Honda Passport Trophy Truck Gets Hybrid Power With 1,300 HP
Honda's Passport Trophy Truck will make 1,300 HP from a hybrid powertrain and will be shown at SEMA 2026. It will be the first hybrid in the Score series' top Trophy Truck class.
Honda Racing has unveiled the Passport Baja Spec Trophy Truck. The Honda Passport Trophy Truck will be the first hybrid to race in the top Trophy Truck class of the Score World Desert Championship, with a combined output of 1,300 HP (969 kW). The vehicle will make its public debut at the 2026 SEMA Show, held November 3-6.
The truck was developed with Mason Motorsports, and Menzies Motorsports is also a partner on the project. Bryce Menzies, a two-time Baja 1000 winner, will drive. Honda plans to make its debut at the Baja 500 on June 2-6, 2027. The main goal, however, is an overall win at the Baja 1000, which will mark its 60th anniversary in 2027.
Hybrid powertrain and engine
Today's Trophy Trucks typically run 9.0-liter V8 engines. Honda's answer is a 2.4-liter V6 based engine, boosted to its output with twin turbochargers and an 800-volt hybrid system. Honda says the V6 is closely related to the engine in the Acura ARX-06 GTP race car, which has won at Daytona and Sebring.
HRC developed the hybrid system in-house. The battery uses pouch cells of a previous-generation Formula 1 type, housed in a carbon fiber case. Assembly and testing take place in a clean room at Honda's Santa Clarita facility. Honda has not disclosed the battery capacity or how much power the electric side delivers.
Each axle has its own brake-by-wire system, along with adaptive traction control and what Honda calls AI-assisted power distribution software. The software links the engine, chassis and energy management, and settings can be adjusted during a race.
Chassis, fuel cell and aerodynamics
The rear-mounted engine is paired with a five-speed gearbox developed by Mason. In four-wheel-drive mode, two driveshafts run to the rear, and bevel gear sets at each rear wheel replace a conventional differential. At the front, portal-type gear sets raise ground clearance.
The chassis is a modified version of Mason's Gen 2 AWD structure, with the rear section adapted specifically for HRC's hybrid hardware. All body panels are carbon fiber to save weight. A 145-gallon (549-liter) carbon-Kevlar fuel cell sits in the middle of the cabin. The shock absorbers are by Fox, and the tires carry Toyo branding.
Alongside the race truck on the SEMA stand, Honda will also display a Passport TrailSport Baja Chase pickup.
This article was compiled with the help of AI from information published by Carscoops.
