Honda Civic Type R Turned Into a $158,000 Race Car for the Road

Racing Knowledge Translated to Cool Road Cars

Every carmaker with a motorsport arm worth its salt eventually funnels track lessons into road cars. Sometimes, though, racing teams do that, too. Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA) is doing exactly that at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon with a Civic Type R project that sits far outside the usual tuning playbook.

Formed in 1997 by former Formula 1 driver Aguri Suzuki and Autobacs, ARTA has long competed at the sharp end of Japanese motorsport, particularly Super GT. Its latest project uses the current FL5-generation Honda Civic Type R as a base, but this is not a styling exercise or a bolt-on parts catalog. It is a full “complete kit” developed with direct involvement from Suzuki, Keiichi Tsuchiya, and Super GT driver Tomoki Nojiri.

Only 20 kits are planned, and ARTA isn’t just making a street car with racing looks. It’s building something much closer to a real race car that just happens to be road legal.

A Civic Type R, Rewritten by ARTA

The ARTA GT FL5 looks aggressive, but every change serves a purpose. The big front opening boosts cooling and adds downforce, while the overfender ducts manage airflow better than typical bolt-on aero. Out back, a large diffuser and swan-neck GT wing handle the rest.

Apart from the bodywork, ARTA engineered the turbo system and suspension, ditched the factory limiter, and set up the car for real track use. The goal: get as much performance as possible from the FL5 while still keeping it street-ready.

Inside, there’s a suede-wrapped racing wheel in place of the stock one, but the factory controls stay where you expect them. Black Recaro seats hold you in tighter than the originals.

Having Nojiri involved in the circuit setup isn’t just for show. ARTA says it actually used his Super GT experience during development, not just for the brochure.

The Price of Going All In

The ARTA kit itself costs 13.5 million yen before tax, and that’s just for the parts. You still need to buy a Civic Type R (about 5 million yen in Japan) and pay for installation. All in, you’re looking at around 18.5 million yen before any extras. ARTA figures the final price could hit 23 to 25 million yen, depending on options. That’s about $160,000, so it’s not for everyone. But exclusivity is part of the draw here.

Again, only 20 cars will be made, all staying in Japan. If you want a Civic as close to Super GT as possible without needing a pit crew, this is about as close as it gets.

View the full article