Honda Civic Type R
A quick drive reveals the secrets of the Nürburgring FWD king
Ilove surprises, especially the automotive kind. Example: you attend a technology show such as the 2017 Honda Meeting (see Honda’s Vision 2030 on page 88) and find a Civic Type R waiting on the dynamic handling track at the Tochigi research and development facility.
Honda, I was pleased to discover, deemed it appropriate for us to experience the handling potential of the new (but not yet launched) Type R. The car is underpinned by the latest Civic platform that sees torsional rigidity up by 38% and features independent rear suspension. Compared with the outgoing version, the wheelbase has been lengthened and the track broadened, giving it an even more aggressive and purposeful stance.
After two sighting laps in a dynamic development Civic sedan test mule fitted with Honda’s 1,5-litre turbopetrol engine, it was my turn to get behind the wheel of the “R”. There are no straights on the short course, which is formed by sweeping bends of varying radii. Clambering into the cabin, there is little time to admire the changes; the facia is in line with the current Civic, albeit with added Type R touches.
More importantly, the bucket seats are figure-hugging and the short-throw metal shifter feels closer to the steering wheel and even more direct than before. With the instructor’s go-ahead, we leave the pits in comfort mode, the softest setting of three that includes sport and R+. With only a few laps at my disposal, holding back seems a little pointless … rather than ask for permission, I’d rather apolo- gise to the instructor later. Pedal to the floor, then.
And the Type R responds with vigour, forcing me to rapidly hook second and third gears to avoid hitting the rev limiter. The first bend looms and, turning in, I dab the brakes. Where the test mule’s tyres protested, the Type R turns in sharply and, in true hot-hatch fashion, the rear of the car goes light. The instructor’s silence is like music to my ears.
The next turn is a lot tighter, forcing me to add more pressure to the brake pedal with the Brembo setup responding
strongly. The shift to second gear is met by perfect rev-matching, a new feature that makes mere mortals feel like racers. The suspension setup is still firm, even in comfort mode, and that allows good body control and corner speed. Then the instructor hits the R+ mode for the second lap.
Now, the whole vehicle tenses up and responses become extreme. I barrel into the same set of curves at even higher velocities without the Type R flinching. The handling is neutral and the Honda can even be coaxed into slight oversteer at the limit. On some of the long, sweeping corners, I eventually have to lift slightly as the laws of physics cannot be rewritten, even with trick suspension and a limitedslip differential up front.
This Type R is a mightily impressive, hardcore hot hatch and I can understand why it reclaimed the lap record around the Nürburgring Nordschleife from the impressive Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S. A feat, by the way, it achieved while boasting five doors and a rear bench seat. Unlike that hot German.
Honda claims it not only increased the Type R’s dynamic ability by fettling the suspension (the power is up by just 7 kw), but that it also improved refinement levels. The three exhaust outlets may remind you of a Ferrari F40, but the goal was to lessen the “boom” experienced at cruising speed that plagued the previous model. We will comment on this particular enhancement once we get hold of unit for a longer period of time.
The good news is that the Type R is coming here and Graham Eagle, vice president of Honda Motor Southern Africa, mentioned that the timing may surprise us. And I love surprises...