Type R gets even more body kit
The Civic Type R is probably the only car on the market right now that really doesn’t need more body kit, writes Nile Bijoux.
The FK8 Honda Civic Type R first hit our roads in 2017. Since then, more than 200 have sold, prompting Honda New Zealand to tap tuner Mugen for a special edition of the hot hatch.
To recap, the current Civic Type R is not one that needs any further reason to draw the eye. The standard car looks like a 12-year-old penned it for a Japanese anime cartoon, for better or worse.
Honda was clearly targeting the younger crowd with the FK8 as well as enthusiasts, with a manual gearbox trumpeted alongside claims of real downforce generated by the huge rear wing and explanations of what vortex generators are.
Regardless of what you may think of the looks and whether or not the aero really works, Honda built a properly good car.
The Type R has held numerous track records, including the one for the fastest front-wheel-drive production car around the Nurburgring. To put that into perspective, the Civic’s time of 7 minutes, 43.8 seconds is quicker around the Green Hell than the BMW M5 from 2012, Alfa Romeo’s 4C and even the 2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. That’s with a manual gearbox, remember. This thing is seriously quick.
Honda hasn’t really changed the Type R since it released, aside from the Mugen kit on this special edition. The differences are all above the skin, which might disappoint some. Us included, to be honest, given Mugen hasn’t shied away from upping output on previous Type Rs.
This time, the changes are restricted to a unique front splitter, rear diffuser, a carbon fibre spoiler, CF wing mirror caps and dots of Mugen badging. The tuner also added its own floor mats and a carbon fibre gearknob to the interior.
Additional packs, including styling, handling and performance upgrades will be offered as optional extras, ranging from $990 to $11,990. Honda also says that Mugen Equipped owners will be offered more Mugen gubbins as they become available.
The new body kit is probably the last thing the Type R needed. It has become ever-so-slightly easier to stomach over the years as competitors start to embrace canards, splitters and wings (looking at you, AMG) but nearon 230kW is a bit on the low side these days. I’d prefer a power bump and a fruitier exhaust over three rear wings, please.
Though, probably thanks to that gorgeous manual transmission, the Civic Type R doesn’t ever feel slow. I had the Mugen Equipped Type R right as New Zealand exited level 3 lockdown and can report that Honda’s hot hatch is as epic to drive as ever.
In R+ mode there’s an almost telepathic way the front end communicates with the driver. It’s so direct, so easy to push that it’ll keep up with pretty much anything else on the road.
In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m wondering if the Type R even needs more power. The next iteration will almost certainly get it, as that’s what buyers will expect, but the current car is so damn good in the other performance areas, more power won’t necessarily equal a faster car. At least, not without all-wheeldrive, which would take away a major part of the Type R’s DNA.
The engine is still a peach, even without pops and bangs on the overrun or the bygone VTEC profile change sound. A hint of blowoff as you roll off the throttle is enough to prick up the ears and the surge of torque piling through the front wheels in low gears is as addictive as the skyhigh RPM of previous models wearing the Type R badge.
If the transmission needed any more praise, it also has an automatic rev-matching feature that allows for perfect heel-andtoeing on every downchange.
Then, when you’ve finished being a gosh darn hooligan, flicking the toggle to Comfort mode softens the suspension and loosens up the steering to make regular driving easier. Honda’s Sensing active safety suite is present too, giving you tech like lane-keep assist and active cruise to make the drive home even easier.
The bright red seats are some of the best around, comfy enough to carefully nurse a Sunday morning coffee in and supportive enough to keep you stable when trying to push the g-force readout higher than last time. There’s enough space in the boot for an average grocery run and the infotainment screen up front handily switches to a left-hand camera feed when indicating that way.
It also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is good because this version of Honda’s infotainment system isn’t the best. More recent Hondas have a physical volume knob, which helps alleviate some problems but not the hottest Civic.
So, there are pros and cons for Honda’s fastest performance machine. If you don’t care about what others think and aren’t fussed about the looks, this is one of the best hot hatches you can buy right now.
But you folk are probably in the minority, like I am. Most aren’t on board with the transformer look, despite the sheer speed that comes with it, and acceptance of a vehicle’s styling is the major force behind a subsequent purchase.
If it were my money, I’d save the five grand and buy the standard Civic Type R, then go to work on toning the rear end down a bit, along with installing a new exhaust system.
Alternatively, you could wait for the recently announced Sport Line version, which swaps the huge wing for a smaller unit, closer in design to the one found on the RS Sport sedan. Smaller 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin tyres with a softer sidewall should improve the ride while added soundproofing in the boot reduces road noise.