Honda Civic Type R Crate Engine Is Better Than Ever

It's one of the best front-wheel-drive cars on the market, and a big part of what makes the Honda Civic Type R so good is its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Yes, it may lack some of the high-revving antics of older, naturally-aspirated Honda engines, but it's more powerful with a stout 306 horsepower.

A few years ago, Honda made this engine available for purchase as a crate engine, which was great news for amateur racers and professional race teams alike. Now, Honda Performance Development (HPD) has announced a more comprehensive crate engine and Controls Package.

Designed with simplified and affordable swap applications in mind, the Controls package comes with an ECU developed by HPD, an accelerator pedal, and an engine swap harness. This is in addition to the contents of the K20C1 crate engine that includes the engine long block, turbocharger, starter motor, and alternator. For numerous off-highway applications, the HPD ECU comes pre-tuned to make installation less of a hassle.

"Our K20C1 engines have won many races in club and professional series and is now available for a wide range of applications," said John Whiteman, Manager at HPD Commercial Motorsports. "The new limited-edition crate engine package is part of HPD's strategy to leverage our pinnacle expertise for the benefit of Honda fans of all ages and motorsports categories."

HPD emphasizes that the engine and controls package are not street-legal and that customers will be responsible for following the relevant regulations. The controls package can't be bought without purchasing the engine as well, while customers will be required to supply supporting systems like the airbox, transmission, cooling system, and intercooler.

The product does not come with a warranty. On its own, the Honda crate engine carries a cost of $6,790, whereas the crate engine with the new Controls Package goes for $9,000. The complete package will be available as of May 1, 2021.