PRL Motorsports

Range at a Glance

• Civic Type R FK8 (2017–2021): Billet intercooler (550hp rated), HVI intake (Street & Race MAF), charge pipe kit, titanium turbo inlet, race downpipe, front pipe, P700 turbo
• Civic Type R FL5 (2023+): Bar-and-plate & tube-and-fin intercoolers (600hp rated), HVI intake with secondary air duct, titanium turbo inlet, charge pipes, downpipe, P700 turbo, billet rear engine mount
• Authorised Australian dealer: Most US retailers can't ship PRL to Australia — Chicane can, with full warranty support
• Direct fitment: RHD-compatible, no cutting or trimming required on most components

PRL Motorsports for the Honda Civic Type R

PRL Motorsports has been the benchmark name in Honda K20C1 performance since the FK8 launched in 2017. Founded in 2007 just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PRL builds entire performance product lines for the Civic Type R platform — not bolt-on parts adapted from other applications. Every intercooler, intake and turbo upgrade is designed, dyno-tested and manufactured in-house, then validated on PRL's own development cars before release.

For Australian Type R owners, the PRL range covers the full power journey from a stock turbo with bolt-ons through to 600+ horsepower on the P700 drop-in turbocharger upgrade — all using parts engineered specifically for the platform.

Intercooler Upgrades — Fixing FK8 & FL5 Heat Soak

Heat soak is the most well-documented issue on the K20C1 turbo Civic. The factory intercooler is adequate for daily driving, but on track, on a hot day, or with any meaningful power increase, charge air temperatures climb fast — and the ECU pulls timing to protect the engine. You feel it as a sudden drop in performance after a few hard pulls.

PRL's intercooler upgrades address this with significantly larger bar-and-plate cores, billet machined end tanks and direct factory-location fitment.

FK8 Billet Intercooler: 26.5 x 3.5 x 7.25" bar-and-plate core, 85% surface area increase, 83% internal flow increase, rated to 550+ horsepower. Fits all variants including RHD.

FL5 Billet Intercooler: 28.35 x 4.3 x 7.25" bar-and-plate core, 31% surface area increase over OEM, rated to 600+ horsepower. PRL's dyno testing showed +8whp / +4wtq over the factory intercooler on a stock-tune FL5 at 59°F ambient, with significantly better consistency across back-to-back pulls.

FL5 Tube-and-Fin Intercooler: An alternative for FL5 owners who want a different cooling profile. Same external dimensions as the bar-and-plate, but tube-and-fin construction trades a small amount of pressure drop for marginally better cooling efficiency in stop-start conditions. Most street and track drivers will be happy with either — choose based on driving style.

High Volume Intake (HVI) — Street MAF vs Race MAF

The PRL HVI is the best-selling Civic Type R intake on the market for good reason. It's not just a cone filter — it's a rotomolded HDPE airbox that uses the factory air duct and seal, a 6" cone filter, and a billet MAF housing with a velocity stack. The FL5 version adds a secondary air duct that draws cool air from the fender well to eliminate the airflow restriction PRL identified above 400hp.

Both FK8 and FL5 HVI kits ship with a choice of two MAF housings, and choosing the right one matters.

Street MAF housing: No tune or recalibration required. Maintains factory fuel trims and works with the stock ECU map. This is the right choice for bolt-on builds and anyone not running a custom tune.

Race MAF housing: Largest MAF housing on the market for the platform, rated to 600+ horsepower, 47% increase in airflow volume over the factory MAF. Requires a tune or recalibration — without it, the ECU will read incorrect airflow values and the car will run poorly. Choose this if you're already running Hondata FlashPro or KTuner and have a tuner lined up.

Get the wrong MAF and either you lose power (Street MAF on a built car) or you throw codes and lose drivability (Race MAF without a tune). Not sure which you need? Get in touch before ordering.

Titanium Turbocharger Inlet Pipe — The Unlock

The factory turbocharger inlet pipe is one of the biggest hidden restrictions on the K20C1, especially as power climbs. PRL's titanium inlet pipe replaces it with a cast aluminium inlet transitioning to a titanium crossover pipe — gasket-matched 64mm ID at the compressor inlet, opening to 80mm OD / 78mm ID through the crossover. That's over 50% more airflow than the factory inlet.

It pairs only with the PRL HVI intake (factory airbox not compatible), and delivers measurable bottom-end power and spool improvements. On the FL5 with a P700 turbo, this is non-negotiable — the factory inlet becomes the limiting restriction.

Charge Pipes — Stop the Boost Leaks

The factory rubber charge pipes are known to expand under boost, weaken with heat cycling, and on track they've been known to fail entirely. PRL's charge pipe kit uses a smooth-flowing larger diameter cold-side with 4-ply silicone couplers chosen specifically for low thermal heat transfer and resistance to expansion. No tune required, compatible with all factory-location intercoolers, and pairs perfectly with the PRL intercooler upgrade.

If you're already running a PRL intercooler and HVI, the charge pipe kit is the next logical purchase — it eliminates the last remaining factory restriction in the cold side.

Downpipes & Front Pipes

PRL's downpipe and front pipe combination unlocks significant exhaust gas flow for any K20C1 build. The downpipe replaces the factory cat assembly, the front pipe ties into your chosen catback. Both are designed to fit factory-location and pair with stock or aftermarket catbacks. For Civic Type R owners running the PRL intercooler and HVI, adding the downpipe is the single biggest power jump on the platform — typically 30+ horsepower at the wheels with a tune.

Note: catless downpipes are race and motorsport use only. Confirm legality in your state before ordering.

P700 Drop-In Turbocharger Upgrade — The Endgame

The P700 is currently the most powerful drop-in turbocharger available for the K20C1 platform — supporting over 600 horsepower without compromising spool time. It uses a High Efficiency compressor wheel taller than typical billet upgrades, with advanced aerodynamic technology including a tapered tip exducer and cutback blade design for superior spool and power. The High Efficiency turbine wheel and larger wastegate actuator bore reduce backpressure.

One key feature unique to the P700: an integrated oxygen sensor bung in the turbine housing for 2.0T Accord, TLX and RDX applications — meaning those platforms don't need a separate FK8-style downpipe for installation (a requirement with other drop-in turbo upgrades on the market).

The P700 is the answer for serious Civic Type R builds chasing real big-turbo power without a custom turbo kit. Supporting mods required: PRL intercooler, HVI Race MAF, titanium inlet pipe, charge pipes, downpipe, front pipe, fuel system upgrade (injectors and pumps), and a professional tune. This is not a bolt-on — it's the foundation of a 600hp build.

Why Buy PRL from Chicane Australia?

PRL Motorsports operates a strict dealer network. Most US retailers — including MAPerformance and others — cannot ship PRL parts to Australia due to vendor restrictions. As an authorised Australian PRL dealer, Chicane Australia is your direct route to genuine PRL products with full warranty coverage, Australian-based customer support, and freight options designed for the Australian market.

Every PRL part sold by Chicane is direct-from-manufacturer, registered against PRL's authorised dealer warranty programme, and supported by our local team if you have fitment, tuning or warranty questions down the track.

Shop PRL Motorsports by Vehicle

PRL Motorsports for Honda Civic Type R FK8 (2017–2021)
PRL Motorsports for Honda Civic Type R FL5 (2023+)

Supporting Mod Collections

KORSH Exhausts · APR Performance Aero · DIXCEL Brakes · Paragon Rotors · Hardrace Suspension · Injector Dynamics

Need help choosing the right PRL parts for your build? Contact us or email sales@chicaneaustralia.com.au — we know the Civic Type R platform and we'll spec the right combination for your power target.