This heavily disguised Honda Civic Type-R is undergoing its last few months of cold weather testing before production gets underway.The car is expected to arrive in showrooms in ‘late spring’, which suggests series production will begin by March this year.
A thinly veiled preview of the Civic Type R was seen at the Paris motor show in September 2014 and the car is expected to make it public debut at the Geneva motor show in March.
Order books opened last September and the carmaker said there was ‘unprecedented demand’ for the car so potential buyers were asked to place a £3000 deposit. Honda is promising “a sensational driving experience” that is “unmatched against any previous Type R” and “the start of a new performance era for the brand”. Honda describes the model as ‘designed in Europe and built in Swindon’.
Most significant on this concept is the confirmation of the first technical details of the new Civic Type R. The model is currently undergoing an extensive development programme with a team briefed to make it the fastest front-wheel-drive car yet around the Nürburgring.
The Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R currently holds the record with a lap time of 7min 54.3sec.
At the heart of the new Civic Type R is an all-new turbocharged 2.0-litre i-VTEC petrol engine. Honda won’t yet officially confirm a power output, other than saying it will be “more than 276bhp”. However, engineering sources have privately admitted that the engine has already been tuned to produce 300bhp, and more could be possible. A torque output of 300lb ft at just 2000rpm is quoted by the same sources.
Honda has confirmed that the Euro 6 emissions-compliant 2.0 i-VTEC engine will redline at 7000rpm, maintaining the legendary high-end shove afforded by the VTEC variable valve timing technology but with the addition of extra low-end grunt from the turbocharger.
Civic Type R project leader Suehiro Hasshi said: “Honda has had four Type R model derivatives: the Civic, Integra, Accord and NSX. The engine in the new Civic Type R is unrivalled against all of them in terms of raw power, torque and engine response.
Another confirmation is the transmission. Honda has bucked the current trend towards dual-clutch automatic gearboxes and equipped the Civic Type R with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. This is in order to “maximise driver enjoyment”, according to Honda.
“The manual transmission allows the driver to select their chosen gear, for example, down from fifth to third when approaching a corner,” said Hasshi. “The concept of the new Civic Type R is to be the complete driver’s car, so this was the best option.”
Equipped with that powertrain, a 0-62mph time of less than six seconds can be expected.
Honda is also equipping the new Civic Type R with a range of dynamic features to complement its new engine. Among them is a four-point Adaptive Damper System developed specifically for the model. Honda says the dampers, which have been tuned to offer a comfortable, compliant ride in normal driving conditions, can be stiffened to increase agility when the driver demands it, resulting in what the firm calls “high-performance handling”.
Also new is a system designed to reduce torque steer. An additional ‘steer axis’ mechanical system is added to the front suspension, supported by two kingpins which work with the suspension to reduce torque steer under acceleration.
The Type R is at its most extreme when a new ‘+R’ driving mode is engaged. Pressing the +R button next to the steering wheel improves engine responsiveness, tweaks the torque mapping to a more aggressive and performance-focused setting, increases the responsiveness of the steering and stiffens the adaptive dampers.
“In default standard mode, the Civic Type R is exceptionally agile, an everyday sports car with an enjoyable and fluid acceleration,” said Hasshi. “The +R button brings out a more dynamic and athletic car for the driver, sure to set pulses racing.
“The difference in character is immense. The +R button is extreme; the car is ideal for the track and will be appreciated by the genuine sports driving enthusiast.”
For its Paris motor show appearance, the Civic Type R concept got a striking new bright blue finish. All the dramatic styling elements from the original Geneva concept remained, with looks inspired by the firm’s latest World Touring Car Championship race car.
The Type R rides 30mm lower than the standard Civic hatchback on which it is based. It includes huge front and rear spoilers, vastly flared wheel arches and greatly increased cooling in a body that shares just the roof, front doors and tailgate with the regular five-door Civic hatch. Exceptional levels of aerodynamic performance and downforce are also promised, along with high-performance brakes.
Test mules spied at the Nürburgring have shown that the styling of the concept is virtually unchanged for the production car, which has been largely designed and engineered by a British team with European drivers in mind and will be built in the UK at Honda’s Swindon plant.
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