The Honda Passport Baja Spec Trophy Truck Is a 1,300-HP Hybrid V-6 Powered Dirt Devil
The truck is set to compete in the 2027 Baja 500 and 1000 events and will be the first ever hybrid-powered Baja entrant.
Trophy trucks typically run with high-displacement V-8s, which has become a tried-and-true powertrain for big-time trail runners. But to compete in next year’s Baja 500 and 1000 events, Honda Racing Corporation USA, aka HRC US, has cooked up an altogether different engine formula. The new Honda Passport Baja Spec truck it’s entering in the grueling Baja off-road races has been outfitted with a 2.4-liter twin-turbo hybrid V-6 producing a desert-thumping 1,300 horsepower, making it the first-ever hybrid-powered vehicle to compete in the SCORE World Desert Championship.
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Based on the powertrain used for Acura’s ARX-06 GTP prototype race car, the bespoke 800-volt, hybrid-electric architecture features a low-weight battery pack with Formula 1-style pouch cells encased in carbon fiber. The powertrain itself was engineered in Southern California by the HRC US team, while the broader truck was developed in partnership with the Baja expert outfit Mason Motorsports.
Other cutting-edge, race-bred technologies include a dual-axle brake-by-wire system and adaptive traction control, augmented by AI-optimized power deployment. According to Honda, the truck is also “essentially a software-defined vehicle” in that engineers can use the information uploaded from its energy, chassis, and powertrain management systems throughout the race to continually upgrade the truck to better react to evolving course and race conditions, thereby aiding the driver in navigating the terrain.
Power is routed to the Mason Motorsports–derived Gen 2 All-Wheel-Drive system via a “Masomatic” twin-angled five-speed transmission. Torque is distributed by a racing differential through portal gearsets mounted to each front-wheel hub to maximize ground clearance. The rear trades a traditional ring and pinion gear setup for twin driveshafts to angled high pinion spiral bevel gears, thus also increasing ground clearance while allowing for more camber and toe adjustments.
The truck uses an HRC-specific rear frame setup developed to optimize weight distribution while also fitting the mid-mounted twin-turbo hybrid V-6 behind the cab. Its fluid tanks and batteries are also rear-mounted. A 145-gallon Kevlar safety fuel cell is placed in the middle of the cab so balance stays even as the fuel consumption changes. Everything rides on long-travel suspension with Fox racing shocks.
Side channels cut into the carbon-fiber body behind the front wheels and cab-tunneling improve airflow and drag reduction, with the latter channeling air to a cooler mounted low and far back to help lower the center of gravity. High-mount exhaust outlets behind the cabin wear aerodynamic fins to direct exhaust flow. Plus they look awesome.
The Honda Passport Baja Spec’s first race will be the Baja 500 in June of 2027 before taking on the Baja 1000 in November of 2027. It will be driven by Bryce Menzies, a two-time Baja 1000 winner, and run by his Menzies Motorsports team. If you’re attending this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas from Nov. 3 to 6, you can see the truck in person before it hits the dirt.
