Honda Civic Type R is back

"tipped to be Honda’s first-ever turbo road car".... Honda City Turbo or the Honda Legend V6 Turbo? :(

By xtrubblex on 5 October, 2011, 8:55am

Confused-

I thought I just read in Auto Express that a new Type R had been ruled out due to declining sales of the current model as per a Honda source - so a strange U turn here.
As 'xtrubblex' correctly points out this will not be the first Honda with a turbocharger - the early 1980s Honda City Turbo was the first.
Nonetheless, the new Type R above looks like an attractive proposition.

By cousins11 on 5 October, 2011, 11:04am

just 210bhp?

Are they aiming to be a warm hatch? They had an excuse for measly outputs before with their strangled and torque-less NA engine but with a turbo they need to drastically up their game. Vauxhall and Ford are pushing 250bhp-300bhp and these are the cars honda will be competing with with a Type-R. No matter how much they think it is against the GTI!

By tommy060289 on 5 October, 2011, 11:59pm

OAP

Yes but 210bhp is more than enough for the grannies that drive them. People wanting a fast sporty car wont want a Honda when there are far better cars out there.

By skyliner38 on 6 October, 2011, 8:13am

Granny car with Halfords bolt-ons

Another lack lutre design from a Japanese company.
Honda has a great reputation for quality cars.
How sad you cannot say the same for its looks.

By toycollector on 6 October, 2011, 8:17am

How naive

Those who sometimes post on here really should be able to show that they are old enough to vote.

Clearly many just don't get the ethos of the Type R, nor appreciate the joy of Type R ownership. If you want a pumped up Tonka toy then please get your Focus ST or WRX ... most of you will only ever get to putting a poster on your bedroom wall in any case. The sound and feeling of a sweet, high revving engine that performs without the easy Turbo bolt on was always a joy to behold. Alas, thanks to the EU the current crop of spotty youths wil never get to appreciate that.

I am just sorry that Honda has had to resort the bolting on the Turbo, but I am guessing that not only will it have the boost but it will retain a high revving character too, meaning that the 210hp will translate into real useable power and available more of the time.

The handling will of course be in no doubt. My main cristicism is that it is reported that it will only be available as a 5dr. That doesn't make any sense as I know full well that there is a 3dr body on it's way for the new model.

As for design, no-one can say that the current or forthcoming Civic is confused with anything else on the road. Whether you like it or not, how distinctive does anyone want their car to be?

Now, I guess it's time for the rest of you to get off to school.

By Chizzy57 on 6 October, 2011, 9:35am

nice

yep, that'll do for the next car!

chizzy57 is right, there isnt much like a high revving engine on song, i think if honda keep the high revs up and chuck a turbo on too, this could be a bit of a tool.

it is a shame it's only 210 brake, they do need to push the power up to match other manufacturers, however as proved again and again its not all about power as the CTRs regularly beat every other hot hatch on track

By chinsip on 6 October, 2011, 10:03am

Nice

I hope the turbo is not going to loose the spirit of what was an extreme intoxicating experience, even though you had to keep the engine on a boil, it was incomparable. Bolting on a turbo is the easy part, whether it can retain character and put the power where it belongs is another.

tommy060289 - wrote why bother with only 210bhp when the ST and others can pump out 250-300bhp? hardly any good when the power will be too much for the car to handle especially if it is a front wheel car. Also are likely to need all this power on our congested road?

The turbo will make it easier to drive no doubt and will help deliver the power in-gear, just hope they over come the lag somehow. Should have gone the VW route and bolted on both super charger and turbo.

By f1moh on 6 October, 2011, 10:05am

If Honda wanted a revy engine in the next Type R, why haven't they used a supercharger, like on the early Mini Cooper S.

As this gives you a linear boost of power the more revs you use, unlike a turbo as the supercharger is driven directly from the engine? ie no Turbo lag? and would still be a proper Type R?

By JON122 on 6 October, 2011, 12:08pm

too much power, think again...

If any of you had driven the Focus RS, it can certainly handle the power. Yes there is some Torque steer but that has another 50bhp than the coming Focus ST. So undoubtedly it will have no problem handling 250. The Astra will be a bit more of a challenge but 300 bhp gives it a different choice to more everyday focus and Golfs.

I don't know what people are talking about with the CTR being rappid on tracks. This simply isn't true, the old was very quick because it was very light. The new one, to put it lightly, a pig. Slow and not that great to drive, it was certainly one of the slowest, not the fastest.

Yes we can say these power outputs are irrelevant on congested roads which is true but if this is true then you certainly don't even need 210 bhp. Around 100-140bhp would serve anyone fine there as its enough power too get around!

By tommy060289 on 6 October, 2011, 12:35pm

Yet more proof Honda's days are numbered.
They've no clue as to whether they're coming or going, and with the other news story about the NSX successor, seemingly haven't learned from the past either.
They need to do a Toyota, and market Acura as the luxury division of Honda MC, and bring Mugen into the brand more like AMG for Benz, and Alpina for BMW.

And seriously, 8 mpg for the Hydrogen Fuel Cell FCX Clarity, where H is the same price as petrol?

As a current MK VIII Accord owner, Honda would be best to concentrate on making a real 3, 5, and 7 Series equivalent instead of the mess that the (no longer here) Legend and present day Accord centre consoles are.
Greater range of engines, both petrol and diesel, needed, greater range of interior colour choice needed, and better interior design/ergonomics.

With nothing to tempt me one bit, I'm now looking at the big 7 Series V8s, which offer so much car for the money that I hoped the '06 Legend I drove recently could've persuaded me otherwise.
Heck even the Lexus GS300 is a far better car of the same year.

Seriously Honda, have a word with yourselves about your future - I'm serious when I say I don't see one for you, especially in 5-10 years with KIA and Hyundai continuing to grow.

By pjskelti on 6 October, 2011, 3:21pm

O.F.F.S.

Honda are really starting to bug me.They had a reasonably sized, reasonably priced small family hatchback that was reliable, practical and good value for money. Then they made a Hot-Hatch version, the Type R. An very well put together performance car that, driven properly, could out perform most competitors. Not only that it was cheaper than most cars in its class and by a significant margin. It was a very desirable car. It remains one of the best cars I have driven. As it happens I'm looking at buying another one. Then Honda followed it with an over turned Thames barge with a spoiler. They made a car much bigger, heavier and gave it no extra power. This combined with downgraded suspension made it slower and a worse drive than its predecessor. And they put the price up for a poorer quality car. Now there is this one which is even bigger and no doubt heavier, especially as its only available as a five door. WOW they fitted a turbo to it! Result: 10 extra horse power!!! Seriously?! It is now has the same performance specs as the 2001-2006 Type R. If it doesn't have turbo lag all the time you won't be able to pull away from 30 in any gear as you could with the old, normally aspirated engine. And if you short shift whilst gunning it, the revs will drop off and you end up looking daft and embarrassed. To top it of its expected to be £23k. £5,000 more than the previous model. Nobody with any sense is going to spend that much extra for a car that is no longer unique.

Honda, You were about as close to perfection as possible. You discontinued the Type R badge because the sales were dropping off. Take the hint, look in your archives, learn from it, then produce a new Type R. One that has the edge on its rivals in both performance and price.

By AdamR88 on 6 October, 2011, 11:10pm

Lovely styling

..but performance and price SUCKS :( Turbo sucks.. I don't know many people if any that would need turbo in this size car! whyyy Honda whyy?

IMO it would be perfect to take EP3 chassis and stuff it with a loads of sound proofing material.. and that's it! cheap to produce, cheap for buying, goes like rocket, turns around corners properly, brakes superbly...

By hubabuba on 18 October, 2011, 9:13am

Why does it matter that it only comes in 5 door, the handle is hidden so t it looks like a 3 door at a glance :P

By danielcrawford on 27 October, 2011, 10:54am

Honda Other Hand

Bolting on a turbo should make it more driveable as the previous engine had a 1000rpm sweet spot at the very top end, and how often are you there?

By LANMAN on 15 November, 2011, 2:27pm

Turbo is the way forward!

just to go back to "AdamR88" comment on "If it doesn't have turbo lag all the time you won't be able to pull away from 30 in any gear as you could with the old, normally aspirated engine" thats soooo untrue. you need torque to pull away in any gear. a turbo produces more torque than NA. who wants to drive on a motorway in a CTR and have to drop to 3rd/4th to get moving whereas you could sit in 6th in a GTI and pull away just as quick. and it costs 200-400 to tune a turbo with a remap and with a GTI youll get 240-250 hp a remap in a CTR youll gain 5hp? my Turbo Diesel VRS has pulled away from a CTR and clio 200 cup. so wheres my turbo lag?

By vRSgordon on 24 November, 2011, 10:13am

finally they have woken up

finally after most if not all other companies are building turbocharged hot hatches Honda have woken up to the fact their ancient vtec concept is not enough to power ever heavier cars.The problem with Honda's is you have to thrash the engine to get the VTEC to kick in and then you get a small band of power or be it with little torque.The turbo will give the car more power and loads more torque throughout the rev range,210bhp is not a lot by current standards but its how the power is delivered that will make or break the car.

By nickbsmooth on 20 December, 2011, 10:15am

Honda LIED!!!!

In late summer I was assured by honda that the current fn2 type r would not be replaced thus my millano reds' value holding, now they want to replace it! Before I bought the car I was thinking of the vw golf r all wheel drive an 270bhp and cheeper tax! I am hearing of a lot of die hard v-tec fans being lured by other manurfacters and I am affraid on the projected stats of the fake 2013 type r that many more fans will abandon honda!

By jailhouseman on 28 December, 2011, 8:09am

These figures are a guess !!

Autoexpress are stating 210 bhp , but has Honda really announced the full spec of the car no, So just wait and see when it's launched , if you take the current photo shop you would not be able to open the boot as the spoiler is attached to the body.
I have driven the new civic and its excellent so lets not slag it off until its announced, The NSX is still a guess , but as before in the 90s it was technically year's ahead of Ferrari and yeat again its just presumption on the specs why would they spend 10 years developing a car just for it to be average.

By Justin_Hicks on 19 February, 2012, 9:14am

Strategy

Honda's diverse to to turbo engines and electric cars is just too bad. Many fans loved Honda for its magnificent engines, quality and reasonably priced cars. Hope we see soon again Honda's all motor engines, otherwise bye bye honda

By KotsarikosHondaAllMotor on 21 February, 2012, 5:55pm