Honda releases a ‘race car for the road’.
After a five year wait, 2015 sees the arrival of the world’s most keenly anticipated hot hatch, the Honda Civic Type R. Billed as a ‘race car for the road’ with an impressive top speed of 167 mph, the all-new Honda Civic Type R is powered by the most extreme and high-performing Type R engine ever built, and will set new standards in the high-performance front-wheel drive hatchback segment.
The Civic Type R showcases a world-first of Honda’s new VTEC TURBO engine, a sensuous sporting sound, aggressive function-led styling, and pioneering new chassis technologies combine to deliver one of the most immersive and rewarding driving experiences available in any sector. Civic Type R is equally at home delivering this experience on the road as it is on the track, at the push of a button.
Part of the wave of next-generation and all-new vehicles from Honda in 2015, the new Civic Type R demonstrates the brand’s pioneering approach to technological innovation which makes life better for its customers. Available only as a five-door, with two trim grades, it is set to catapult Honda back to the top of the two-wheel drive performance hatchback league when it goes on sale across Europe from July 2015.
At the heart is an all-new, direct-injected turbocharged 2.0 litre VTEC TURBO petrol engine, which delivers power, torque and performance figures unmatched in the front-wheel drive hot hatch segment. Peak power output is 310 PS* at 6,500 rpm, peak torque is 400 Nm* at 2,500 rpm and 0 – 62 mph 5.7 seconds - both higher than for any previous Honda Type R model.
Red-lining at 7,000 rpm, the engine – part of Honda’s next-generation Earth Dreams Technology series – the Civic Type R features an advanced new turbocharging system which incorporates Honda’s legendary Variable Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) technology to boost low-end torque while delivering sustained acceleration.
Leon Brannan, Head of Cars for Honda (UK) comments: “Honda’s engineers sought to develop a Type R that would more than live up to this high expectation of the red badge. The new Civic Type R has been engineered to deliver a dynamic, class-leading performance whether on fast roads, winding roads or the circuit. At the same time it delivers the ease of use and practical packaging expected of a Civic.”
As part of a rigorous and detailed development and testing programme, a pre-production development Civic Type R achieved a 7 minutes 50.63 seconds lap time of the legendary 20.8 km/12.9 mile Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany.
Whether setting lap times around race circuits, engaging the driver on a favourite country road or providing day-to-day comfort, an exceptional engine requires an exceptional transmission. A slick-shifting, six-speed manual transmission was chosen to safeguard an intimate, rewarding connection with the driver while making the most of the engine’s high output, strong torque and high revs.
