HONDA’S fire-breathing new Civic Type R is ready to devour its rivals – with a top speed of an eyeball-flattening 167mph.
The British-built flyer makes its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show and will be the most extreme Type R in the 22-year history of the red ‘H’ badge
Developed and engineered for European drivers, Honda says the speed machine will signal the start of a new performance era for the Japanese brand.
Our images of the Type R concept version were released during the autumn but Honda is whetting the appetite of performance fans ahead of the full production version’s Swiss unveil with some details of the car’s nose, wheels and cockpit.
Beneath the car’s bonnet is a 2.0 litre direct injection VTEC Turbo engine from Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology series.
Pumping out more than 280PS, it will outperform any previous Type R model and is unrivalled amongst its front wheel-drive competitors.
While past Type R vehicles have housed naturally aspirated engines, the new unit benefits from a turbocharger, boosting low-end wallop.
It will also mark the debut of the new ‘+R’ button which heightens engine response, firms up the steering and improves the car’s handling through a new four-point Adaptive Damper System.
It has been developed specifically for the new hatchback, which automatically adjusts front and rear suspension stiffness in a split second, to suit driving conditions.
Honda says the Civic’s almost completely flat underside helps airflow under the vehicle and combines with a rear diffuser to boost downforce – effectively sucking the car onto the road.
And a bespoke rear wing gives the Type R more visual presence as well as extra downforce, while high performance Brembo brakes have also been developed specifically for the Type R.
