{"id":805,"date":"2023-08-07T12:40:04","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T12:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/?p=805"},"modified":"2025-06-13T09:34:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:34:26","slug":"honda-civic-type-r-gt500-prepares-for-battle-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/2023\/08\/07\/honda-civic-type-r-gt500-prepares-for-battle-in-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Honda Civic Type R GT500 Prepares For Battle In 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Japan’s premier motorsport series – Super GT – has a new challenger. Meet the Honda Civic Type R GT500, a Civic like no other.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Japan is a hotbed for modified cars<\/a>, and those automotive extremes in both performance and styling are reflected in their motorsport too. In fact, the modified street culture that we all know and love was ultimately inspired by the tuning houses’ high-speed antics on the circuit. So, naturally, Japan’s racecars are as wild as anybody’s. But, in case you’re in the dark about what Super GT actually is, allow me to shed some light on the Far East’s (somewhat) hidden gem.<\/p>\n

What is Super GT?<\/h2>\n

Super GT<\/a> has gone through a few different identities over the years (such as ‘JGTC’ in the ’90s), but whichever title the competition races under, it’s essentially a place for the nation’s top sportscar drivers to compete for the highest circuit honor in the country. Factory-supported teams from Japan’s big three – Toyota, Nissan, and Honda – each enter a handful of cars into the top category (GT500) to battle for supremacy over the span of hundreds of kilometers per event.<\/p>\n

Given the endurance nature of the races, two drivers share each car, and some of which are even renowned international stars. For instance, 2009 F1 World Champion, Jenson Button, supported Naoki Yamamoto to win the 2018 Super GT title. Though, given that Yamamoto was actually the quicker of the two over the course of the season, it’s fair to say that Japan’s national driving talents are worthy of star status in their own right.<\/p>\n

Anyway, as for the sort of cars that these heroes drive, well – even if you don’t think you know Super GT, you’ll probably have seen some of its classic icons. Take the Group A Nissan Skyline GT-R R32<\/a> for example, or, perhaps you might remember that Castrol-liveried widebody Supra from Gran Turismo<\/a>. Nowadays, the cars are just as cool, if not more so. Although they might share body styles with recognizable street cars, underneath, these silhouette racers come packing the sort of engineering capable of matching a Le Mans prototype. This season, cars based on the Toyota GR Supra, Nissan Z<\/a>, and Honda NSX are duking it out. However, with the NSX production car set for retirement, Honda needs a new challenger for the 2024 season. That’s where the Civic Type R GT500 comes in…<\/p>\n

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