The Civic Type R Prototype looks closer to a race car for the road than to the vehicle that spawned it. Sure, the standard model’s design is still distinguishable, although buried under a pile of Nurburgring-bred muscle, and carbon fiber bits and pieces.There’s a lot happening on every square inch of the car’s body, and the overall design could be overwhelming for some, but this is Honda’s way of hinting (although not subtly) that the car means business.

Sadly, the Japanese car maker didn’t offer any details about the vehicle’s powertrain, but rumors suggest that it will use an upgraded variant of the familiar 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged VTEC engine, currently found under the outgoing model’s hood. So, more than 306hp and 400Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque are expected.