Civic Type-R back to reclaim it’s throne
Things are absolutely hot at the Geneva Motor Show, especially after the covers were pulled off the all-new Honda Civic Type-R.
The Japanese hot-hatch replaces its predecessor after a short-lived run of only two years, making it the tenth Honda to wear the coveted Type-R badge. The short lifespan of the previous Type-R could be attributed to the fact that the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S stole its front-wheel drive record at the Nurburgring, but after looking at the performance figures of the new Type-R it won’t be long before the new model rewrites history.
For starters, there’s a new six-speed manual gearbox that feeds off power created by the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder VTEC engine, specifically 236kW and 400Nm of torque. The front-wheels convert this power into speed, with 0-100km/h happening somewhere under 5,7-seconds.
Although official performance figures have not been released, we can expect a slight bump from the performance of the previous Type-R. Interestingly, Honda chose to ignore the use of an all-wheel drive system despite the pressure from competitors such as the Audi RS3 and the Ford Focus RS. If this tells us anything, it means that the new Type-R is going to be a lot of fun on the track.
Speaking of track fun, the Type-R now comes with adaptive dampers and a range of driving modes for the first time. Meet ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘R+’ mode, the three split personalities of the hot-hatch, with each mode adjusting the steering feel, throttle response and other systems in the car to make it perform exactly how you want it to.
Visually, the Honda Civic Type-R maintains its hardcore track-appeal, although there are small adjustments all around the car with one primary focus in mind; aerodynamics. The front of the car has a lower drag co-efficient, while a smoother underbody and vortex generators on the roof allow it to slice through the air like a Japanese Samurai. It’s also got a massive rear-wing to plant the wheels into the ground and three exhausts. How could you not love a car with three exhausts?!
