Honda’s Civic Type R has been transformed into what might just be the world’s fastest pickup truck.
Random, we know, but the story goes that a pre-production Type R was simply gathering dust at Honda’s Swindon factory. Rather than let it rot, it was handed over to a specialist team at the plant’s product engineering department. And boy, are we glad it was!
The front-end of the Civic Type R is unchanged and identical to any version you’d find in Honda showrooms right now. However, from the B-pillars back, the team got busy and installed a flatbed loading area in the centre of the car where the rear seats and boot space would normally be.
That doesn’t mean the hot hatch’s iconic rear wing has been left on the workshop floor; thanks to a clever piece of engineering, the wing is movable to allow direct and unfettered access to the rear of the truck. Practical and ridiculous, who would’ve guessed?! As it’s only the rear half of the car that has been modified, the Civic Type R pickup uses the same powertrain, suspension and gearbox as the standard road car.
Consequently, it is estimated that it can complete a 0-62mph sprint in under six seconds and reach a top speed of over 165mph. It also possesses the same driving modes of comfort, sport and +R, offering both ride comfort and a unique racing capability on track.
Sadly, all this is just a bit of fun and Honda has no plans to put the pickup into production. Alyn James, who led the project, said the project was merely an opportunity for Swindon’s special projects division 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 Nurburgring to see if we can take the record for the fastest front-wheel-drive pickup truck,” he commented. We’ll look forward to seeing that…
What do you think of this insane yet genuinely practical monster? Would you fork out for this pickup? Let us know down in the comments.
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