Face to Face With the 2023 Honda Civic Type R in Tokyo
This is your next Type R model. Here's what we spotted at its reveal.
The world's been on the edge of their seat for the last few weeks awaiting the arrival of Civic Type R at the annual Tokyo Auto Salon. After almost a year of speculation, rumors, and far too many artist renderings, it finally arrived in its vinyl-wrapped flesh and for those that have really been paying attention, it was exactly what you saw last month when images of Honda's track testing exploits hit the airwaves.
Hidden In Plain Sight
Officially a prototype, it's likely this will be very close to the actual model avaiable later this year. Still sporting its Type R camouflage, the intricate details are muted, but you're given a solid idea of what to expect. Yes, it's more aggressive than its non-R counterparts—as it should be, given the nature of what the Type represents for Honda—but it's still considerably toned down when compared to the outgoing FK8. Whether that's good or bad will depend your personal taste.
It seems Honda addressed the cooling shortcomings many track savvy owners complained about with the previous Type R. This version incorporates a larger upper grille area to route more air to both the radiator and front-mount intercooler. Unlike the non-R models, the upper grill is squared off and doesn't lean into the strange forehead that lands between the grill and hood on the rest of the 11th generation Civic line up.
Breath Of Fresh Air
The lower grille has also been opened up substantially over the older Type R and the current line of Civic models. On either side of that opening are small inlets that even the Si doesn't have, and just next to those are slim creases that head toward the outside of the bumper before turning upward toward the headlights. It's tough to make out what the final shape is with the well-done livery, so that will have to wait until Honda is ready to share.
Like the previous R, the front fenders blister considerably to house a healthy wheel and tire package over the beloved Brembo brake package, and we'll assume that 20-inch wheels will once again accompany the five-door. If that's the case, you can count on many enthusiasts to size down one or two inches, as they did with the FK8, for lighter wheel choices, more tire options, and for some simply a better look. The rear quarters are bumped out as well but carry a smoother transition this time around and don't have the strange cut-off at the rear door the way the older model did.
Bulky side mirrors are again at play and the side skirts look eerily similar to the last model's, with side diffusers jutting outward and "fins" bringing up the connection to the rear quarter. In terms of the look, the skirts and front bumper pair up nicely, especially with the bulbous front fenders, but those that aren't fans of the "is it a sedan or a hatchback?" look of the triangular rear window will have to squint yet again.
