HRC Hits the Trail with a Tricked-Out Passport and a Point to Prove
For decades, Honda Racing Corporation has been the name behind championship-winning machines on closed circuits and desert race courses. Now, HRC is turning its attention to something a little different — the open road that has no road at all. Starting this spring and running through October, HRC USA is taking its show on the road to six of the country's biggest overlanding events, and they're bringing along one seriously capable piece of machinery to make their case.
The centerpiece of it all is the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport HRC Concept — a vehicle that started life as Honda's most off-road-capable production SUV and then got handed over to the engineers at Honda Racing Corporation to see what was possible. What came back looks less like a showroom floor model and more like something you'd expect to see running support on a Baja race.
What Honda Racing Did to the Passport
The Passport TrailSport HRC Concept first appeared publicly at the 2025 SEMA show in Las Vegas, and it made an impression. But now it's leaving the convention hall behind and heading to the dirt, gravel, and backcountry trails where it was designed to operate.
From the outside, the changes are immediately obvious. The concept wears a matte Thermal Orange finish with a blacked-out roof, rides on prototype wheels, and sits taller than any stock Passport thanks to a 60-millimeter suspension lift combined with a one-inch increase in tire diameter. That combination alone makes a meaningful difference in what terrain the truck can tackle before things get dicey.
The bumpers front and rear have been completely redesigned to improve both the approach and departure angles — the geometry that determines whether a vehicle clips its front end going into a steep descent or drags its rear end coming out of a ditch. Wider aluminum skid plates extend underneath the vehicle to protect the center bearing, prop shaft, and rear drive unit from the kind of rock strikes and high-centered situations that can turn a good trail day into an expensive recovery operation.
New front and rear dampers come along for the ride, and the concept gets a one-off exhaust system. The rock sliders — those protective rails that run along the lower sides of the vehicle — are wider than what you'd typically see, and they're functional enough to double as side steps when you're loading up camp gear.
Swing out from the rear and there's a full-size spare tire carrier, which is exactly the kind of hardware that matters when you're fifty miles from cell service and the trail just took a chunk out of your tire.
Lighting Built for the Backcountry
One of the more impressive engineering efforts on this concept is what HRC did with lighting. This isn't a matter of bolting on a light bar and calling it a day. The Passport TrailSport HRC Concept runs upgraded fog lights, side camp lights, a rooftop light bar, ditch lights, and rear chase lights — all of which are managed through a custom multi-zone lighting control system.
That kind of setup matters in real overlanding situations. Camp lights that can be activated independently from driving lights, chase lights visible to other vehicles traveling behind you on a dusty trail — this is purpose-built functionality rather than aesthetic add-ons. The engineers at HRC clearly spent time thinking through how a vehicle actually gets used in the field rather than just how it looks in a booth.
The Roof, the Rack, and the Rest
Up top, HRC developed a low-profile roof rack that accommodates a side canopy and a rooftop tent, signaling clearly that this truck is designed to go somewhere and stay there. Rooftop tents have become something of a staple in the overlanding world, and pairing one with a well-thought-out rack system makes the Passport a credible basecamp on wheels.
An 8,000-pound winch lives up front for self-recovery situations, and an integrated rear air compressor rounds out the utility package. The compressor is worth noting — airing down tires for improved traction on soft terrain is standard overlanding practice, but you need a reliable way to air back up when you return to pavement, and having one built into the vehicle is a cleaner solution than carrying a portable unit.
Inside, HRC went with exclusive blue Alcantara inserts carrying HRC branding, multiple new accessory mounting panels throughout the cabin, and a refrigerator for keeping food and drinks cold on extended trips. The interior work ties the whole concept together and makes it clear that this isn't just a lifted truck — it's meant to be lived in.
What Rob Ray and HRC Are Actually Saying Here
Rob Ray, who serves as general manager of Performance Parts at HRC US, was direct about what this project represents. "The HRC Passport concept is an example of how we're exploring potential applications of HRC performance DNA beyond traditional motorsports," he said. "Honda and HRC are committed to the overlanding and off-road space, and we're continuing to evaluate how that could show up in future products."
That last phrase — "future products" — is the part worth paying attention to. HRC isn't simply displaying a one-off concept to generate buzz. They're actively soliciting feedback from the overlanding community at each event on the tour, and they're sending Honda product specialists and engineers to be on the ground at every stop. That's not standard auto show behavior. That's product development behavior.
HRC has been building and selling performance parts for Honda and Acura customers for over thirty years, covering street, track, and off-road applications. Expanding that catalog into the overlanding space would be a natural extension of what the company already does. The Passport tour looks very much like a listening exercise with hardware attached.
The Tour Itself
Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona ran May 15 through 17 and served as the launch point, with HRC signing on as a Title Sponsor of the event — not just a participant. That level of commitment signals this isn't a tentative step into the overlanding world. From there, the concept heads to Range2 Ranch in McCall, Idaho for the June 18 through 21 event, followed by Xoverland The Big Thing in Three Forks, Montana from July 9 through 12.
The second half of the tour swings through Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado from August 21 through 23, then to MSO Adventure X Fest in Circleville, West Virginia from September 11 through 13. The tour wraps up at Overland Expo East in Arrington, Virginia from October 23 through 25.
Along with the Passport, HRC will be displaying Honda powersports products at each show, and a line of HRC merchandise will be available exclusively at the events — not through dealers or online.
Honda's Broader Commitment to the Off-Road Segment
The Passport itself is already the most off-road capable Honda SUV in the lineup. The TrailSport trim was designed from the factory with adventure use in mind, and Honda has been investing in that direction for several years. What HRC is doing with this concept is showing where that line of thinking could go with the company's racing division involved.
Honda has been manufacturing vehicles in America for over forty years and currently runs eight major auto manufacturing facilities in the country. In 2025, nearly 99 percent of all Honda vehicles sold in the United States were made in North America, with 60 percent built in America specifically. The Passport fits into a broader Honda lineup that spans compact cars, hybrids, electric vehicles, and pickups — but the off-road SUV category is clearly getting serious attention.
HRC US itself has roots going back to 1993, when it was founded as Honda Performance Development. In January 2024, it was officially rebranded as HRC US following a consolidation with HRC Japan, giving the North American operation closer ties to Honda's global motorsports infrastructure. The company is involved in everything from karting programs at the entry level all the way up to INDYCAR and IMSA sports car racing, and in 2026 will play a role in Honda's return to Formula One through power unit development and race support.
That's the pedigree behind the parts being bolted onto the Passport TrailSport HRC Concept. These aren't aftermarket accessories sourced from a catalog. They're engineered by people who build race cars.
Why This Matters to Serious Off-Road Enthusiasts
The overlanding segment has grown substantially over the past decade. What was once a fairly niche pursuit — taking vehicles into remote terrain for multi-day travel — has expanded into a full ecosystem of events, gear manufacturers, media, and dedicated vehicle builds. The major shows like Overland Expo draw serious attendees who know their equipment and aren't easily impressed by vehicles that look the part but don't deliver.
HRC walking into that environment with an engineering-led concept and a team of specialists ready to have actual conversations is a different approach than what many manufacturers bring to these shows. The fact that they're asking for feedback rather than simply presenting a finished product suggests Honda is serious about understanding what this community actually needs.
Whether that feedback leads to production HRC performance parts for the Passport, or a more comprehensive factory program, or something else entirely — that part isn't clear yet. What is clear is that Honda Racing Corporation is investing real time and real engineering effort into figuring out what the overlanding market wants, and they're willing to take a high-profile concept truck on a six-stop national tour to find out.
For anyone who wants to see it in person, the remaining dates stretch from June through October across Idaho, Montana, Colorado, West Virginia, and Virginia. The engineers will be there. The questions are worth asking.
