Honda has announced plans to campaign the all-new turbocharged Civic Coupe in the 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross series, in partnership with Red Bull and championship-winning race team Olsbergs MSE. The Honda Civic Red Bull GRC team will begin racing on May 21 in Phoenix at the first event of the season.
Developed from a production-model 2016 Civic Coupe chassis, by renowned builders and racers Olsbergs MSE (OMSE) with technical assistance from Honda Performance Development (HPD), the all-new Civic Red Bull GRC car is built to withstand the unique demands of rallycross. The car is said to boast more than 600 horsepower, which gives it a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, and has been designed to handle the 70 foot table-top jumps featured on each racetrack.
“Global Rallycross is seriously extreme racing, and it’s a terrific platform to showcase the new Civic Coupe to an enthusiastic, performance-minded young audience,” said Nick Lee, national advertising manager, American Honda Motor Co, Inc. “We won’t encourage our customers to take 70-foot jumps out on the street, but we will use this platform to tell people about all the incredible technology and performance capabilities of our new Civic Coupe.”
Driving the 2016 Honda Civic Red Bull GRC car for Team Honda are experienced competitors and former teammates Sebastian Eriksson and Joni Wiman. Honda’s entry into Red Bull Global Rallycross is the latest in a diverse portfolio of North American professional and grassroots auto racing programs supported by Honda that include the Verizon IndyCar Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge, United States F4 Championship and multiple Touring Car and Rally Car series.
