The new Honda Civic Type R will be confirmed for production at the Paris motor show in September, company insiders have confirmed to Autocar. It is then likely to be previewed at the Geneva motor show in March next year before going on sale in about 12 months’ time.
Engine details of the new Type R are still under wraps. The old Type R went out of production before the standard Civic because its high-revving, normally aspirated VTEC engine failed to meet emissions regulations. Honda could have updated the engine for the new Type R, or it could be destined to get a downsized turbo engine in line with hot hatch rivals.
Before the hottest new Civic arrives, Honda will launch a cooking version of the new five-door hatchback. Mugen and Team Dynamics both recently showed proposals for a ‘Type S’ version of the new Civic at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and a decision on the direction of the new 1.8-litre petrol model is imminent.
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NIce web!
Great info!
A great car to have and rush!
A real, global Type R this time...?
Wishlist:
1) A true enthusiast model, offered around the world, rather than just to JDM, Malaysia, and the grey market. Any lard-ass variants needed to create further volume in North America or Europe should be labelled 'Type S', and offered in addition to Type R, rather than instead of it.
2) No hybrid crap, unless it truly justifies its weight and expense from an enthusiast's perspective. Honda already has the CR-Z for the "sports with a guilty conscience" crowd; it doesn't need another one.
3) While I love the responsive, revvy N/A engines that have made the Type R brand, I realise that regulatory and tax pressures in key markets push strongly towards FI. Outside Japan, Honda has almost surrendered its original "lightweight N/A" mantle to RenaultSport, while the gruntier end of the FI hot-hatch range is well-occupied by Ford, VW, and many many others.
I'm curious what Honda could do with FI-light: FI used to lightly boost an extended rev range: say, 2000 - 7500 RPM rather than the 1750 - 5000 RPM band that characterises the meat of other brands' offerings.
If combined with traditional Honda virtues of bullet-proof reliability and cost-effectiveness, that would carve out a worthwhile UVP for Type R in today's world. The best Type Rs have always been scalpels rather than broadswords.
I do wish Honda would make
I do wish Honda would make their minds up. One minute the Type-R is done and dusted, then it's back, then it's gone etc.
Turbo petrol seems the only option; at least then there would be some similarity to the BTCC racers! A shame to lose that wailing VTEC, but I think the extra torque would compensate.