As the good folks at Honda reminded us today, the long wait for the forbidden fruit of Type R performance is nearly over. The world premiere of the fastest, most powerful Honda ever sold in North America took place at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show when the Japanese manufacturer unveiled the production Civic Type R.
Its next stop will be at the New York Auto Show on April 12th. The car will then go on sale across Canada in late spring.
Performance enthusiasts won't be disappointed
Fundamentally based on the 5-door Civic Hatchback, the new 2017 Honda Civic Type R boasts substantially upgraded components, many of which have been tuned and tested on the Nürburgring. It is powered by a direct-injected and turbocharged 2.0LC i-VTEC engine with peak ratings of 306 hp at 6,500 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque from 2,500-4,500 rpm, which puts it in direct competition with the Subaru WRX STI and Ford Focus RS. This remarkable 4-cylinder will be mated exclusively to a short-throw, 6-speed manual transmission with rev-matching capability.
The Honda Civic Type R’s chassis builds on the major upgrades undertaken for the 10th-generation Civic with model-exclusive spring, damper and bushing settings, a new Dual-Axis front suspension for improved at-the-limit cornering and reduced torque steer; a new 4-wheel Adaptive Suspension System, a retuned and adaptive dual-pinion electric power steering system, and a helical, limited-slip front differential. The car rides on 20” alloy wheels shod with 245/30R20 Continental ContiSportContact 6 performance tires and slows down using 4-piston Brembo calipers that bite 350mm (13.8”) cross-drilled rotors at the front and 305mm (12”) solid rotors at the rear.
Additionally, there’s a 38% increase in torsional rigidity and 45% gain in bending rigidity versus the previous Civic Type R that was sold overseas. Meanwhile, the aluminum hood contributes to a reduction of 16 kg (35 lb) versus that same Type R, and 7 kg (15 lb) when compared with the base 2017 Civic Hatchback.
Three drive modes are available—Comfort, Sport (default), and +R—to adjust steering and throttle response, transmission rev-matching, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), and the Adaptive Damper System.
What about the interior?
The lone trim level on the menu will be fully loaded: heavily bolstered sports seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift boot, aluminum shift knob, aluminum sport pedals, red Type R driver's meter, and serialized Type R plate on the centre console. Gadgets you can expect include a 7” Display Audio touchscreen interface with embedded Honda Navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and a 12-speaker, 540W audio system.
The 2017 Honda Civic Type R will be manufactured in Swindon, England (with its 2.0L turbo engine made in Ohio). Pricing and additional details will be provided closer to launch.
