Honda & Porsche reveal new sports cars with support for Apple's CarPlay

The 2017 Civic Type R will be Honda's first version of the car to be sold in the U.S., previous models having long been a staple of Japan and some other world markets. The Type R not only offers better performance than a regular Civic, but other racing-oriented upgrades like bucket seats, special driving modes, and a digital display capable of tracking things like g-forces and lap times.

The car will support both CarPlay and Android Auto through a 7-inch touchscreen interface. The vehicle will also come with a 540-watt sound system, spread over 12 speakers and supposedly so loud that it will be able to overpower engine noise.

The signature feature of Porsche's 2018 911 GT3 is a 500-horsepower engine, based off the 911 GT3 Cup built specifically for racing. Likewise the civilian model still has a racing chassis, with dynamic engine mounts and rear-axle steering.

The car will only support CarPlay, not Android Auto, but also offer LTE and Wi-Fi, plus compatibility with two Porsche iPhone/Apple Watch apps, Car Connect and Track Precision. The former provides some remote control functions such as geo- and speed-fencing, while the latter is explicitly for racing, designed to record and analyze track days.

The new Civic Type R should debut later this spring, costing somewhere in the middle $30,000s before delivery fees. The 2018 GT3 will come to the U.S. this fall, costing upwards of $143,600.

CarPlay is gradually becoming ubiquitous on new car models, though some gaps remain, most notably anything from Toyota. Most implementations are also still wired, with wireless only just beginning to take hold.