This Honda Passport Rally Racer Is Mostly Stock

A group of Honda engineers has taken its 2022 Passport SUV and entered it into the American Rally Association series. The Passport rally SUV was built and raced by the HPD Maxxis Rally Team made up of associates from the company’s Ohio Auto Development Center. One of the most interesting aspects of the vehicle is that it uses mostly stock components.

Among the factory components are the 3.5-liter V6 engine, nine-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive system. The engineers also left the suspension components unmodified for competition. One thing that was added was a cooler for the automatic transmission from the Passport’s available tow package.

While racing, the driver uses the sequential mode of the transmission and paddle shifters for enhanced control. The SUV is raced using the Sand Mode of its Intelligent Traction Management system. Other minor modifications were made to the vehicle, including the addition of special wheels fit for racing and tires to suit the conditions.

Engineers also fitted the vehicle with a custom fabricated aluminum oil pan and rear differential skid plates to help protect the underbody. The skid plates are made from one-eighth inch thick aluminum. Preparations also included high-density polyethylene panels to cover the fuel tank and other components, as well as high-temperature brake pads and brake fluid.