The latest Honda Civic Si is one of the best performance bargains on the market. And now Honda's Performance Development arm has come up with a track-ready version that might just be the most accessible race car you can buy. Called the HPD Civic Si FE1, the new race car starts at just $55,000 before taxes, making it about $30,000 more than a road-going Civic Si.

It all starts with a unique body-in-white that does without the normal Si's insulation, seam sealer, sound-proofing, sunroof and underbody coating. At the same time, it has all the important safety features you need like a full FIA-spec roll cage and fuel cell, a racing seat with a 6-point harness, a quick-release steering wheel, an onboard fire suppression system and a window net, plus it has a Motec data logger and electronics system. Major design changes are a large rear wing and new brake ducts in the front bumper; otherwise, the FE1 just looks like a regular ole Si.

The FE1 uses the same turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 and 6-speed manual transmission as the road car, but with a whole bunch of upgrades. It has a tuned ECU and adjustable power levels for Balance of Power, a stronger fourth gear, a Cusco limited-slip differential and a rad-looking Borla catback exhaust. Other performance parts include 17-inch Enkei RPF1 wheels, adjustable Bilstein dampers, Wilwood slotted rotors and 6-piston calipers, stainless steel braided brake hoses, new front camber plates, an adjustable rear toe arm, a camber-adjustable rear upper arm and a ballast kit.

HPD says the FE1 is available to preorder now with a $25,000 deposit; the rest is due after the car has been completed. The FE1 will be assembled at the brand's Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio, the same factory that builds the Acura NSX and PMC special edition models.