Honda Civic Type R
All the car you’ll ever need
There are cars that only brand loyalists would appreciate and there are some which appeal to a broad market. The current Honda Civic is probably the most handsome sedan currently available and just about everyone we know agrees, and the Civic Type R, looks even better.
Exterior
At it’s most obvious, the Type R is a Civic Hatchback with a big rear wing, has an aluminium hood with a scoop, a carbon fiber look lip under the front bumper, a carbon fiber look splitter under the nicely sculpted rear bumper with three exhaust pipes positioned in the center and the Type R side skirts all with red accents. Now these aren’t just for looks, these are all functional, despite the fact it makes it look chunkier than sleek and smooth. It does makes you want to keep on looking at it. You get auto-leveling full LED headlights and rain sensing wipers and the Type R rolls on wide but very thin 245/30’s on Berlina Black 20” Type R Aluminum Wheels.
Interior
The interior makes no effort to hide that this is a performance car. What gets your attention each time you open the door to get in is all the bright RED trim on pretty much everything, then you slide between the steering wheel and into the snug Type R Spec bucket seats. It’s fit and finish inside is what you’d expect from Honda, everything fits tight, no gaps and if anything moves, it’s meant to. The instrument cluster displays the selected drive mode, throttle and brake input, Turbo- meter, Rev-indicator, G-meter and Lap time. The great sounding entertainment system is the same as the “regular” Civics with a 7” touchscreen with Navi, Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, iPod and iPhone connectivity and AM/FM tuner.
Powerplant
Under the hood is a turbocharged 4-cylinder Earth Dreams Technology Direct Injection DOHC VTEC 2.0Li engine that puts 310Ps at 6,500rpm with maximum torque of 400Nm between 2,500-4,500rpm. This is mated to 6-speed manual transmission with Rev-matching function that drives the front wheels, with a Limited Slip Differential (LSD) and a Type R Titanium Shift knob. There are 3 selectable drive modes, Comfort Mode, Sports Mode and +R Mode which affects throttle response and the Adaptive Damper System.
Safety and Convenience
Standard are driver and front passenger airbags along with side curtain airbags., Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). There’s also Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and Agile Handling Assist (AHA). Hill Start Assist (HSA). You also get Speed sensing door locks, a multi-view reverse camera, ISOFIX anchors for child seats and a Walk Away Auto Lock. Stopping is helped by the beefy 350mm Brembo drilled and ventilated discs with 4-piston calipers up front and 305mm solid discs in the back.
Safety and Convenience
Standard are driver and front passenger airbags along with side curtain airbags., Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). There’s also Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and Agile Handling Assist (AHA). Hill Start Assist (HSA). You also get Speed sensing door locks, a multi-view reverse camera, ISOFIX anchors for child seats and a Walk Away Auto Lock. Stopping is helped by the beefy 350mm Brembo drilled and ventilated discs with 4-piston calipers up front and 305mm solid discs in the back.
Priced at Php2.98M, the Type R is a car you can take to the track and can use as a daily driver. You just have to get used to getting in and out of bucket seats. When you set your drive mode on Comfort, the ride is close to the Civic RS, but you have to remember you’re riding on 20” rims on 245/30’s with an over hang a bit longer then the RS, you’ll have to keep that in mind to keep from riding the lip up cement parking stops or rubbing the sidewalls on the kerb or dropping them in potholes. Once you get behind the wheel, it’s a very easy car to drive, and even easier to drop into Sport Mode and drive aggressively. It handles better then expected, steering is accurate and you don’t feel disconnected from the road.
You’ll always want to take this car out on the open road, or find yourself a track day to fully enjoy it’s capabilities. Expect to be tailgated by other Civic owners who are curious to see if it’s a legit Type R and then watch them pull back just appreciate the view. Also, expect to get some random thumbs up and nods of approval from other motorists when you’re stopped. So yeah, it’s pretty much all the car you’ll ever need.
Words and Photos – Neil Pagulayan
