Honda goes hillbilly! Synchro Motorsport, the after-hours playtime group for Honda employees, has transformed a Type R into a pickup!
The guys and gals at the Honda UK HQ in Swindon enjoy their job so much that some of them meet up after-hours to work on special projects like this one. It’s a regular Honda Civic Type R that’s had the roof and part of the rear bodywork ripped-off, turning it into the fastest front-wheel drive pickup truck you’ll ever likely to see on UK roads. Code-named ‘Project P’, the insane ‘ute’ features a fully-functional flatbed. So you can use it to hold everything from a set of track tyres to a pair of Honda lawnmowers. The bodywork has been carefully modified behind the B-pillars to make sure it still looks every inch a Civic Type R rather than some obscure kit car.
The distinctive OE rear wing has been retained, as fitted to both the FK2 and FK8. In a stroke of genius, the spoiler has been mounted on a special mechanism that means it can be moved out of the way, allowing direct access to the flatbed area. So it’s not just a gimmick, it really is a fully-functional pickup truck!
Finished in Rallye Red, Project P is built on a preproduction version of the standard CTR road car. So the driver still has access to the same K20C1 2.0-litre VTEC turbo engine pushing out 315bhp and 295lb ft. It also has the same suspension and gearbox, so it’s estimated Project P will complete the 0-62mph sprint in under six seconds and reach a top speed of over 165mph. It also has the same driving modes: Comfort, Sport and +R. When it isn’t carrying anything on the back, Project P’s rear-end is probably more lively than the standard CTR. This is because of the missing weight of the rear seats and a large chunk of roof. Whatever the difference in performance actually is, you’d be guaranteed more looks in Project P.
Unfortunately, Honda says it has no plans to put the pickup version of the Type R into production. As cool as it is, we’re not sure how many people would actually be bonkers enough to buy one. However, there is talk of using the car to break some pickup lap records. And we wouldn’t bet against it achieving them!
PHIL WEBB, HEAD OF CAR AT HONDA UK
‘This Civic Type R Pickup Truck Concept by the special team at our Swindon-based plant demonstrates the passion and commitment of the team there – going above and beyond outside working hours to deliver the final product. There are no plans to put this in to production but we will be using it to transport our lawn and garden products as and when required!’
ALYN JAMES, PROJECT LEAD
‘We have a special projects division at the factory in Swindon and this project was a fantastic opportunity for the team to show just what their creative minds could do. The passion that our engineers have for Honda is shown in our latest creation and we are even considering taking it to the Nürburgring to see if we can take the record for the fastest front-wheel drive pickup truck!’
