R Civic Duty (the Orient Express}
Honda Civic Type R
The Civic Type R looks like something the devil himself spat on the asphalt, and it goes like a bat out of hell, too. Its exclusive turbocharged four-cylinder makes 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The eager engine always feels alive with a responsive throttle and imperceptible turbo lag. A short-throw six-speed manual is also on hand and the only transmission choice. The Honda's easy clutch action and precise shifter are as perfectly synchronized as a pair of figure skaters. Too bad the triple-pipe, center-exit exhaust isn't as loud as the exterior styling. Sure, its innocuous note is appreciated on long trips, but we want more roar in a car that looks and drives like this one. The Type R is that rare type of car with terrific track ability and amicable road manners. It sticks to the road like bionic Velcro, with steering telepathy that would embarrass Miss Cleo and a chassis seemingly tuned by a Formula 1 engineer. Although its suspension is stiffer than the sporty Honda Civic Si's, the R-rated version is still surprisingly comfortable. It's only slightly impolite on rough roads or over harsh bumps, where the 20-inch wheels and low-profile tires yield loud impacts. The Honda's immense grip was exhibited on our skidpad, where it pulled 1.02 g's—an impressive feat for any car, let alone one with front-wheel drive. The Type R set the bar even higher with its astonishing emergency-braking distance (70 mph to zero) of 142 feet, which equals that of the $200,000 Acura NSX supercar we tested.
All this adds up to some pretty impressive numbers on the track:
0-100 mph: 11.5 sec
1/4 mile: 13.4 sec @ 108 mph
Top speed (mfr's claim): 169 mph
Car and Driver
R Civic Duty (the Orient Express}
Honda Civic Type R
The Civic Type R looks like something the devil himself spat on the asphalt, and it goes like a bat out of hell, too. Its exclusive turbocharged four-cylinder makes 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The eager engine always feels alive with a responsive throttle and imperceptible turbo lag. A short-throw six-speed manual is also on hand and the only transmission choice. The Honda's easy clutch action and precise shifter are as perfectly synchronized as a pair of figure skaters. Too bad the triple-pipe, center-exit exhaust isn't as loud as the exterior styling. Sure, its innocuous note is appreciated on long trips, but we want more roar in a car that looks and drives like this one. The Type R is that rare type of car with terrific track ability and amicable road manners. It sticks to the road like bionic Velcro, with steering telepathy that would embarrass Miss Cleo and a chassis seemingly tuned by a Formula 1 engineer. Although its suspension is stiffer than the sporty Honda Civic Si's, the R-rated version is still surprisingly comfortable. It's only slightly impolite on rough roads or over harsh bumps, where the 20-inch wheels and low-profile tires yield loud impacts. The Honda's immense grip was exhibited on our skidpad, where it pulled 1.02 g's—an impressive feat for any car, let alone one with front-wheel drive. The Type R set the bar even higher with its astonishing emergency-braking distance (70 mph to zero) of 142 feet, which equals that of the $200,000 Acura NSX supercar we tested.
All this adds up to some pretty impressive numbers on the track:
0-100 mph: 11.5 sec
1/4 mile: 13.4 sec @ 108 mph
Top speed (mfr's claim): 169 mph
Car and Driver