After a five year wait, 2015 sees the arrival of the world’s most keenly anticipated hot hatch, the Honda Civic Type R. Billed as a ‘race car for the road’,
the all-new Honda Civic Type R is powered by the most extreme and high-performing Type R engine ever built, and will set new standards in the high-performance front-wheel drive hatchback segment.
Taking their direction from the Japanese word ‘Buttigiri’, meaning ‘to break on through and leave the rest behind’, Honda’s engineers sought to develop a Type R that would more than live up to this high expectation of the red badge. The new Civic Type R has been engineered to deliver a dynamic, class-leading performance whether on fast roads, winding roads or the circuit. At the same time it delivers the ease of use and practical packaging expected of a Civic.
A world-first application of Honda’s new VTEC TURBO engine, a sensuous sporting sound, aggressive function-led styling, and pioneering new chassis technologies combine to deliver one of the most immersive and rewarding driving experiences available in any sector. Civic Type R is equally at home delivering this experience on the road as it is on the track, at the push of a button.
The new 2015 Civic Type R signals the start of a new performance era for Honda, drawing on the brand’s racing DNA to deliver the peak of the Civic line-up.
Part of the wave of next-generation and all-new vehicles from Honda in 2015, the new Civic Type R demonstrates the brand’s pioneering approach to technological innovation which makes life better for its customers. Available only as a five-door, with two trim grades, it is set to catapult Honda back to the top of the two-wheel drive performance hatchback league when it goes on sale across Europe from July 2015.
At the heart is an all-new, direct-injected turbocharged 2.0 litre VTEC TURBO petrol engine, which delivers power, torque and performance figures unmatched in the front-wheel drive hot hatch segment. Peak power output is 310 PS* at 6,500 rpm, and peak torque is 400 Nm* at 2,500 rpm – both higher than for any previous Honda Type R model.
Red-lining at 7,000 rpm, the engine – part of Honda’s next-generation Earth Dreams Technology series – features an advanced new turbocharging system which incorporates Honda’s legendary Variable Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) technology to boost low-end torque while delivering sustained acceleration.
The new Civic Type R’s performance is unmatched in the front-wheel drive hot hatch segment: the 0-to-62 mph sprint takes just 5.7 seconds and top speed, where permitted, is a class-leading 167 mph. Despite this, the Civic Type R achieves low CO2 emissions of just 170 g/km, high speed fuel consumption and compliance with Euro 6 emissions regulations.
The styling changes uniquely applied give the car an aggressive, purposeful stance, yet almost all have a functional purpose. The size of the holes in the front bumper grille, which serve air to the intercooler, are specifically shaped to minimise aerodynamic losses. The sleek and aerodynamically-efficient design reflects a car developed first and foremost to perform at speed. The focus on aerodynamics has ensured a zero lift coefficient and a minimum of drag which provides a class-leading overall aerodynamic performance.
The Civic Type R’s unique aerodynamics utilise specific downforce-generating elements to create overall negative lift which is unusual in the industry and unique for this class in particular. The focus on airflow, not only around but also through the car, ensures negative lift at both axles combined with a minimum of drag. This is particularly noteworthy at the front of the car and allows high speed stability with a class-leading top speed of 167mph.
To achieve this, the fourth generation was subject to exhaustive aerodynamic analysis, testing and development. The development team tirelessly pursued its objectives through computer-based CFD modelling and wind tunnel testing at Honda’s dedicated motorsports facility in Sakura, Japan; home of Honda’s Formula One engine programme.
This development work was validated through extensive prototype testing on road and track: at Suzuka, the Nürburgring Nordschleife and at the Takasu test facility.
A new, almost completely flat underside aids airflow under the vehicle and combines with a rear diffuser to optimise downforce – effectively ‘sucking’ the car onto the road. A wide front splitter and deep side skirts also manage airflow to generate downforce on the front axle and reduce lift, while the front bumper has been designed specifically to inhibit air turbulence around the front wheels, enhancing high-speed stability and further reducing lift forces.
The structure of the rear wing aerofoil – its angle, height and shape as well as its vertical end plates – have been carefully engineered to optimise downforce on the rear axle without causing a significant increase in drag at higher speeds. This helps improve road-holding abilities, particularly through high-speed corners.
The new Civic Type R’s front and rear wheel arches are widened to accommodate an increase in front and rear track. The integrated arch extensions are in aluminium, providing a 42% weight saving over a conventional steel panel. The vents in the trailing edge of the front wheel arch extension also improve heat dissipation from the brakes.
The front spoilers and door spoilers wear a piano-black gloss finish to highlight the car’s wide and low appearance. At the rear of the car, a pair of dual-exhaust tailpipes emerge prominently at the flanks of the rear diffuser. Clearance between the tailpipe finishers and the piano-black gloss rear diffuser has been reduced to an absolute minimum of around 20 mm. This imbues the car’s rear-view with an extra degree of aggressive tautness.
At the front, running along the lower edge of each combination headlamp cluster is an LED daytime running light. Its sharply ‘up-ticked’ shape, produced using two LED light sources and a light guide, highlights the headlamp’s shape and is the longest lighting element produced by Honda. The rear combination lamps also feature distinctive LED light bars.
New lightweight, high rigidity 19-inch alloy wheels, unique to the new Civic Type R, complement the visual changes. They fill the enlarged wheel arches with 235/35 R19 tyres that were developed specially for the Type R in conjunction with Continental.
The new Civic Type R is available in five distinctive colours that give the purposeful new styling added impact. As well as Championship White – shared with successive generations of iconic Type R vehicles – buyers can choose from Crystal Black (pearlescent), Polished Metal (metallic), Brilliant Sporty Blue (metallic) and Milano Red.
Inside, a range of exclusively designed aesthetic and functional upgrades, provide a cockpit that is not only suited to driving on a circuit, but also makes day-to-day driving feel sporty. The seats, steering wheel and gear stick are all unique to the Type R model and take into account driving position, visibility of key information and driver control requirements.
Exclusively designed high-backed sports seats, trimmed in suede-effect black fabric with red double stitching, provide driver and front-seat passenger with ample lateral support during harder cornering. An important factor in providing a suitable driving position for the new Civic Type R is the seat height. By reviewing the density and height of the urethane foam used in the seat, engineers were able to make the front seats 20% leaner, while maintaining comfort for day-to-day driving. This translated into a structurally low seat and enabled a hip point that sits 20 mm lower in the seat than that of the standard car. The floor was also lowered by 10 mm, meaning the overall hip point is fully 30 mm closer to the road than in the standard car.
A redesigned rear seat bench accommodates two passengers and although the tip up function of the seat base has been deleted the seat back offers a 60 / 40 split fold function and flat loading space when folded. The modifications result in a weight saving of 17% compared to the standard Civic five-door while retaining the same maximum load volume.
In light of the front seat’s low hip point, the steering wheel has been lowered to ensure clear visibility of the information displays. A flat-bottomed steering wheel preserves maximum knee room. The driver’s feeling of control has been enhanced by reducing the thickness of the steering wheel spokes, making the feel and the position of the grip feel more familiar. The red centre-position marker at the top of the steering wheel rim gives the driver a visible indicator of the steering angle when cornering.
Red double stitching on the black leather-clad steering wheel and black gear-lever gaiter matches those on the seats and the roof-lining is trimmed in black fabric, augmenting the focused ambience. As with previous Type R models, the gear stick is made from machined aluminium alloy.
