Honda Civic Type R to Make Production Debut in Geneva
Honda will finally take the wraps off of the production Honda Civic Type R at the Geneva auto show in March. This comes exactly one year after Honda showed off theracy concept version(pictured) of this high-performance hatchback at the 2014 Geneva show.
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Since then,plenty of detailshave come out about the Honda Civic Type R, but we're still waiting to hear horsepower numbers from the Type R's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. All we know so far is that this engine, which is part of Honda's new i-VTEC turbo family, will make "more than 276" hp, will hit redline at 7,000 rpm, and will route power through a six-speed manual transmission.
Beyond the engine details, Honda has also announced that the Civic Type R will use an adaptive damper system that's configurable with different driving modes including a +R mode meant for the track. There is also a new so-called "kingpin" suspension setup that's meant to quell torque steer in the front-wheel-drive Civic Type R.
In terms of looks, we expect the production car to look like a toned-down version of the somewhat extreme red and blue concept versions of the car Honda has shown so far. As the Honda Civic Type R is based on the European-market Civic hatchback, its rakish bodywork may not look so familiar to those used to the staid U.S.-market Civic sedan.
The Honda Civic Type R will have some high expectations to live up to when it goes on sale later this year. Honda has already set a goal of beating the front-wheel-drive lap record at the Nürburgring with this new performance hatch. Sadly, it doesn't seem that the Type R is a likely bet to come to the U.S. market anytime soon, thoughwe won't give up hope completely.
Stay tuned for more information about the new Honda Civic Type R as it makes its official debut at the Geneva auto show in March.
