TacoBello

The body itself looks like a modern CRX.

The car is a little much in that form. Okay, a lot much in that form, but the general shape of the body is nice. Just ditch the stupid wing, tail lights and tame down the body kit.

oonowindoo

Oh don't worry. Knowing Honda, they will tone down the car alright...

MeehowsBRZ

Sweet renders!!





... aside from the quad exhaust.

TacoBello

Looks like they pulled the exhaust right off the new corvette

MeehowsBRZ

lol, I think that's where they got them from. But hey, that's a quick fix.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

That looks HAWT!

oonowindoo

LOL @ taillights as part of the wing...

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

nice renders. Wouldn't midn if the real thing looks like that!

coco

Posted these on previous page:

http://www.civicx.com/threads/2017-2...envisioned.27/

Doubt there'll be quad center exhausts like that. Will probably be a large single center square exhaust pipe.

oonowindoo

You meant exhaust outlet?

pipes are forever gone for Acura and it is disappearing in Hondas as we speak.

MeehowsBRZ

2016 Honda Civic: Is This It?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the crosstour reincarnated!!!

MeehowsBRZ

Give the people what they want!

TacoBello

Oh. My. God.

My eyes! They burn! What a grotesque and hideous sight to behold!!

coco

No, this 5-door hatch (just spied) is the Crosstour reincarnate

Spied! New 2016 Honda Civic 5-Door Hatchback Prototype | 2016+ Honda Civic Forum (10th Gen) - Type R Forum, Si Forum

They really butchered the 5 door this time around wtf!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the patent rendering shows the 5 door hatchback and was the one I was commenting about looking like the crosstour.

dom

Not the hatch I was expecting. I was expecting a more traditional hatch. Not a mini Crosstour. Guess they didn't learn their lesson.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Oh eff no. Not this shit again. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHYYYYYYYYY

TacoBello

Well it's quite simple, actually. Honda simply HATES making shit tons of money, so they make designs such as the 10th gen Civic so that in the end Honda only make tons of money.

AlLtHiNgSaCuRa

Hoping this hits the US!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

it is hitting the US.....

coco

Thank god that previous prototype wasn't the 5 door hatch.

This looks more like it

http://www.civicx.com/threads/will-t...spy-photos.41/

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

ummmm.
that's not any better!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wtf!?!?

coco

Yea looks like a CUV. So confused...

TacoBello

Honda has officially gone full retard.

coco

The guys there are saying it's using the ILX front end to throw us off.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

usually; camo test vehicles use part-bin parts.
they just slapped on the ILX front which may or may not be its final form.

TacoBello

It's not the front end that's the problem!!!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^agreed. its the hatch area.

i'd rather have the crosstour.

2012wagon

Wow never thought would live to the day to hear that uttered by a human

TacoBello

What about a crab?

fsttyms1

They did that a while back, just look what they did to Acura.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Jeez.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

okay, maybe i was being facetious

fsttyms1

No you weren't

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wanna take it to the octagon!?

krio

2015 Honda Civic Type R review | Autocar

What is it?:
It’s Honda’s take on how to do a hot hatchback, after quite a sabbatical for the Type R brand. This Civic Type R has been a long time coming.

Now it’s here, it’s not short of mechanical promise. Some 306 promises, in fact, making it one of the most powerful hatches around. Although, unlike the Volkswagen Golf R and upcoming Mk3 Ford Focus RS, Honda has tasked the Civic with deploying its poke through only the front wheels via a mechanical limited-slip differential.

To aid that, Honda has fitted dual-axis strut front suspension; as Ford, Renault and Vauxhall already have, to reduce the torque steer effects – by 55%, Honda says - of putting 295lb ft through the front wheels.

That torque comes courtesy of a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine - the first Honda powerplant to get both VTEC variable valve timing and a turbo. And, more significantly, it’s the first Type R engine not to be a naturally aspirated motor that revs to the stratosphere. Here it revs to only 7000rpm, making its power peak at 6500rpm and peak torque from 2500rpm. It's a very different proposition from its predecessors.

Elsewhere? The rear suspension is by a torsion beam (not necessarily a bad thing), steering is electrically assisted and there are magnetorheological adaptive dampers.

Those dampers can be placed into either of two modes - stiffer if you push a ‘+R’ button on the dash. Honda is making quite a big song and dance about the Civic’s speed around some German race track or other. The +R mode is optimised for there, so as well as stiffening the dampers, it firms up the steering, increases throttle response and reduces the intrusion of the stability control system. And – woo - the dials turn red.

What's it like?:
Outside? Winged and vented. Honda says all of the addenda on the five-door Civic’s body are present for aerodynamic or heat dissipating purpose; they’re not for aesthetics. I should hope not. Subtle and graceful it ain’t.

Inside, things are more as you’d expect, with exceptional seats and a mostly decent driving position, although the steering wheel too easily obscures the speedometer - a potential issue in a car with 306bhp and sporting intent. And there’s a pleasing, aluminium gearknob for the six-speed manual gearbox; there’s no auto option.

That’s fine, especially when you consider how good the control weights are. The throttle and brake pedals could be closer to ease heel-and-toeing and the gearshift could use a little less notch, but I’m picking here. Mostly, the Civic is an easy car to get along with.

So is its engine response, which makes for easy brisk progress, although there’s obvious turbo lag at lower revs. Which isn’t very Honda Type R at all.

It doesn’t get any more traditional as you work the engine. It’s fast, no question. By gum it is. Honda claims 0-62mph in 5.7sec, and it’s hard to make a front-driver accelerate a great deal quicker than that. It’s extremely punchy through the mid-range, too, but it gets boomier towards the limit. Our test car only had 1200 miles on it, but Autocar’s long-term Renaultsport Megane felt freer-revving at the same mileage. There's no denying the speed, though. This is an exceptionally capable car.

Ditto when it comes to the ride and handling. At least, the handling. A fuller judgement of the ride will have to come when we drive it on roads bumpier than the cricket wicket-smooth asphalt of our test route this time. But there’s no doubt that the Type R grips fairly heroically and its limited-slip differential keeps the front end under tight control when you ask for big power demands. There’s some throttle adjustability here, too.

However, the steering, consistent and accurate though it is, is less satisfying. It’s less engaging than the Renault’s feelsome rack, although it feels to me that less torque steer gets through in the Honda. I’d want a back-to-back test to be sure, though. That’s a compromise you have to make in a really powerful front-driver; there are muted tugs at the rim here.

Should I buy one?:
You could well want to, you know. Because as well as the stuff that road testers and keen drivers get excited about, the boring bits like its pricing and fuel economy are pretty persuasive.

And yes, even if it’s arguably not as compelling a proposition as, say, a Volkswagen Golf R or a Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy, it is probably the most capable series front-wheel-drive car in production. And there’s quite a lot to be said for that.

krio

Honda Civic Type-R 2015 review - prices, specs and 0-60 time | Evo


What is it?

Probably the most hotly anticipated real-world performance car of 2015. It’s the third Civic Type R to officially reach our shores – earlier versions were grey imports only – and it marks something of a departure for the much loved red ‘H’ badge, more of which shortly.

A representative pre-production version set an impressive 7min 50.63sec lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife – a front-wheel drive record, bettering the likes of the Renaulsport Megane 275 Trophy R and Seat Leon Cupra Sub8 Ultimate.

Engine, transmission and 0-60mph time

The big news in terms of the drivetrain is a switch from natural aspiration to turbocharging – a first for a Type R product. Many enthusiasts will lament the loss of the high-revving engines of previous models, but with the hot hatch power race now dictating no less than 300bhp and environmental regulations getting ever more stringent, the normally-aspirated Type R engine had run its course. This new unit still uses the VTEC variable valve timing system, however.

The 2-litre, four-cylinder unit develops 306bhp at 6500rpm and 295lb ft of torque from 2500rpm.

Power is delivered to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox – the only transmission option – and a helical limited-slip differential (apparently the diff saves five seconds around a lap of the Nordschleife).

Honda claims 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds – which is rapid for a front-wheel drive hot hatch – and 167mph flat out.

Technical highlights

Combining VTEC and turbo charging is Honda’s solution to meeting emission regulations, the requisite power levels now expected in this class and to maintain the high-revving character of previous Type Rs.

The Civic Type R is unique in its class, says Honda, for actually producing aerodynamic downforce. The jutting front splitter, near-flat underside, large rear wing and diffuser combine to create negative lift.

The front suspension uses a strut arrangement with a bespoke design, which Honda calls a dual axis strut, to reduce centre offset. This cuts torque steer – by some 55 per cent, the engineers claim.

The rear suspension uses a torsion beam rather than a more sophisticated multi-link system, the sort that underpins some of the Type R’s rivals. An adaptive damping system has been developed to actively monitor each corner and adjust the damping rate to suit the road surface and driving style. With the UK set to be a large market for the model, the engineers did undertake British B-road testing.
The brakes are by Brembo – the front discs are 350mm in diameter – and the tyre is a Continental Sport Contact 6 on a 19-inch wheel.

A button within the cabin, marked +R, sharpens the car’s responses. It reduces steering assistance and relaxes the stability control system, increases throttle response and damper stiffness by 30 per cent.

What’s it like to drive?

The new Type R stands shoulder to shoulder with the best, sharpest and most extreme hot hatches of all time. It finds enormous grip, it has bundles of straight-line performance and body control is exemplary.

The previous, normally aspirated model was a very stiff car, so it had neither the pliancy over an uneven surface or the outright front axle grip to mark it out as a truly great driver’s car. This new version puts those criticisms to bed, because in the default drive mode there is just enough cushioning at each corner to allow the body to ride bumps and potholes cleanly. Where the old car would have skipped and bounced over an uneven surface the new model is altogether more settled.

At the initial entry point to a corner there is also a more natural, predictable rate of roll, which gives you a clear idea of the grip levels across the front axle at first, then down the outer edge of the car as it passes the apex. Turn in bite is very strong initially and the then car settles into very gentle understeer towards corner exit.

It does all of that, importantly, without running out of body control. In fact, even in the softer damper mode the body felt brilliantly keyed into the road surface, without getting light or floaty over undulations and crests.

This latest Type R is also preferable over the previous model for actually being adjustable and playful, rather than being resolutely front-led. A lift off the throttle will encourage the rear axle to take some attitude, and by turning in hard on the brakes you really can provoke the back end. Being able to play with the chassis balance like that makes the car enormously fun to drive.

The steering is very sharp, direct and natural in its weighting, but it’s only when the front tyres have given up their grasp of the road surface that you sense any meaningful feedback and connectivity. Thankfully, the front axle bites hard enough that you don’t find yourself trying to second-guess grip levels.

The +R mode is not configurable, so if you want the keener throttle response you’ll have to put up with the stiffer damper rate, too. On the smooth roads of the test route that didn’t cause any issues, but on the few rougher sections we did find – the sort of road surface we have to put up with in the UK – it felt rather uncompromisingly stiff. When we try the car in the UK very soon we’ll report back on how effective that mode is away from mainland Europe’s billiard table roads.

The drivetrain has always been the centre point of any Type R – until now. The engine still uses Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing system, but in conjunction with a turbocharger the switch over point has been dulled almost to a point of being imperceptible.

Honda chooses to make a great deal of noise about the car’s 7000rpm redline in an effort to persuade us that the switch to turbocharging has not compromised the high-revving nature of the celebrated Type R engines of old. In reality, with peak power arriving at 6500rpm, this new unit only feels modestly more vibrant and energetic at the top end than similar hot hatch power units from Renault and Seat.

The gearshift quality is good – direct and short of throw – and the limited-slip differential gets the power down very effectively. The diff also pulls the nose of the car tightly around the corner under power, which gives it masses of point-to-point pace.

The drivetrain now plays second fiddle to a truly sparkling chassis. It’s also worth noting that the driving position is much improved over the previous model. The seat is still an inch or two too high for our liking, but in all other respects the driving environment is very good indeed.

Rivals

The new Civic Type R enters a fiendishly competitive class. The Renaultsport Megane 275 is our current class leader, while the Seat Leon Cupra Sub8 Ultimate is a very worthy challenger – particularly on the optional grippy Michelin Cup 2 rubber.

The new Ford Focus RS is certain to give the Type R a great deal to think about, too, while the VW Golf R is an altogether more grown up alternative for the same money.

krio

Honda Civic Type R (2015) review by CAR Magazine

► All-new 2015 Honda Civic Type R on test
► Full first drive of the turbocharged hot hatch
► Brutal looks, 167mph top speed. But finesse too?


Honda needs this car to be good. Stuck in a product vacuum with few surprises to please enthusiasts, a dearth of Type R products for five years and a hugely delayed NSX supercar slayer, the Japanese company has been treading water for recent years.

But the 2015 Civic Type R is the harbinger of brighter things to come. Unveiled at the Geneva motor show after interminable concept cars and prototype appetite-whetters, the car launches this summer. Does it have what it takes to dislodge the class best? Has turbocharging ruined the VTEC reviness? In short, can Honda still cut it in an arena beset by talented hot hatchbacks from Ford, Renault and Volkswagen?

Our first drive reveals all. Read on for our full Honda Civic Type R review.

Spec, power outputs

This car takes the five-door-only Civic bodyshell and applies some pretty serious surgery. The cosmetic sort, you'll spot yourself. That huge rear wing, side skirts, hilarious venting that thinks it's nabbed from a 991 GT3 RS. It's at once Max Power, OTT and brutal - and yet distinctive and an antidote to the sanitised Germanic polish that's gradually become the norm in GTI-ville.

Make up your own mind on the gaudy styling, but there's no denying the serious engineering at the heart of the new 2015 Type R programme. Honda calls it 'a race car for the road,' and the spec bears that out. Even those swollen wheelarches are bespoke, crafted from aluminium to save 42% of heft were they to be fashioned from steel.

This is Honda's first turbocharged Type R in history. The VTEC variable valve timing and lift remains, but it's now assisted by a large, single blower to ram more air into the 1996cc four-pot. Raw figures are these: 306bhp at 6500rpm and 295lb ft of twist, developed in a broad smear from 2500-4500rpm.

Taming that at the front end is a limited slip differential between a set of 235/35 R19 Continental tyres, suspended by a dual axis strut. And there's no multi-link rear end, just a torsion beam holding the back axle.

First impressions

Approach the new 2015 CTR and it'll take a while to get over the exterior brutality. It's no shrinking violet, the new Honda hot hatch, and that impression continues inside as you settle into nicely upholstered, alcantara racing buckets. Some taller drivers found them a mite too high - despite being 20mm lower than in a shopping Civic - but most will find an immediately focused driving position.

There's a good chunky sports steering wheel and the good-to-clasp aluminium gearknob is perfectly positioned. If this can match the tactility of Type R gearchanges of yore, we're in for a good ride.

This is still a rather mixed-up cabin vibe, though. We still find the interior of the Civic a riot of trying-too-hard styles and schizophrenic design: there's a digital read-out high up in your line of sight, then a bunch of conventional dials low down, large touchscreen in the centre console and separate heating display lower down. Talk about distracting.

What'll she do, mister?

Honda has now released the full performance figures for the Type R. Nought to 62mph takes a scant 5.7sec and top whack is pleasingly politically incorrect 167mph. Sounds like a modern-day Lotus Carlton from the east...

Thumb the starter button and the 2.0-litre four-pot fires into life with little excitement. In fact, the first few miles of our drive are on fast dual carriageways and the Type R proves a comfortable cruiser, with little hint of what's to follow. A special shout goes out to the major driving controls, with a beautifully judged action to the pedals and gearchange. No dual-clutch trick 'boxes here; first impressions are of one of the finest manual gear actions currently on sale, with a pleasing snickety-snick to its action - just like on the S2000 before it. There's just 40mm between each cog, according to Honda; feels like a short-shift to us.

But what sticks in the memory is how the Type R comes alive when you turn off the motoway and fling it through your favourite switchbacks. The electrically assisted steering is lighter than you might expect, but it's accurate, direct and has a well judged feel and response. The Civic simply turns and dives into the corner at your bidding, clever damping keeping body sway in check and the control the chassis exhibits is remarkable. This is one super-composed hot hatch, and the near-300lb ft twisting the front tyres out of shape never materialises.

That turbo 2.0-litre is quite something, as well. Fears that turbocharging it would kill the VTEC character are unfounded. Yes, there's some turbo whistle - and plenty of wastegate chatter as you back off - but the thing just wants to rev to the 7000rpm redline and beyond with an insatiable appetite for revs. From 3500rpm on, it charges to the redline and they've somehow kept a degree of switchover character, just like on Type Rs of old. It doesn't sound too industrial, either.

Prod the +R button and you can stiffen the dampers, sharpen the throttle response and beef up the steering further. In a neat play on the eco colour-coding that beset the Honda CRZ and Insight, it also turns the dials red.

Verdict

Honda is back - and how. We were worried they might've dropped the Type R ball in the wilderness years, but we shouldn't have. The Type R is a brilliant hot hatch - one that's distinct from the existing competition, wild-looking and yet polished, thrilling fun to drive. When they get the Type R wrong, they can get it really wrong. But this one's a blinder. We like it, a lot and welcome its surprisingly lairy, in-yer-face character.