With 18 months still to go before it actually goes on sale, Honda has lifted a corner of the curtain hiding development of the new Civic Type R hot hatch. Actually, 'hot' rather sells it short as this new Civic, the first ever turbocharged Type R model, will be packing a whopping 300hp between its front wheels. That's a power output that dwarfs those of the Ford Focus ST and Opel Astra OPC and puts the hottest Civic ever into direct contention with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf R and Audi S3, and one which Honda hopes will push the Civic to a record-breaking sub-8-minute lap of the Nürburgring race track. That's a time which would put the Civic on a par with the old NSX-R sports car.
Speaking during recent testing at the Nürburgring, Germany, Honda's WTCC driver Gabriele Tarquini, gave his first driving impressions: "The car and the characteristics of the car were fantastic. I was really impressed by the power and the torque of the engine but also by the set-up they achieved... The car is very pointed on the front and very fast to change direction. This car is very close to my racing car and you can feel very well the DNA of Type R."
Honda won't confirm yet that it has broken the eight-minute barrier at the Nürburgring, but that is its avowed target, and rumours are already circulating that the Type R has run laps of that sort of speed. Although the car persists with the relatively simple beam rear axle of the standard Civic, the entire chassis and suspension setup is lower, wider and stiffer, aided by an adaptive damping system that Honda says will deliver sharp handling mixed with real-world on-road comfort. Weight will be kept in check by the use of aluminium body panels, while stopping power will be provided by massive cross-drilled brake discs with Brembo calipers. Big 19-inch alloys will be standard, as will be a six-speed manual gearbox. Honda is eschewing a paddle-shift system, simply because its engineers believe that a stick-shift is more fun to drive with. Amen to that.
The new Civic Type R will come on stream at an incredibly exciting time for Honda. This year we've seen the Japanese brand go all sensible and launch frugal (but it must be said very enjoyable) 1.6 i-DTEC diesel versions of the Civic and CR-V. Next year and in 2015 though, things really kick into gear for Honda enthusiasts. The new hybrid NSX supercar will go on sale next year, featuring (it has just been confirmed) a twin-turbo version of Honda's 3.5-litre V6 engine, mated to a three-motor electric hybrid setup giving the car four-wheel drive. Rumour has it that the new NSX will have at least 500hp. And then in 2015, Honda will return to Formula One in a deal with McLaren, to whom it will provide 1.6 turbo V6 engines (and the attached KERS motor). NSX. Civic Type R. F1. It's never been a better time to be a Honda fan...
Anything else?
The Civic Type R's new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine headlines a new range of VTEC Turbo petrol units, to be produced in 1.0-, 1.5- and 2.0-litre capacities.