Quad exhaust tips; Check. Bloated fenders; Check. Big rear wing; Check. Grippy, low profile tires; Check. Brembo brakes; Check. As you can see, there’s no question that this hotted up Honda prototype is indeed the upcoming Civic Type-R.
Our last encounter with the Honda’s VW Golf GTI / R and Ford Focus ST challenger may have been kind of a letdown since the Japanese brand’s engineers were merely testing the hot hatch’s mechanicals on the body of a normal five-door Civic, but this time, we’ve snagged the actual car testing both on open road and on the Nürburgring. Interestingly, there was an older gen Ford Focus RS and a current Opel Astra OPC (Vauxhall Astra VXR) tagging along.
And if that’s not enough, Honda itself just published a teaser video in which it announces that the Civic Type R is coming, without actually showing the car. “We hope you’re just as excited about the new Civic Type R as we are, why not watch the teaser film and take the Quiz to get access to exclusive content from the Frankfurt Motor Show – including the full length film as soon as it’s LIVE,” reads Honda’s release.
Since it has already been officially confirmed that the new Type R will go on sale in Europe in 2015, the brand’s statement suggests that Honda will release something at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Whether that something will be a full promotional video or a pre-production concept of the Civic Type-R remains unknown at this time.
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito has said that the company is aiming to beat the record for the fastest front-wheel drive production car on the Nürburgring, currently held by the 265hp Renault Megane 265 Trophy (see the video here), which means that the new Type R may very well flirt with the 300hp mark.
There has been talk about turbocharged as well as a new hybrid powertrain for Honda’s wild hatch, but nothing in terms of an official statement. For what it’s worth, the latest racing Civic WTCC, which looks very similar in appearance to this prototype, sports Honda’s new 1.6-liter 4 cylinder direct injection turbocharged HR-412E petrol engine.
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