I’m not sure how Honda’s engineers get dressed and out the door in the morning. I can only imagine that fits of obsessive compulsiveness impede trouser zip progression, making late office arrivals a common occurrence.
Notoriously meticulous when it comes to its vehicles’ readiness for market (anyone notice how long the next NSX is taking?), the brand’s new Civic Type-R is also slow to get out the door. We were given a sneak, behind-the-wheel peek of the seemingly near production-ready hot hatch in Japan last week, and while suitably impressed, we can’t for the life of us imagine what finishing touches could possibly take until 2015 to prepare. Yes, it’s still more than a year away.
Decked out with wheel arches flared like King Kong’s nostrils and clad in sinister-looking matt black paint, the prototype units made available to drive at Honda’s Tochigi proving ground last week certainly look the part. But the fact is development is still underway and we’re not sure what additions are in store for the final product.
HONDA TURNS TO TURBO
The big news here is that Honda has finally bitten the bullet and gone with turbo power this time around. Previous Type-Rs were powered the old-fashioned way with high-revving naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engines. But as we know, especially at high altitude, this meant outright grunt was compromised against other modern force-fed rivals like Golf GTI and Focus ST even if it was fun to wring the necks of older Vtecs at 8000rpm redlines.
The new motor is still a variable camshaft Vtec unit, and it’s still 2-litres in capacity, but the addition of boost pressure has had a massive effect on output. The pre-production test mules we drove were quoted at a torque-steery 208kW and 400Nm – enough to make more than an impression among its peers – but, impressively, engineers on hand in Japan said they’re still planning for even more oomph in final spec models. Oh yes.
The new Type-R also retains its clickety short-throw six-speed manual transmission, which swaps cogs so quickly it almost sounds like a dual-clutch auto from the outside with those typical backpressure burps essential in this testosterone-fuelled segment. Honda’s manual gearboxes are among the most precise in the business, and suit this application with delicious perfection.
A HANDFUL TO OPERATE
This is big power for a front-wheel drive chassis, and even with this lower-than-planned state of tune, it’s a handful to operate. Under acceleration the steering becomes very lively as the 19” rubber battles for traction up to a 7000rpm rev limiter, and short gearing means one hand will need to leave the wheel for frequent gearlever grabs. Like every Type-R in history, this is an extremely involved drive and piloting it in ten-tenth situations will require quick hands and race driver ambidexterity.
Honda wants this Type-R to achieve a sub eight-minute Nurburgring laptime, a feat that would not only shoot it to the top of the hatch pile on this ubiquitous track test, but also embarrass some much more racy machines in the process. Aston Martin’s DBS, Audi’s V8-powered R8 and the brand’s own original NSX-R haven’t even cracked this mark.
Given Honda’s all-consuming fixation on research and development we have no doubt the goal will be achieved, but who knows what rivals may come up with during this exceptionally long lead time. Get the pants on boys and hurry up already. The clock is ticking. -Drive Times
Follow me on Twitter: @PoorBoyLtd