Photo: original image by autoevolution
Honda's sales in Europe haven't been all that brilliant lately, particularly those of the Civic hatch, production of which has recently had to be significantly reduced. In order to bring back its former glory or perhaps simply for the fun of it, Honda is now working on a new Type R hot hatch, honed on the Nurburgring track to hot hatch perfection
We've been looking at the Civic Type R concepts for almost as long as we have with the NSX. This is their second version, on full display at the Paris Motor show. Most of Honda's cars end up looking just like their concept versions, and if that's the case here, we have to applaud them for what they're doing.
The Type R looks like a combination between a BTCC touring car and a rally racer. It sits very low and boasts black upright aero foils on the front bumper. Around the back, the taillights extend into a massive fixed rear wing. Everybody says that the Civic looks like it has the Devil's horns.
Every other car in the segment, from the Audi S3 to the Megane RS and Leon Cupra looks positively boring when compared to Honda's concept.
Besides the Type R Concept II, Honda also brought over an old F1 car from 1964 (their first, actually) and the engine they've developed for next year's Formula 1 season. That's right, Honda is back!
Honda engines are known for their high-revving nature and variable valve timing, a direct connection to their motorcycle business. Even though it's a turbo, the new Type R goes up to 7,000rpm before hitting the red line and will sound tough tanks to sports exhaust.
The output hasn't been announced yet, but will be somewhere north of 280 PS. To ensure the front wheels can cope with that much, Honda tells us there's a system called "steer axis" with adaptive dampers. In any case, selectable driving modes will ensure the Type R won't act crazy on the road. At the press of its "R+" button, the steering will become heavy, the adaptive suspension will stiffen and the engine mapping will go into its most ferocious mode.
The Type R looks like a combination between a BTCC touring car and a rally racer. It sits very low and boasts black upright aero foils on the front bumper. Around the back, the taillights extend into a massive fixed rear wing. Everybody says that the Civic looks like it has the Devil's horns.
Every other car in the segment, from the Audi S3 to the Megane RS and Leon Cupra looks positively boring when compared to Honda's concept.
Committed to be the best
On the verge of the Paris Motor Show, the company announced the Type R will be their sweetest handling machine ever and the fastest Type R. Going faster than an Integra or NSX is one thing, but the Civic also needs to take on the hot hatch grand masters of the moment: Megane RS 275 Trophy-R and the SEAT Leon Cupra Sub8.Besides the Type R Concept II, Honda also brought over an old F1 car from 1964 (their first, actually) and the engine they've developed for next year's Formula 1 season. That's right, Honda is back!
2.0 i-VTEC Turbo?
The old Civic Type R got Honda in a lot of trouble. While all of its competitors used turbo engines, theirs had only VTEC and didn't have enough torque. They've fixed that problem this time around with a 2-liter turbo of their own, the first ever, if we're not mistaken.Honda engines are known for their high-revving nature and variable valve timing, a direct connection to their motorcycle business. Even though it's a turbo, the new Type R goes up to 7,000rpm before hitting the red line and will sound tough tanks to sports exhaust.
The output hasn't been announced yet, but will be somewhere north of 280 PS. To ensure the front wheels can cope with that much, Honda tells us there's a system called "steer axis" with adaptive dampers. In any case, selectable driving modes will ensure the Type R won't act crazy on the road. At the press of its "R+" button, the steering will become heavy, the adaptive suspension will stiffen and the engine mapping will go into its most ferocious mode.
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