Honda Launches Most Powerful Civic Type R Ever
After a lot of teasing, Honda has finally revealed the 2023 Civic Type R — though despite the long wait, the automaker is being surprisingly obscure about details. Nonetheless, Honda didn’t shy from claiming that the new Civic Type R was the fastest and most powerful Honda-badged vehicle ever to be offered in the United States.
Based on the new 11th-generation Civic, the Type R’s styling is now more understated than the outgoing model, just as it was the case for the normal model. The car rides on 19-inch wheels wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. These are narrower and smaller wheels than the previous Type R sported, but it’s not yet clear if these specs are for the North American model or only the European or Japanese models.
First Dibs: Pre-order your Honda Civic Type R
The new Civic Type R will retain the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, only it’s been tuned to produce even more power than before. It’s also paired with a six-speed manual with rev-matching, which Honda calls “improved.” As mentioned, details are surprisingly scarce, though the automaker was keen to mention the die-cast aluminum spoiler, which produces less drag than the outgoing one.
We also know that the 2023 Honda Civic Type R set a new lap record for front-wheel-drive cars around the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, beating the time set by the previous-gen Civic Type R Limited Edition by 0.873 seconds. Additionally, it will have an all-new interior with suede-like, high-friction upholstery that “reduces body slippage in high-G driving situations.”
There’s also a built-in stopwatch and data logger to help drivers analyze their performance at the track and share driving videos. A new “+R” driving mode automatically brings up all relevant performance driving information on the dashboard.
The Civic Type R is one of the most popular hot hatches in the world and the reveal of the next-gen model was highly anticipated, so it’s strange that Honda revealed so little. Still, based on what was shown, there doesn’t seem to be much to worry about — and the company says it will unveil full pricing and details closer to the car’s launch this fall.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.