HRC’s 1300-HP Trophy Truck Is the Most Badass Honda Passport Ever

• The Honda Passport Baja Spec is a new state-of-the-art trophy truck that features a slew of advanced tech.
• Along with an 800-volt hybrid system, it has a 1300-plus-hp twin-turbocharged 2.4-liter V-6 based on the engine in Acura’s IMSA race car.
• The Passport Baja Spec will make its public debut next week at the SEMA show, and its first competition will be the 2027 SCORE Baja 500 in June.

If you want your kids to think the Honda Passport parked in your driveway is more than a run-of-the-mill three-row mid-size SUV, show them a picture of this new race truck, which not only wears the Passport name, but features a front end that faithfully resembles the crossover’s mug. “Daddy’s/mommy’s car is based on a race car,” you can tell them. That’ll be a lie; the Baja Spec shares nothing more than a name with the mainstream Passport. But it’ll also give you street cred in your kids’ mind, ‘cause your car will be associated with the most badass Passport ever made.

The Honda Passport Baja Spec is a new state-of-the-art racing machine that was developed to compete in the top Trophy Truck class of the 2027 SCORE World Desert Championship. If you didn’t know, Honda has a long history with Baja racing dating back to the early ‘60s, and it played a role in the first official running of the Baja 1000. Following 22 overall victories in that legendary race, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will make its new trophy truck the first hybrid vehicle to compete in California’s premier off-road endurance racing series.

The Passport Baja Spec is powered by a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 2.4-liter V-6 that’s based on the engine in Acura’s ARX-06 IMSA race car, and it’s paired with an 800-volt hybrid system. The latter features a lightweight battery pack with a carbon-fiber shell that protects pouch cells similar to the ones used in Formula 1 racing. A front-mounted five-speed gearbox sends over 1300 horsepower to all four wheels through an all-wheel-drive transaxle and dual rear driveshafts.

HRC says the Passport Baja Spec introduces new tech to the series, with its roster of innovations including dual-axle brake-by-wire, adaptive traction control, and power that’s deployed by AI. It’s all hidden under a carbon-fiber body that’s adorned with a Red Bull livery; underneath is a 145-gallon safety cell made from carbon Kevlar and developed by Mason Motorsports. To help manage airflow, HRC added side channels behind the front wheels, and tunnels around the cab help reduce aerodynamic drag.

The trophy truck’s ride is controlled by a custom long-travel suspension that features Fox racing dampers. A set of large Toyo tires highlights all four corners, and there’s a backup pair of rubber shoes sticking out the back of the Baja Spec Passport. And speaking of things in the back, HRC positioned fixed-mass components like coolers, batteries, and fluid tanks there to better distribute weight and lower the center of gravity for improved handling.

While the Honda Passport Baja Spec was revealed today at a private event in downtown Los Angeles, California, it’ll make its first public debut next week at the SEMA show held in Las Vegas. The trophy truck will make its competition debut next June at the 2027 SCORE Baja 500, where it will be driven by two-time Baja 1000 winner Bryce Menzies.

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Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.

Source: www.caranddriver.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.