Honda Launches Civic type-r

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:54 am

Civic Type R Launches:

TOKYO, Japan - March 29, 2007– Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced the release of the all-new Civic Type R, a pure sports edition of the Civic with further enhanced driving performance. The new Civic Type R will go on sale throughout Japan on Friday, March 30.

This new Civic Type R was developed to make the driver feel at one with the car for the ultimate driving experience in all driving conditions, including on circuits.

The all-new Civic Type R comes equipped with a specially tuned 2.0-liter normally aspirated engine matched to a 6-speed manual transmission. A lighter, more rigid body shell, specially tuned suspension, 18-inch tires and large 17-inch front disc brakes contribute to the Civic Type R’s ability to push the performance envelope. Newly developed aerodynamic devices further enhance high-speed performance while giving the wide and low form a more aggressive look. Front bucket seats, a unique instrument panel and other performance accessories contribute to an easier and more responsive drive.

Type R models are specially tuned to take full advantage of the potential of the base model and provide a racing car-like driving feel. First offered on the NSX in 1992, the Type R range was extended to the Integra in 1995, and the Civic in 1997. This latest all-new Civic Type R is the distillation of 15 years of technological progress and the latest expression of Honda’s “Challenging Spirit.”

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

Marty Howard wrote:

Civic Type R Launches:A lighter, more rigid body shell, specially tuned suspension, 18-inch tires and large 17-inch front disc brakes contribute to the Civic Type R’s ability to push the performance envelope.

thats gotta be a typo, 17" brakes!

and why oh why would they release the type R as a sedan?! heck, why not introduce the CR-V type R while they're at it?

I used to really like Honda, but man have they gone down the tubes fast. . .

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:11 pm

BriceJohnson wrote:

...and why oh why would they release the type R as a sedan?!

I think that releasing it as a Sedan is brilliant! Like the Si, maybe they will offer it in both Coupe and Sedan versions. Why do you think they started selling the Sedan Si? Because that is what people wanted. This is all a moot point as I doubt we will see this car in the US. Which is the real shame.

BriceJohnson wrote:

...heck, why not introduce the CR-V type R while they're at it?

Why not. If Porsche can do it, I don't see why Honda couldn't. It sounds crazy, but I think that even a CR-V Type R would sell.

BriceJohnson wrote:

I used to really like Honda, but man have they gone down the tubes fast. . .

Yep, they just hit bottom. Maybe GM will buy them. :roll:

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

Quote:

and why oh why would they release the type R as a sedan?! heck, why not introduce the CR-V type R while they're at it?

I used to really like Honda, but man have they gone down the tubes fast. . .

Says the guy who drives a station wagon. :lol:

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:18 pm

BriceJohnson wrote:

and why oh why would they release the type R as a sedan?! heck, why not introduce the CR-V type R while they're at it?.

My best guess regarding the 4 door is that they want to get cross shopped with the Evo and Sti. I imagine they'll come in at similar price points.

Not that we'll end up getting it in the States anyway...

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:23 pm

Now that the RSX is gone, Honda has a space for this car in the US now.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:36 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

:sleep

Sorry, I'll look for only the important BMW news...

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

Kevin Allen wrote:

Quote:

and why oh why would they release the type R as a sedan?! heck, why not introduce the CR-V type R while they're at it?

I used to really like Honda, but man have they gone down the tubes fast. . .

Says the guy who drives a station wagon. :lol:

you're thinking about jeb (although I'm sure he and many other mazda3 owners will insist its a "hatch" not a "station wagon"), I drive a 4-dr mazda3 (updated my avatar so you can see it)

I've got nothing against 4 doors (clearly), but considering they nominally take measures to reduce the weight of the type R models, you'd think they'd introduce it in the lightest model first (as they have done in the past), and THEN add the more "practical models" later

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:33 pm

BriceJohnson wrote:

I've got nothing against 4 doors (clearly), but considering they nominally take measures to reduce the weight of the type R models, you'd think they'd introduce it in the lightest model first (as they have done in the past), and THEN add the more "practical models" later

I agree that it's strange. I personally would want the hatch most, but the coupe would be considered a good starting point. - AB

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:39 pm

17" brakes under 18" wheels? That's got to be one tiny caliper is all I have to say. My 12.2" brakes will *fit* behind 16" wheels, but you can't slide more than a piece of poster board between the caliper and wheel. Hence I run 17" wheels.

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

Aaron Buckley wrote:

BriceJohnson wrote:

I've got nothing against 4 doors (clearly), but considering they nominally take measures to reduce the weight of the type R models, you'd think they'd introduce it in the lightest model first (as they have done in the past), and THEN add the more "practical models" later

I agree that it's strange. I personally would want the hatch most, but the coupe would be considered a good starting point. - AB

although I should have recognized the hypocrisy in my original statement, even my current, beloved mazda made the mazdaspeed version of the 3 out of the "station wagon" (which also irks me, but they did it so that they had a unique market niche, similar reason to why Honda chose the sedan I guess).

Really, I think I should revise my original statement of "honda is going down the tubes" to read "honda is turning into toyota", letting their market analysts, bean counters, and lawyers make the model decisions as opposed to the engineers and automotive enthusiasts. Not necessarily a bad thing, its making them more profitable. I mean, they have a sweet 2.4L turbo engine and an incredible AWD system at their disposal, and the only model that comes with them is an SUV! When does the TSX Turbo with SH-AWD come out to compete with the 3 series? Unfortunately, the answer will be never, as they don't see it as profitable to go head to head with them, even though it would be a very cool car.

I'd say its analgous to watching your favorite hard rock group turn pop, sure it'll make them rich and you can't really blame them, but it also kinda makes them sell-outs.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:47 pm

Seems sort of silly to me to say Honda is a bunch of sell-outs. They've never built anything that wasn't 100% market demand driven, and that's all they are doing here. As someone pointed out, they're probably targeting competition with the WRX's or STi's and Evos. Just because *you* would prefer it in a coupe doesn't mean the rest of the world agrees.

Heck, if the STi had been built in a wagon I would have DEFINITELY gotten that instead of the sedan.

--Donnie

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

my band analogy still holds here, as I recognize that the average person probably isn't a hard rock fan, so as I said, I can't really blame them for "selling out", it just saddens me to see the trend:

-NSX not freshened up, then supposedly cancelled, then the most recent news/concept shows that it has gone from a mid engine exotic to a front engine GT

-s2000 has no plans of being replaced/freshened up in the near future, at leat I haven't heard of any (although I don't roam "temple of VTEC" as much as I used to

-now a type-R as a sedan body style first

maybe I'm wrong, and hopefully they will surprise me. I suppose the Accord type R was a 4 door, so it doesn't necessarily spell doom. . .

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:07 pm

BriceJohnson wrote:

I've got nothing against 4 doors (clearly), but considering they nominally take measures to reduce the weight of the type R models, you'd think they'd introduce it in the lightest model first (as they have done in the past), and THEN add the more "practical models" later

Honda lists the weight difference between the Coupe and Sedan version of the Civic Si as being 59 lbs. It's not a great deal of weight, but I understand your point. I have heard that Sedan bodies tend to be a bit stiffer than Coupes. I "think" there are examples of people running Sedan bodies in road racing vs. Coupe for that exact same reason. Regardless, my guess is that it is done for marketing reasons. And because of the marketing reasons (need/want to sell to a broader market) you sadly may not see as much of the older style "raw" Type R anymore. Or if you do they will be special limited editions based upon whatever Type R they offer at that time.

Interesting (Funny in a campy Japanese sort of way) JDM CTR video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRbCrqMQB4

There is a rumor :roll:

that US will get the JDM (not Europe) version of the CTR in 2010. Which would probably be near or at the end of the life of that generation, so in a way that rumor doesn't make sense.

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