The new Civic Type R is set to be the most powerful Type R it has ever produced.
Available in Europe in early 2023, the new Civic Type R has been unveiled by Honda as it celebrates a whopping 25 years of the brand’s iconic high-performance hatchback.
It has been designed to deliver the ultimate driving experience to date and is setting new benchmarks already, breaking the front-wheel drive lap record at Suzuka Circuit in Japan, according to Auto Expert Mag.
Design enhancements, lightweight components, and powertrain revisions have all aided in creating the most responsive and powerful Type R to date.
Honda engineers have worked on the concept of creating the “Ultimate Sports Design” throughout the development.
Honda engineers have refined every aspect, including the front wheels, which have shrunk from 20 to 19 inches. The front wheels also have air vents and skirt fins behind them to help with brake cooling, which Honda says will help to divert air away from the rear wheels and maximise aerodynamics.
Senior Vice President of Honda, Tom Gardner, has said: “through exception advancements and the application of motorsport-derived technologies, Honda engineers have again delivered the goal, which was to create the most rewarding driving experience in the performance hatchback segment.”
Tom Gardner also goes on to say that, “through exceptional advancements and the application of motorsport-derived technologies, we have exceeded the capabilities of even the stripped out, lightweight version of the previous model. It is this dedication to performance excellence that has made the Civic Type R so popular with driving purists for 25 years.”
The exterior design looks a lot less cluttered, and sportier and includes special design features such as the rear doors and arches, which have been exclusively developed for improving the Type R aerodynamics.
You can still expect to see the huge wing on the back, as well as the large lower grille of the front bumper. This helps with the airflow to the engine and works alongside the new, subtle bonnet that now includes a vent to improve the airflow around the front end.
A new triple-exhaust design with enhanced sound modulation to provide high-efficiency and performance engineering enhancements.
Honda has held back the boy-racer vibes slightly for this new Type R, but Honda knows that the Civic Type R is renowned for its powerful, responsive, and high-revving engines and that was something that was never going to change.
The Type R builds upon its predecessor, the 17YM Type R’s famed engine, even further by adding an upgraded turbo and new turbine blades, which equals more power.
Honda won’t say exactly how much power the new Type R has behind it, but they have confirmed that it will have more power and torque than any other Type R, meaning this will be the fastest and most rewarding drive in the model’s history.
Tiago Monteiro has also reported to Autocar that “It’s very easy to drive and you don’t have to provoke it to oversteer.
He goes on to say that the weight balance and responses are really good too and that in his opinion, the reason why the Type R is here is because of how neatly it swivels into a fast chicane.
Ko Yamamoto, the technical advisor for Honda Motor Europe, spoke with Autocar too about how the new Civic Type R “has seen improvements in chassis rigidity and the handling performance.” He mentions too that “it’s the updates to the steering and suspension that have been the biggest gain overall compared to the previous Type R.”.
Honda hasn’t said how much the new Honda Civic Type R will cost you yet. When it does go on sale next year, you can expect it to cost more than the current model, which is around £33,000, we can tell you that for free.
Although the outgoing model that the Type R will replace, ended production last year, it currently still holds an incredible expert rating of 88% in the award-winning Expert Rating Index from The Car Expert.
