No BS, but the car you see here has been a long, long time coming. Ever since the EK9 hatchback was introduced to the Japanese and European markets, American Honda enthusiasts have been dreaming of— and waiting very, very patiently for — a U.S. production model Civic Type R.
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Put those pitchforks down and release the Twitter fingers; Honda has heard your pleas and is finally delivering. Big time.
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Unveiled to attendees of the Geneva Motor Show (and the rest of the interwebs) early this morning, the 2017 Civic Type R joins the 10th-generation Civic family as a five-door hatchback, not a far cry from the prototype that we took a closer look at last fall. And because of the iconic Type R badging, you can be sure that Honda has taken all steps necessary to make this a true performance machine worthy of the namesake it represents.
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Under its hood lies one of the most potent Type R motors to date: a 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC motor with direct-injection and a turbocharger to help it produce 306 hp at 6,500 rpm while providing 295 lb-ft of torque — a huge step forward from the original, naturally-aspirated B16B that came with the original CTR. Complemented by a six-speed manual transmission with rev matching and a short throw shifter, we can already see the first batch of owners with wide smiles at track events.
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Compared to its other Civic brethren, the Type R reigns supreme thanks to a sport-tuned suspension that has a new Dual-Axis front suspension that helps reduce torque steer and pushes harder during extreme cornering; a four-wheel Adaptive Suspension System featuring three-chamber dampers; and a helical limited-slip differential to help deliver power to the front wheels. The 2017 CTR comes with 20-inch factory alloys (that's 5 inches up from the original '96-'97 model and 4 inches from the '98-'00), while Brembo 4-pot front calipers and 350 mm cross-drilled rotors with 305 mm solid rear rotors give the car some much needed bite when it's time to hit the brakes.
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When I am finally able to plant myself into those beautiful Type R seats, I imagine it’ll be similar feeling to that of when I drove the original CTR, Integra Type R and NSX for the first times — it’ll be like heaven on Earth, a vehicular fountain of youth. The 2017 CTR will be far more technologically advanced, coming with three driving modes: Comfort, Sport (Honda’s default, a good move) and +R, where each distinct mode adjusts steering and throttle response, rev-matching, damper settings and Vehicle Stability Assist. Other interior features include a Type R steering wheel, shift boot, aluminum shift knob and sport pedals, gauge cluster and numbered serial plate — the same types of parts older Type Rs came with to let you know that you had a special vehicle in your possession. The newest member is carrying that tradition on.
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The 2017 Honda Civic Type R is set to hit dealers later this spring with an MSRP estimated in the mid-$30K range, which is easily the most expensive Civic to date. However, those who have waited this long for a U.S. production model should have no problem forking over the necessary coin in order to finally secure one of their very own. Where do we sign up?
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(Photos courtesy of American Honda)