Ridgeline

Make
Honda
Segment
Sports Car

Here is the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck, created by Honda Performance Development (HPD) and the Proctor Racing Group for SEMA 2015. The automaker said last week that its show offering would preview the 2017 Ridgeline to a point. According to the Honda, styling cues for the new truck can be seen on the front fascia, hood, roof, bed and side profile. The second generation looks more like a truck and less like an Explorer Sport Trac on steroids. This is a good thing as the last Ridgeline won no points with its "unique" look.

This Ridgeline will compete in the upcoming Baja 1,000 so it's not an exact preview of Honda's next truck. However, from a size standpoint it appears the new truck will be mid-size. That would make sense as buyers are flocking to that segment while the full-size market will forever be dominated by American automakers. Powering the off-road racer is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 good for up to 550 horsepower. Honda says it used the same block, cylinder heads and crankshaft as the engine sitting in the 2017 Ridgeline. It's ready to race with jacked-up suspension, beefy off-road tires, a roll cage and Sparco seats complete with racing harnesses. Although this is just a SEMA one-off things look good so far for the new Ridgeline.