Honda Civic Type R 2015 Review - International

Honda Civic Type R prototype

Honda’s Type R offerings have been on hiatus for a number of years, and the Civic Type R since 2010 locally.

But team from Tochigi are hard at work on a replacement for Honda’s high-revving hero, and the new Civic Type R will move away from its naturally aspirated roots.

Debuting what will be the new flagship of Honda’s new VTEC TURBO engine portfolio, the 2015 Civic Type R will be motivated by a 2.0-litre turbocharged mill which develops “206kW or more” and 400Nm.

That figure will see the new Civic Type R eclipse the Renault Megane RS 265’s 195kW/360Nm and the Volkswagen Scirocco R’s 188kW/330Nm.

It’s an interesting comparison. Both those models are front-wheel drive and both are turbocharged. Both are also offered with the choice of manual and dual-clutch transmissions. All of these features are certainties for the new Civic Type R VTEC TURBO.

The new engine benefits from Honda’s experience in F1 and as well as reduced-friction internal surfaces and well-renowned variable valve timing (or VTEC in Honda parlance).

It also offers a fixed-geometry turbocharger with electric wastegate, cooling gallery-style pistons, a cooled cylinder-head and high-tumble intake port design.

The Euro 6 emissions-compliant unit is also set to offer fuel-saving technologies such as idle-stop.

We sampled a prototype version of the upcoming Civic Type R for one very quick lap of Honda’s Tochigi R&D circuit.

The heavily bolstered seats and familiar ‘ball on a stick’ gearshifter are reminiscent of the previous Civic Type R, but it’s engine isn’t – not from idle, nor when accelerating from pitlane.

The newer engine is altogether dryer of note with a subdued burble at idle that disappears under a Megane RS-like gush of induction noise as the revs pile on.

The engine spins quickly from idle, gathering more momentum as the turbocharger floods air to its lungs from 4000rpm.

It’s from here to the 7000rpm redline that the new 2.0 VTEC TURBO is at its strongest, though like many of its kind, the cut-out is brutal and arrives all too quickly.

Being mindful of this, it is easy to shift rapidly through the mechanical-feeling six-speed gearbox and dive into the next ratio.

The front wheels grapple for traction as the revs pile on and, though there is a little torque steer evident, it’s not as harsh as in the likes of Ford’s superseded Focus RS, for example.

When the engine is in full song there’s little exhaust character to speak of, and as the intake note drowns out just about every other sensation it’s impressive to note the Civic Type R has reached its electronic speed limit of 200km/h by the top of fourth gear.

Unfortunately for us the mirror-smooth banked oval track gives little impression of handling, save for the ability to remain composed at high speeds, and feel planted under foot.

The steering feel is well weighted and its action direct, though again we’d really need a few bends to get a proper indication of the electric unit in this application.

The prototype model wore 19-inch alloys shod with 235/35-series Continental rubber and was halted by what we determined to be four-pot Brembo calipers up front and single-piston calipers at the rear.

The matt-black mule also appeared to sit around 15mm lower than the regular Civic hatch, and scored a menacing aero kit with lightly tubbed guards.

It’s more aggressive looking than the egg-shaped FN2-series hatch that went before it, taking a styling approach more reminiscent of the FD2-series sedan sold in the Japanese domestic market at the same time.

Honda says the new Civic Type R VTEC TURBO will go on sale in Europe from early 2015, with local sales expected to follow later the same year.

Given Honda’s stated aim to eclipse the RS265’s front-drive lap record at the Nurburgring, we can’t wait for a longer drive -- especially around some corners.