volume battery-electric vehicle, the Prologue.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for 40 years and currently operates 18 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2021, more than 95% of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

More information about Honda is available in the Digital Fact Book.