Honda Civic Type R debuts at Geneva auto show

EUROPEAN VERSION OF HONDA HOT HATCH PACKS 306 HP

After five years of testing, the new Honda Civic Type R is ready for its European production debut at the Geneva motor show. Billed as being powered by the "most extreme and high-performing engine in the 22-year history of the red 'H' badge" the new Civic Type R features the first use of a new direct-injected and turbocharged 2.0-liter VTEC engine producing 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, along with unmissable aerodynamic adjustments and an aggressive design.

Honda says that the new Civic Type R is the company's fastest-accelerating performance front-wheel drive hatch, with a 0 to 62 mph sprint time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 167 mph. Channeling power to the front wheels is a six-speed manual transmission -- the only way Honda fanboys and fangirls would have it -- with Brembo brakes along with a suspension designed to minimize torque steer and adaptive dampers keeping things under control.

Honda has spent considerable time developing the Civic Type R, testing it at the company's track at Sakura as well as the Nurburgring Nordschleife and the Suzuka Formula One circuit to hammer out the aerodynamic changes. The result is an almost completely flat underside that facilitates airflow under the car and a rear diffuser said to maximize downforce by "sucking" the car onto the road. A wide front splitter and side skirts also work to reduce lift, while the front bumper has been shaped to minimize air turbulence around the front wheels. The front fascia has also been designed with functional characteristics, with the front bumpers as well as the upper and lower grilles aimed at letting a greater volume of air into the engine bay to facilitate cooling. The path of the air has been given exit points on the front quarter panels just above the front wheels, while the design of the rear wing has made it onto the production version of the Civic Type R with minimal changes from the concept version of the hatch.

PHOTO BY HONDA

The Civic Type R features a new four-point Adaptive Damper System which allows for continuous independent control of each of the wheels; it's designed to limit wheel-load transfers during acceleration and deceleration, while maximizing road holding. The result, according to Honda, is a flat and stable ride, even in everyday driving. The Type R also features an advanced Dual Axis Strut Front Suspension system that helps cut torque steer by as much as 50 percent compared to the standard Civic.

The Type R also features a "+R" button, the activation of which changes the torque mapping to a more performance-oriented setting, in addition to reducing power assistance to the steering and increasing the damping force from the Adaptive Damper System, creating a firmer ride.

The interior features sport seats trimmed in a suede-like fabric.PHOTO BY HONDA

The interior has also been upgraded on this hot hatch, with high-backed sport seats trimmed in a suede-like fabric with red double stitching on the seats and the steering wheel.

The most pressing question about the Honda Civic Type R is whether the U.S. will receive this model at all. After all, this is the production version for the European market and it happens to be a hatch -- a bodystyle in which the Civic isn't even offered on our shores. Honda currently offers us the Civic in sedan or coupe form, so this exact version probably will not make it stateside unless Honda decides to spend the money -- and it is a lot of money -- to bring the hatchback version to the U.S. It's too early to tell whether the U.S. will receive this engine and gearbox in another car, whether it will be the Civic coupe or sedan.

Honda took a development version of the Civic Type R to the Nurburgring in Germany last May and clocked a 7-minute, 50.36-second lap time, good enough to best the Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R, the current front-wheel drive lap-time leader. The Civic Type R, however, had a roll cage installed for the lap, which changes a car's handling, sometimes dramatically. As far as we know, the Renault Megane was completely stock.a