Hot Civic prototype steals Honda show
Turbocharged 2.0L VTEC produces 280 hp of adrenalin-pumping fun
TOCHIGI, Japan Honda has been accused of sitting on its engineering laurels of late. But the company’s Technology Day proved that it has been doing anything but twiddling its corporate thumbs.
While everything shown or driven during the day was not exactly cast in stone, it was fairly described as being concrete in the process of drying — everything was too far down the engineering pipeline to be an exercise.
The production RLX Hybrid and its Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) is, in a word, superb. It is blindingly quick and the credit goes to two important things.
The 3.5-litre V6 engine is good for 310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque.
Then there’s the electric side. The two rear electric motors contribute 36 hp each, while the front motor adds another 47 hp to the pot. In the end, the RLX SH-AWD has a net system output of 377 hp and 377 lb.-ft. of torque. Even as employed in a large sedan, the system has the wherewithal to blow away many sports cars.
The beauty of the system is the manner in which it delivered its ride-on-rails feel. The mechanical version of SH-AWD was good; the electric system is much more accomplished. It not only over-speeds the outside rear wheel in a corner, it applies a negative torque to the inside wheel, which delivers some regenerative braking to top up the 1.3 kilowatt/hour lithium-ion battery.
This action reduced the amount of steering input and the need to dab the brake heading into a corner. Around the test track the turnin proved to be as crisp as it was immediate.
Beyond its handling/performance capabilities, the RLX Hybrid can drive on electricity alone and, because of its configuration, has ondemand all-wheel drive.
The seven-speed twin-clutch transmission added to the sense of overall refinement. The shifts, which can be initiated through paddle shifters, were quick and when Sport mode was selected, it sharpened the throttle response and shift speed, delayed the upshifts and firmed the steering’s feel.
All of this bodes extremely well for the upcoming NSX. While the engineers were coy, some information did slide by their tight lips.
To begin with, it will adopt much of the RLX SH-AWD’s technology — specifically the electric motors, battery and power electronics. The biggest changes are found in the gasoline side and layout. While the RLX has its engine mounted up front with two of the three electric motors powering the rear wheels, the NSX will be exactly the opposite — two electric motors driving the front wheels, while a new engine and the third electric motor power the rear wheels.
In this application, the gasoline power will come from a twin-turbocharged 3.5L V6. Honda did not mention output, so I will use some extended thinking. The Civic Type R’s 2.0L VTEC Turbocharged four produces 280 hp, (more later), which gives it a power density of 140 hp/ litre. Using this as a base, the 3.5L twin-turbo V6, which should enjoy a similar power density, could have as much as 490 hp. And this is before the three electric motors have contributed — and they are likely to have more juice, too.
The NSX will also earn an all-new twin-clutch transmission (no mention of the number of gears, but it, too, is expected to have more than the seven in the RLX). Shoehorn all of this leading-edge technology into a lightweight chassis — it will likely be a blend of aluminum and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic — and you have the makings of a seriously raucous ride. It all served to whet my appetite.
The star of the day was, without question, the prototype Civic Type R. This, given Honda’s rather conservative approach, is radical by any standard.
It starts with what’s under the hood — the aforementioned 2.0L VTEC Turbo four and the 280 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque it generates. Fire the power through a six-speed close-ratio manual and a sticky set of P235/35R19 tires and you have the makings of a monster.
Pulling out of the pits, I ran up through the first three gears and got ready to merge onto the highspeed oval — I was doing about 75 kilometres an hour. Standing on the gas saw the front wheels spin as the Type R blasted forth and toward the first high-banked corner. From here it was around the four-kilometre banked oval at the limited top speed of 200 km/h (the road-going car will be capped at 250 km/h). Now, all of this was done in normal mode.
A button on the dash engages the R mode. This firms the steering and adjustable suspension, sharpens the throttle and puts the vehicle stability management system into its track mode. It, according to the engineer riding shotgun, allows the driver to have more “fun.”
At the time of writing, the final Type R’s specifications were yet to be firmed up. For example, will the brake system use Honda’s own design, or the four-piston front Brembos on the test car? Regardless, this is a car that will be built and sold. It MUST come to Canada.
Ford Focus ST? VW Golf GTI? The Civic Type R will show both a clean set of wheels.
There were two other equally compelling versions of the VTEC Turbo to test. The first was a 1.5L four that made 201 hp and 192 lb.-ft. of torque. It, in the Civic mule, proved to be a truly workable engine. It had great low-end punch and it was very strong through the mid-range — turbocharged torque always has this effect. As a replacement for the current naturally aspirated 2.0L engine used in any application it will work like a charm, providing more power and better fuel economy. You can’t ask for much more.
The other VTEC Turbo was a 1.0L three-cylinder. In spite of its diminutive displacement it still pushed 127 hp and 147 lb.-ft. of torque, which was enough to whisk the Civic test mule to 160 km/h with surprising ease.
Even when married to a CVT (and I am not a fan of the continuously annoying gearbox), it worked perfectly. Well enough, maybe, to get me over my CVT aversion.