American Honda today unveiled nine performance vehicles at the 2002 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas where it also announced a new Factory Performance (FP) package for the 2003 Accord Coupe and sponsorship support in various racing series.
Headlining show vehicles include a specially constructed ultra high performance 2003 Honda Accord Concept Coupe and 2003 Civic Si Concept, RealTime Racing's new Acura RSX Type-S SCCA Pro racecar, Adam Saruwatari's Civic Si Pro Drag car, plus Honda and Acura vehicles modified by some of the biggest names in the performance aftermarket.
"The ideas and concepts displayed at SEMA explore new approaches to maximizing the potential built into every Honda and Acura platform," said Jim Roach, American Honda Vice President of the Parts Division. "People who drive and modify our cars understand that Honda and Acura products integrate an extra measure of performance into every vehicle as part of the company's design and engineering philosophy."
American Honda also announced the expansion of available Factory Performance packages through Honda Accessories with the addition of an Accord Coupe FP package. The Accord Coupe FP package provides high performance suspension components, 17-inch wheels and tires, a full body kit and FP trim. When it goes on sale in early 2003, the Accord Coupe FP package will join the Civic EX Coupe FP package in the Honda Factory Performance lineup. Acura currently offers a similar FP package for the RSX Type-S. All FP packages are engineered by Honda and carry the same warranty as the rest of the vehicle.
Six cars total debuted at SEMA for the Honda division. Designed by Honda R & D Americas, the 2003 Honda Accord Concept Coupe makes its world debut and features a 300-horsepower V-6 engine with a semi-manual six-speed transmission with paddle shifter, a complete aero package, wide body kit, race suspension and lightweight prototype parts. The Civic Si Concept accents the car's class leading potential for ultimate performance. Another Civic Si, modified by King Motorsports with Mugen aftermarket equipment, delivers intense performance designed for the street and the track. A third Civic Si, a pro drag racing car driven by Adam Saruwatari, made its world debut. The Honda Element on display showcases some of the accessories that will be available when Element goes on sale in December.
Acura brings three models to SEMA delivering in the category of ultimate high performance - the RealTime Racing Acura RSX Type-S that competes in the Sports Car Club of America's SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship, an RSX Type-S equipped with the newly-introduced Factory Performance package, and a supercharged CL Type-S with a six-speed manual transmission and a prototype aerodynamic body kit.
In addition, American Honda's racing contingency sponsorship plans for 2003 include continued support for Racers Against Street Racing (RASR) in various racing series including the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The contingency sponsorship program awards Honda and Acura racers from amateur to professional ranks that win races and show their support for RASR, a SEMA organization dedicated to promoting alternatives to street racing.
Source: Honda
