The second generation Honda Ridgeline has finally been unveiled by the carmaker as a SEMA Baja Race Truck. The Honda Ridgeline 2017, however, will not come with the twin turbo V6 tube-frame and deep-travel desert racing suspension it was announced with, but the car is supposed to be faithful to the pictures released, according to Honda.
The Honda Ridgeline 2017 does comes with a 3.5 litre engine that reaches upwards of 550 horsepower and takes the same block, cylinder heads and crankshaft as its predecessor. This race truck, according to the company, is designed to be set apart from the production Ridgeline, making it a pickup with ‘true truck capability’. Honda will be running in the Baja 1000.
The car is set to be made in North America, specifically in Alabama, and footage reveals that it’s basically a 2017 Pilot in the front with a little more junk in the back to make it more faithful to the racer concept. It’s a refreshing sight to see a car announced from the beginning as a race truck, which saves buyers a lot of time and money spent on flare, but the Honda Ridgeline 2017 also adds a very unique truck to Honda’s roster. The specs don’t specify anything about safety or cost, but after Honda runs the Baja 1000, Honda and potential buyers will be able to verify those details.