Honda Racing has revealed a radically different Passport-based trophy truck built for serious Baja desert competition.
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has unveiled a race truck that looks somewhat like a Honda Passport but shares virtually nothing with the production SUV. Called the Passport Baja Spec, it's a purpose-built Trophy Truck designed to compete in the Trophy Truck class of the SCORE World Desert Championship.
The biggest surprise is under the bodywork. Instead of the massive naturally aspirated V8 typically found in this type of desert racer, Honda has gone with a compact twin-turbocharged V6 paired with a hybrid system.
The engine is an aluminum 2.4-liter V6 with two turbochargers. And since the truck uses a mid-engine layout, it's mounted behind the cabin rather than under the hood.
The powerplant traces its roots to the engine technology used in the Acura ARX-06 endurance racing prototype. It's paired with an 800-volt hybrid system developed by HRC engineers in Southern California.
Combined output exceeds 1,300 horsepower.
That's a remarkable figure for a truck that takes a very different approach from traditional Trophy Trucks. Most competitors rely on naturally aspirated engines displacing around 9 liters and producing roughly 1,000 horsepower. Honda has chosen to chase performance through engineering rather than sheer displacement.
The transmission is just as unconventional. A five-speed Masomatic unit developed by Mason Motorsports sits ahead of the engine.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through two separate driveshafts. Each shaft drives its own wheel through bevel gears rather than a conventional rear axle with a differential.
Up front, the truck uses portal gearboxes integrated into the wheel hubs. This arrangement increases ground clearance and allows engineers to optimize suspension geometry for long wheel travel, an essential feature when tackling the rough terrain of desert racing.
The chassis is based on Mason Motorsports' second-generation platform. However, the rear section of the frame was specifically redesigned to accommodate the hybrid powertrain while maintaining the truck's weight distribution.
The body is made from a carbon-fiber composite, with computational fluid dynamics used during its development. Several details serve a functional purpose: channels behind the front wheels and high-mounted exhaust outlets with aerodynamic fins are designed to reduce drag and help keep the truck stable at speed.
The Passport Baja Spec also stands out for its electronics package.
It features electronically controlled braking on both axles, adaptive traction control, and a power-distribution system that Honda describes as "AI-based."
The company hasn't explained exactly what that means or detailed how the artificial intelligence is used. However, Honda says the truck will be heavily software-driven, allowing engineers to update its settings during a race based on telemetry data.
That could give the team another way to adapt the truck's behavior to changing terrain and driving conditions without relying solely on mechanical adjustments.
Behind the wheel will be Bryce Menzies, a two-time winner of the Baja 1000. His Menzies Motorsports team will handle the truck's operation with support from Red Bull, Toyo Tires, and several other partners.
The racing debut is scheduled for the Baja 500 in June 2027. The team's main target is an overall victory at the Baja 1000 later that year, an especially significant edition of the race as it marks the event's 60th anniversary.
Before heading into competition, the truck will make a public appearance at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, scheduled for November 3-6.
Honda has a long history in Baja racing, but much of its success has traditionally come on two wheels. The Passport Baja Spec marks a move into the top tier of four-wheel desert competition, and it's doing so with a hybrid powertrain that produces more power than the V8 engines commonly used by its rivals.
There are no plans to turn this race truck into a production model. Still, Honda sees the project as a testing ground for new technologies that could eventually find their way into future road cars.
For now, the Passport Baja Spec is a competition machine built for one purpose: taking on the toughest desert races with an unconventional combination of turbocharging, electrification, and more than 1,300 horsepower.