HONDA

Civic Type R: the commemorative edition of the iconic Japanese hatchback

Honda has unveiled the all-new Civic Type R to celebrate 25 years of the iconic high-performance hatchback and 50 years of the Civic model.

Available in Europe from early 2023, the Civic Type R recently broke the front-wheel drive lap record at the Suzuka circuit in Japan.

The new Type R is based on the Honda Civic e:HEV. The Type R is noticeably lower and wider, and the new design of the rear spoiler, which contributes to the creation of downforce and is tilted backwards to reduce air resistance, stands out. With new aluminum die-cast brackets, the rear wing is lower but wider than the previous model.

Body color choices include the historic "Championship" white color revered by Honda Type R enthusiasts, in addition to "Rallye" Red, as well as "Racing" Blue, "Crystal" Black and Sonic Pearl Grey.

The interior is also in the spirit of former models, with a slight retro touch of the seventies and eighties. The driver sits lower than before, but with better visibility over the hood. The lightweight front sports seats have red Alcantara upholstery.

Drivers can switch driving modes seamlessly, with preset modes for engine, steering, suspension and engine sound. In addition to the Comfort, Sport and +R modes, a new "Individual mode" has been introduced, which enables additional customization according to the driver's wishes.

The lightweight front sports seats have red Alcantara upholstery

The Honda LogR data logger returns in an updated format for this generation Type R, and now combines performance data collected by in-car sensors with a smartphone app to help drivers track and record various metrics in real-time.

Key features include a stopwatch to record lap times, tire friction that displays the maximum force per tire the vehicle can achieve, a 3D view of vehicle movement and an innovative scoring function that helps drivers improve their skills and encourage safe, accurate and progressively faster laps on the track.

Honda has retained the existing “K20” 2.0-liter turbo engine and six-speed manual transmission with some improvements. Unfortunately, the details of the increase in power have not been published, so we can only guess how much it has improved compared to the previous engine, which had 320 hp and 400 Nm. Whatever they do, they'll definitely have front-wheel drive through a mechanical limited-slip differential.

The all-new Honda Civic Type R will go on sale next year, with first deliveries to customers in Europe beginning in early 2023. 

Auto Magazin, Serbia