It may be one of the best front-wheel drive compact hot hatchbacks in the market, but the Honda Civic Type R doesn’t have what it takes in order to take on a full-blown supercar, like the McLaren 720S, in a straight-line battle.
As everyone and their neighbor knows, the previous-generation Honda Civic Type R uses, just like its successor, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It makes 316 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, which is enough for a 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in 5.7 seconds, and a 169 mph (272 kph) top speed.
For a car that has been designed to feast on apexes occasionally, and to be a great daily, with generous space at the rear and in the trunk for a compact, that’s not bad at all. One could say a lot of good things about the Japanese hot hatch, yet it’s hard to praise its design. Still, we’re not here to judge it, but to focus on its quarter-mile performance, in a head-to-head race against the big bad McLaren 720S.
Sitting in a superior league, the Woking-made supercar packs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 behind the seats, which is good for 710 hp and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque. That’s what the official spec sheet claims, as the 720S is punchier than advertised, dyno tests have revealed. From 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph), you are looking at a neck-snapping 2.9 seconds, and 212 mph (341 kph) flat-out.
No one in their right mind would ever bet against the Macca in a quarter-mile race with the Civic Type R, especially one that looks stock, but is there more than meets the eye here? Only one way to find out, and that’s by hitting the play button on the video embedded down below, shot at the Mission Raceway Park in Canada, supposedly a few days ago.
For a car that has been designed to feast on apexes occasionally, and to be a great daily, with generous space at the rear and in the trunk for a compact, that’s not bad at all. One could say a lot of good things about the Japanese hot hatch, yet it’s hard to praise its design. Still, we’re not here to judge it, but to focus on its quarter-mile performance, in a head-to-head race against the big bad McLaren 720S.
Sitting in a superior league, the Woking-made supercar packs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 behind the seats, which is good for 710 hp and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque. That’s what the official spec sheet claims, as the 720S is punchier than advertised, dyno tests have revealed. From 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph), you are looking at a neck-snapping 2.9 seconds, and 212 mph (341 kph) flat-out.
No one in their right mind would ever bet against the Macca in a quarter-mile race with the Civic Type R, especially one that looks stock, but is there more than meets the eye here? Only one way to find out, and that’s by hitting the play button on the video embedded down below, shot at the Mission Raceway Park in Canada, supposedly a few days ago.