The Civic Type R has always given drivers who are addicted to sports cars a comparatively affordable way to live quickly on the road and race track in a parallel Japanese world. The sixth generation remains true to its line and is incidentally the fastest front-wheel drive vehicle in the world. That has its price – stately 55,500 euros. After half a century of Honda Civic and 25 years of Civic Type R, the Japanese are setting new standards in terms of sportiness with their latest joker. The new Type R is likely to be the last of its kind without a hybrid module. Just get in again and enjoy shamelessly. With slightly larger dimensions and a weight increase from an impressive 100 kilograms to 1.5 tons, the driver sits eight millimeters closer to the ground and not only because of this feels more directly interwoven with the car. In contrast to its predecessor, the new Honda Civic Type R offers a modified suspension with modified camber, better brake cooling and wider wheels with smaller rims (19 instead of 20 inch) in addition to the usual wild appearance and spoiler garb. The engine, the well-known high-revving four-cylinder turbo with a displacement of two liters, was handled only cautiously and now delivers 329 instead of 320 hp and 420 instead of 400 Nm at a lower 2,200 rpm.
The engine is still coupled to a manual six-speed gearbox with shorter shift travel, which brings a notable plus in driving fun and more sportiness. According to chief developer Ko Yamamoto, “there was never a discussion about an automated transmission for the Type R; neither in this nor in the previous generations.” Unchanged, the Honda is on the road with three exhaust ports to generate different acoustic frequencies depending on the engine speed and driving style, which delight the driver in the well-contoured sports seats as he cuts corners and sets personal bests. The space available at the front and rear is always suitable for everyday use, while the animated instruments offer light and shade.
The 4.59 meter long Honda Civic Type R already underscores its sporty aspirations over the first few kilometers in the most comfortable mode. The multi-link rear axle ensures that the rear part of the sports model does not get too nervous even on bad roads, while the steering and front end provide excellent information on how the front wheels are coping with the asphalt. Switching to sport mode acts like a testosterone injection. The engine roars hoarsely while the Japanese visibly tenses his muscles and finally wants to sprint. The speed increases, the pulse increases and off we go. 2,000, 3,500, 5,500 rpm and he wants more. The first yellow lights above the tachometer flash before they turn into little red islands above 6,500 rpm and the front axle looks for grip in order to make the next valuable meters.
It gets even hotter on the race track. With a push of a button it goes into the sharpest driving mode R and the Japanese shakes off his tough qualities and is only there to let himself go. Even the smallest pressure on the gas pedal is accompanied by a push forward and the best times tumble. The sound gets harder – the tuning too. Even without a limited-slip differential, traction control is able to correct situations where the Type R is speeding into a corner by braking the inside wheel and seemingly magically pulling the car back in before stepping on the gas back towards the next combination of curves. Although the Type R has increased noticeably in terms of dimensions and weight, there is a second look at the driving performance, which is also beguiling here. The braking power of the snappy Brembo calipers is even more powerful than the thrust forward. The grip of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires in 265/30 R19 format is always impressive, while these together with the lavish spoiler trim ensure that the sportiest of all Civics stay on track. One more round, please – a few more tours, please!
