Huge power for relatively little money – that’s what the Honda Civic Type R has always offered. And that doesn’t change in the latest sixth generation. Or almost not. The two-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine now delivers 329 instead of 320 hp and 420 torque instead of 400 Nm. The 1.5-tonne Civic Type R accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and has a top speed of 275 km/h. Honda claims this makes it the fastest front-wheel drive vehicle in the world.
A huge amount of power – this also applies to the latest generation. Of course, we have to put the relatively small amount of money into perspective. An impressive CHF 57,990 not only sets new standards for the Civic lineup, it also seems to be on the high end for a machine that offers us pure driving pleasure.
So what does the sloping Civic Type R fun driver get for CHF 57,990? Slightly larger (4.59 m long) and 100 kg heavier, an athlete with the usual wild look – three tailpipes and lots of windbreaker suits. As a driver, you sit eight millimeters lower in the comfortable sports seat, which offers excellent lateral support that further enhances the sports car feel. The chassis suspension and camber have been changed, the larger Brembo brakes should slow down more and, above all, cool better – and the tires are wider (265/30), despite the smaller wheels (19 instead of 20 inches).
Like a testosterone shot
First, we set out on the race track in the most comfortable mode to get used to the car a little. The six-speed gearbox is switched manually. “There has never been a discussion about an automated transmission for the Type R, neither in this generation nor in previous generations,” says lead developer Ko Yamamoto. Soon we will switch to sports mode. It acts like a testosterone injection. The engine now roars hoarsely, revs up – 3500, 5500, the first yellow lights above the rev counter flash. But he wants more. At 6500rpm, the warning lights turn red and the front wheels seem to flutter for grip.
But it gets even wilder in +R driving mode. Even the slightest touch of the accelerator pedal turns into forward thrust there. The sound is even louder, the chassis tuning is even more difficult. Surprisingly, even without a locked differential, traction control can safely maneuver our car in a left-right combination by braking the inside wheel despite a very fast cornering. We were quickly enchanted by this sports equipment and wished we could do much more than just five fast laps on the racetrack.
Which brings us back to the “reasonable price” mentioned at the beginning. Sure, CHF 57,990 is a lot of money – especially for a Honda Civic. However, the new Type R has given us so much driving pleasure on the racetrack that we can otherwise only experience it in much more expensive superracing cars.