Honda Civic Type R Staying Down Under

Honda’s hot hatch, the Civic Type R, will continue in Australia despite the announcement by Honda that the Type R will be discontinued in some areas of Europe at the end of 2010.

The Civic Type R does not comply with Euro 5 emission regulations due for introduction in Europe, January 2011.

Launched in Australia in 2007, the Civic Type R immediately won acclaim from customers and the media and became an instant image-leader for both the Civic nameplate and the Honda brand. Over 1,840 have been sold.

In 2008, the Civic Type R won Australian International Design Awards for ‘Design of the Year’ and ‘Interior Design of the Year’, in recognition of its sharp styling.

Later that year, the Civic Type R made its Australian motorsport debut in the hands of then British Rally Champion Guy Wilks, at the International Rally of Canberra and later at the Coffs Coast Rally.  The Type R became an instant favourite with the crowds and Wilk’s press-on driving style demonstrated the racing credentials of the car.

In 2010, Honda Australia re-entered the Australian Rally Championship with Evans Motorsport and rising star Eli Evans. After five rounds of the championship, Evans has taken two podiums.

The “Red-H” badged three-door hatchback has a 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine producing a spine-tingling 148kW at a dizzying 7800rpm and is paired to a six-speed close ratio manual transmission, running through to the front wheels via a limited slip differential. Completing the package, 18-inch alloy wheels ride on low profile “liquorice strap” 225/40 tyres.

In keeping with the “Raw-fined” motto of the designers, the Civic Type R matches its blistering on-street credentials with a host of luxury and safety features.

The Civic Type R is available in four distinctive colours; Championship White, Milano Red, Alabaster Silver and Crystal Black Pearlescent.

Manufacturer’s list price is $39,990 (flat paint) with metallic paint adding a further $475

HONDA TYPE R PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY
Honda performance models are recognised by the Red H badge, which are reserved for the Type R models and formerly our F1 cars, with ‘R’ meaning Racing.

The Type R represents the true essence of Honda’s DNA and is a direct link to our sporting heritage. The Type R philosophy is about creating a car engineered for its pure driving experience

February 1992: Honda engineers, with the invaluable advice of Ayrton Senna, set about developing the race performance of the NSX. The NSX-R is thus born. Major changes include a more aggressive suspension and an extensive weight reduction (removing audio, electric windows, and air conditioning) to 1230kg from the normal NSX weight of 1350kg. In addition, race spec titanium con rods are placed into the original VTEC engine, allowing it to withstand the stresses of racing. It is finished in Championship White paint and the Red H emblem of the RA 272, the first Honda Formula 1 car to win a Grand Prix. Production is limited to 1,995 units.

September 1995: Honda announces the launch of the DC2 Integra Type-R. The Integra Type-R is powered by the B18C 1.8litre DOHC VTEC engine, specifically developed for the Integra Type-R, with 200bhp at 8,000rpm.

Fumiyasu Suga, the assistant chief engineer for Type R, declares that in order to make a true race engine, some parts must be built and finished by hand; in particular, the assembly of the engine, balancing parts, porting and polishing.

Honda engineers buff the cylinders by hand to remove any slight imperfections, resulting in an increase in performance of 10bhp.

Standard equipment includes a helical LSD, sports suspension, a front lip spoiler, a rear spoiler, alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped Momo steering wheel, Recaro seats, and a titanium gearshift knob.

August 1997: The EK9 Civic Type-R is launched in Japan. It is powered by an exclusively developed 1.6-litre DOHC VTEC B16B engine that makes 185bhp at 8,200rpm. The lightweight B16B engine features a new valve system allowing higher engine speeds, reduced engine friction, improved breathing, and increased compression ratio. Main improvements to handling include increased body rigidity, reduced weight, sports suspension, torque-sensitive helical LSD, sports-tuned ABS, and Bridgestone Potenza RE010 tyres.

January 1998: The Accord Type-R goes on sale in the UK, with a tweaked H22A 2.2litre VTEC engine on board. In addition, the Accord Type-R boasts a limited-slip-diff, 17inch alloy wheels, Recaro seats and a stiffer chassis.

July 2001: An updated version of the Integra Type-R (DC5) is launched for sale in Japan and USA. The special colour of Championship White celebrates Honda’s first victory in F1. The DC5 Integra Type-R is powered by the K20A 2.0-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine with 220bhp and a new 6-speed manual gearbox. The suspension adopts clever front suspension and reactive-link double wishbone rear suspension. The Integra Type-R is also equipped with Recaro front seats, a leather wrapped Momo steering wheel, aluminium pedals, aluminium shift knob, exclusive aero parts and Brembo front brakes.

October 2001: A Type-R version of the seventh generation Civic is announced. It is built at Honda in the UK Manufacturing in Swindon, Wiltshire. The CTR – as it becomes known by enthusiasts – is powered by a 2.0litre i-VTEC engine that produces 145 Kilowatts at 7,400rpm. The Civic Type-R goes on to sell over 35,000 units and pick up numerous awards. February 2006: The Civic Type R Concept, based on a three-door version of the 2006 Civic is unveiled at Geneva Motor Show.

September 2006: Honda unveils the production version of the 2007 Civic Type R at the Paris Motor Show. The latest Civic to wear the Red H badge is more refined, easier to use every day and features a reworked version of the 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine. Power is marginally increased to 147 Kilowatts, but suspension is tuned to give crisp handling and sharper steering response.