My long-awaited opportunity to drive Honda's all-new second-generation Acura NSX will finally come later this year. And what an opportunity it should be. Blending the exotic, low-slung looks of a mid-engine Audi R8, the power and all-wheel traction of a twin-turbo Nissan GT-R, and the hybrid electric assist of a seven-figure Porsche 918, the NSX reads like a technological tour de force that, in the footsteps of its predecessor, puts sports car makers from Europe and America on high alert. Without a doubt, the NSX promises the kind of silly stats we've come to expect from near-600-hp all-wheel-drive supercars: 0-60 mph in under 3.0 seconds, a quarter mile in the 11s, and a Nürburgring Nordschleife jaunt in the low 7-minute range. OMG impressive.

Excited about Honda’s new foray into forced induction? This video gives us a look at the build process for the automaker’s 2.0-liter VTEC turbocharged engine. The engine, bound for the 2015 Civic Type R hatch, will be built here in the United States alongside a 1.5-liter I4 at the Anna Ohio Engine Plant. It will then be shipped to Europe, where it will be installed in the hot hatch.

The new turbocharged engine produces 306 hp and 295 lb-ft, plenty of motivation to help the Civic hotfoot around the countryside. The foreign countryside, that is. Again, this engine is bound for a Euro-market car. We’re excited to learn the details and see it made here in America anyway, since the Civic Type R will be coming to our shores relatively soon.

Our version of the Type R will be based on the next-generation Civic. We expect it to hit U.S. dealers sometime in the next few years, possibly 2017.The specifics of that car haven’t been released yet, but since it’s coming to the U.S. and we always love a good hot-hatch, we’ll certainly keep you up to date.

Production of Honda’s new Civic Type R hot hatch is finally underway at the Honda plant in Swindon, England. The plant is the global hub for the Civic Hatchback, meaning it will also be supplying the United States with cars once the new Civic range goes on sale here in the fall. Other Civic bodystyles like the sedan and coupe will be sourced locally.

The Type R is set to join another generation of the Si in the new Civic’s performance line, but the two cars will share very little in common. The Type R has been developed almost exclusively with the track in mind and has even spawned a racing variant. The car also happens to hold the Nürburgring lap record for a front-wheel-drive car.

What makes it so impressive is its combination of a sophisticated chassis setup and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with VTEC variable timing. The engine develops as much as 305 horsepower, and drive goes exclusively to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. Honda quotes a 0-62 mph time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 167 mph.

Given the performance, the Type R’s key competitors will be the Ford Focus RS, Subaru WRX STI and Volkswagen Golf R. However, the Honda is unique in that it sticks with front-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive. To combat this shortcoming, engineers have developed what’s known as the Dual Axis Strut Front Suspension, said to help reduce torque steer by 50 percent compared to the standard Civic’s suspension setup.

Type R specs and pricing for the U.S. will be announced closer to the market launch of the new Civic range in the fall.

Type R specs and pricing for the U.S. will be announced closer to the market launch of the new Civic range in the fall.