2013 Honda Civic Type R Review (European Spec). While in the U.S. the hottest Honda Civic on offer is the very capable--albeit somewhat dull--Civic Si, over in Europe they have the Civic Type R, a high-revving hot hatch with race-inspired looks, taut suspension and impeccable handling. With the release of a brand new Civic in the European market late last year there was talk that the high-performance Type R may not return for another round. Our latest spy shots tell a different story, revealing a pair of performance-focused Civic prototypes that are almost certain to herald a new Type R.
The prototypes were spotted at Honda’s development center just outside the Nürburgring race track in Germany. A clear giveaway that these aren’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill Civics is the huge rear wing found on both cars. There are also some other subtle modifications including slightly wider wheel arches and a discrete bootlid spoiler. Like the previous model, the new car should stick with a high-revving 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivering more than 200 horsepower to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
The focus for engineers once again will be handling, but this time around they will have to work with a five-door body rather than the smaller three-door shape that the previous generation benefited from. We could also see Honda’s in-house tuner and motorsports partner Mugen involved with some of the development. Given Mugen’s deeper integration with Honda’s road-car program of late, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Honda offer some official, factory-installed upgrades for the Civic Type R as well as other models in the near future. Look out for the reveal of the new Honda Civic Type R at one of the major European auto shows next year.2013 Honda Civic Type R Review (European Spec).
Source : motorauthority