- Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:15 pm
#1462114
Apologies, I have zero access to the net during the week except when I get back to my accomodation at night and that connection is bad to say the least. But anyway here you go.
http://www.civictype-r.co.uk
NEW 2007 Honda Civic Type R
Exclusive Review.
There are so many thoughts going through my head right now I can hardly concentrate. To me this is one of the most singly important cars to come out of the Honda stable in years. The anticipation of seeing a car in the flesh that we’ve seen grow from initial designs and discussions with Honda a couple of years back is beginning to play on my mind. I just hope the rain that’s coming down isn’t going to be the order of the day in terms of the way I feel.
Pulling up at the Honda press centre at Goodwood, it is clear Honda mean business. The evidence of their racing past is everywhere, from the F1 style pit trailers in the car park for staff and journalists to the press centre building with its collection of Type R’s past and present including an ultra rare NSX-R to racing bikes (old and the new) from a 2007 model CBR1000 RR Fireblade to the jewel in the crown of Honda’s racing line the 1991 NR750 which just for the record is insured by Honda for a cool £1million.
More and more Honda marketing staff and journalists are now beginning to mill around as the preparations begin for the Type R’s arrival and I have to admit I can’t wait to see the car up close again but this time it will be closer than ever.
All of sudden a set of headlamps are switched on outside about 50ft away and then the unmistakeable shape of 5 new Civic Type R’s make their way over to the press centre.
The cars pull up outside and my initial thoughts are extremely positive. The car has presence there is no doubt about it. Yes there is the question of the somewhat marmite looks but the car looks good and whilst I’m not the greatest fan of red cars, the milano looks fantastic.
Unfortunately due to the weather it won’t be until much later in the afternoon that I’ll get a good view of the heavily discussed bronze colour.
Looking around the car in all different angles it is my opinion that at the moment there isn’t a single press shot which does this car justice. The bodykit is much more subtle in the flesh, and the rear spoiler which is so missed on the standard car, tidies up the arguably over fussy rear end. However I’m nit picking because frankly beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When you compare it to it’s rivals such as the rather dull looking Golf GTI (even in 30th anniversary style) and the odd looking people carrier style adopted by the new Leon Cupra the Civic makes them look old fashioned already. Obviously the questions will arise about how quickly the styling will date on the Civic but to be honest when you look at the rivals it’s those that look dated. The much debated alloy wheels also look much better close up and dare I say it the standard 18’s are extremely good looking. The finish is superb, and much higher quality than the EP3 alloys ever were and whilst I haven’t seen or tested the optional 19” “Rage” alloys on a moving car yet I’ve been told they are apparently lighter so shouldn’t alter the performance of the car much.
Space wise the interior of the new 3 door is superb. In the back it is wonderfully spacious with armrests now covered in material giving an overall feel of quality and comfort. There is a cup holder in each armrest as well so at least the kids will be happy and no doubt it will used as an ipod or PSP holder or something else from the playstation generation than a place to hold a large coke.
The seats in the rear are also a very comfortable place to be now. The rear of the previous CTR always felt like an afterthought with a very flat bench style seat that was somewhat uncomfortable on long journeys, but now the individual style designed seats are much more comfy. Oh and regardless of what the initial batch of Honda brochures say, this car is a strict 4 seater. I can confirm that there are definitely only 4 three point belts in the car not the 5 mentioned by Honda (who are aware of the error and this has now been altered).
The boot of the car is also a revelation, much like the standard Civic, with its hidden flooring, and nice little additions such as the 12 volt socket, which will come in handy at events when you require a fridge etc or when you require a compressor if you get a flat tyre, because as per the standard Civic you don’t get a spare wheel. You get one of those wonderful instant mobility kits which quite frankly are no use nor ornament but Honda will offer you a spare wheel (at cost) but then you will lose the hidden floor compartment, so you pay your money and take your choice. One of the best items taken over from the 5 door (and borrowed from the Jazz) are the fantastic rear “magic” seats which at the pull of a handle disappear into the floor of the car creating a completely flat surface.
Now onto the important bit, the front of the car, where most of us will spend most of the time. On opening the drivers door the first thing you notice is how inviting the cabin looks. A lovely red glow coming from the dashboard instruments and the foot wells just make you want to jump into the seat and drive.
Stepping over the Type R branded door sills and as you settle into the very nice body hugging Type R seats you realise this is a completely different car to the EP3, well anything in its class really. When you jump in you are faced with one of the freshest looking dashboard designs for a long time. A look around the inside of the car shows just how much the new car has progressed in terms of build quality and space. Simple things like the doors slamming create a nice healthy sounding clunk rather than the old EP3’s tinny sounding doors. It’s the quality of the materials though inside which really make you sit up and think. Honda has aimed this car squarely at the Golf GTI and you can tell their product planners have done their homework. The soft touch plastics and switchgear and the gunmetal style trim on the dash and switchgear components wouldn’t be out of place in an Audi S3 to be honest, they are that good. There are one or two slight let downs of course in the build but they are easily forgiven. For those owners of the previous CTR, you will have hoped that stickers on the air vents would have been excluded from the new car? But no, they are still here. They are however in the new CRV as well so I guess this is a Swindon quirk. The only other item of note was the slightly cheap armrest cover hinge, but saying that these were pre production vehicles and after checking the production Type S they had there as well the hinge on the production 3 door seems to be much better. But that’s all I can complain about in the interior so all in all not a bad start.
The seats in this Type R are superb, they might not be Recaro’s but with comfort and quality as good as this they don’t need to be. I have to be honest and say I don’t miss the brand name one bit, just as I didn’t on my first EP3 with Type R branded seats. These new seats however adjust for height and have lots of support all over. Some will criticise Honda for not providing Recaro seats as in the Premier run out EP3 model but to be honest these new seats are a much better option. The ability to get yourself into a good driving position is easy in the new model as well thanks to the full adjustability of the steering wheel which now adjusts for both reach and rake. All controls are angled towards the driver and also the all new exclusive Type R leather steering is a joy to hold, it feels chunky and well made. As per the standard Civic the Type R also carries over the very useful steering wheel remote controls for the stereo (the only good idea to come from Renault) and on this particular GT model it also has cruise control buttons and also Bluetooth phone controls.
The Honda sat nav in this fully specced GT model also looks the part it has to be said. I’ve always viewed factory fit sat nav systems as overpriced and not very useful but after seeing both the standard Type R and the GT together, the dash in the GT with the sat nav does look better. Now whether its £1400 better is something you have to ask your bank manager about or maybe (fingers crossed) strike yourself a good discount with your dealer, however based on current order backlogs I don’t hold out much hope of getting much money off, and its then at that point when you are nice and settled in the driver’s seat you quickly notice the two items which are almost definitely worth adding onto your order, reversing sensors and the rear view camera. As we know, the standard Civics rear visibility isn’t brilliant. This is due as we all know to the two tier rear window, which also like the standard Civic does not have a rear wiper, but what it does have though is a huge rear wing and whilst this does hamper the view even more, as I stated earlier it also makes the rear end of the car much more pleasing on the eye. Also you do notice that the very thick door pillars hamper your vision slightly as well but I’m being picky now. All I want to do is drive the beast!
Looking at the red glow on the dashboard I’m excited at the prospect of turning the key and pressing the nice red starter button. Upon turning the key the dashboard fires into life, all the blood red instruments glow and begin to test themselves, the large central rev counter glows red with easily legible white digits and the differentiation between the standard Civic and the new Type R are instantly clear, where there was once an eco light system now lies a shift light system and to the right of your eye line next to digital speedo is the much vaunted ivtec indicator, both of these additional instruments shout loudly at what this car is about.
Pressing the bright red starter button kick starts the Type R into life and what you first notice is how quiet the new K Series is. It doesn’t have the metallic noise of the K20* series in the EP3 at all. I’m almost disappointed.
Pressing down on the nice and easy clutch and slipping the car into first gear using the new more conventionally mounted gearshift which it has to be noted is more comfortable to hold than the EP3 gearknob, you realise this is it. All those months of waiting and all the anticipation I spoke of earlier are finally over. The Type R pulls away with no drama and the first couple of shifts are positive plus the all new gearbox feels ultra smooth but I’ll have to drive it harder to test it fully and that isn’t far away.
Moving onto the main Goodwood estate, I’ve got my first chance to open this new car up. I leave the car in second and plant my right foot to the floor; the new fly by wire throttle response is instant. The revs begin to rise……..quickly……..the iVtec indicator glows red and we are in iVtec heaven, the noise of the new engine is incredible. It doesn’t sound like a 4 cylinder anymore, more like a 5 cylinder. It is a very very deep bellowing noise and to be honest if it sounds that loud outside then there will be some very scared local wildlife very soon. Let me try to describe the noise for you……………..VrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHG!!!!!!
I kid you not, if you think the EP3 sounded good then nothing, nothing at all will prepare you for this. This new engine is almost old school in the way it sounds, it reminds me of a old B series. One point of mention though, there isn’t any vtec changeover kick anymore though which will disappoint some but to be fair, if you’ve driven a KPro enabled EP3 then you’ll know what this ultra smooth cam changeover feels like.
Pulling down to the exit of the Goodwood estate, this is the bit I’ve been waiting for, at long last I can drive the car in the way it was designed to driven…….briskly! A nice right turn (in the damp) should test out the new traction control system (a first on a Type R). I place the shifter into first and drill up about 4000rpm and release the clutch and we are off…….the traction control picks up the tyre scrabble, but there is no power loss to speak of as such, it’s almost like having a launch control system, because almost instantly we are moving and the noise is building, into second and much of the same, into third and the speed is building quickly. Honda quote the new car at 6.6 seconds to for the standard 0-62 sprint but I have to be honest it feels quicker than that. I think the new transmission helps immensely because this new box shifts much quicker and even smoother than the previous one. I’ve owned two EP3’s and on fast starts both suffered the same problem in that second could crunch if rushed, not so with the new one because every change is smooth and quick and with the added carbonising on the 4th, 5th and 6th gears the later shifts are just as good as the earlier gears. I always said that the EP3 has one of the best manual boxes I’ve ever used and that includes Porsche’s & Ferrari’s, but and I can’t believe I’m going to say this; the new box eclipses the old one by some margin. This is in my opinion the best manual transmission I’ve ever used. The car also feels as light and nimble as the EP3 and according to the official kerb weights which do seem to vary on who you talk to, but apparently those in the know say the car tips the scales at between 1264Kgs and 1290Kgs depending on the spec you choose, so in reality its not that far off the current EP3 and its still lighter than its rivals.
A lot of discussion has been based around the new (well…old depending on your outlook) torsion beam suspension setup; a setup that most purists will tell you doesn’t belong in a hot hatch or any car worth its salt to be truthful because lets face it, this type of setup is as old as the hills and has been used on everything from the very first VW Beetles to the today’s modern day trucks, so why oh why is it being used in a 19K hot hatchback? Honda have been quite honest about the whole situation though in that they have used this torsion beam suspension to free up boot space in the new car and because of the weight saving, plus the costs involved with redeveloping an all new suspension setup when the standard Civic utilises the torsion beam would have been very high.
The big question though is does it work on the Type R? The answer to which I’m happy to say is undoubtedly yes…….and no. This new model handles like a dream. Its assured through the bends and now doesn’t suffer the problems the EP3 did in being bounced offline part way through a corner on anything other than a smooth patch of tarmac. It isn’t perfect though, the ride can be jaw clangingly hard at times but overall it’s fantastic and in my opinion better than the EP3 over the same surfaces. It does however lose some of the throttle adjustability of the old car but the majority of buyers won’t notice this anyway, and this brings me nicely onto the steering, the root of all evil as far as most previous/current owners and past reviews are concerned. If we are being honest with ourselves, the steering in the EP3 wasn’t very good, it wasn’t communicative, it was too light at speed and at car park speeds whilst performing tight manoeuvres it had the tendency to shut off if you moved the steering wheel quickly from one direction to another making you feel like you had the strength of a new born baby in car parks, hilarious for onlookers but embarrassing for the driver. This new Type R however is completely different. Honda knew from the feedback of the press and also its owners that the steering had to be corrected and boy oh boy have they done their homework. From the outset, it feels much heavier than previous attempts by Honda to get a decent EPS system working well on the Type R and on the move you can actually feel what the front wheels are doing, which is a surprise. It’s a revelation moving from the EP3 to this model it really is. OK it’s not as good as a full hydraulic setup for sure but on the whole it’s bloody good.
Slowing down to normal speeds you realise how much Honda have changed the direction of the Type R brand, from the noise of that first foot to the floor, normal day to day driving speeds are eerily quiet. The road noise from the standard Bridgestones is just background noise now, and in that respect Honda has cracked it. Don’t get me wrong, there is still road noise to contend with but certainly not as much in the outgoing car, all we have now is the noise from that wonderful engine when you plant your right foot. You really wouldn’t think that this was riding on essentially the same tyres as the outgoing car. But what it does go to prove is that if other manufacturers can make the Bridgestones work for them (like Mazda with the RX8) then so can Honda.
Now based on previous Type R’s there’s no doubt that this Type R on paper is more refined, however times have moved on since the heady days of the EK9 and DC2. The average buyer of the Type R no longer wants a stripped out racer for the road, they require more from their purchase and this is the balance Honda have tried to make. OK, so in the GT spec you get lots of gadgets and plenty of refinement which will upset the purist, but the moment you plant your foot to the floor you realise that the raw passion of the Type R brand is still there at its heart and if I may borrow Hondas new saying for the Type R for 2007 it is “Rawfined”.
Pulling back into the press centre and parking the car up next to a standard Type S Civic it gives me a chance to look at the two cars side by side. The Type R really does look aggressive sat next to its baby brother and finally I have the chance to look properly at the deep bronze colour. In the normal light of day it looks black, no doubt about it, however once the sun comes through the clouds (a rarity at this time of year in this country) the colouring changes of the paintwork flips to a lovely bronze sparkle. Its actually very nice to look at and certainly doesn’t look as brown as the initial press release pictures of the Type S in that colour. Would I choose it as the colour of my car though? Hmmmm that’s a tough one. It would be a brave choice no doubt about it. You see the problem is instantly highlighted by the colour of the car after a hard drive in not so brilliant conditions. It has all of the same problems attributed to black, it picks up and shows the dirt a lot and would be a nightmare to keep clean on a weekly basis so on that note, I’d say the red and the silver are the best colours to go for but there is no disputing that if I lived in a country where the sun was shining down every day then the bronze or the black would be a tempting option, but alas I don’t.
Speaking of options, it would have been nice to have seen HID headlamps available to tick on the options box seeing as though the 5 door gets them from the Sport trim upwards, and maybe a factory fit LSD but to be honest the standard headlamps are very good and the majority of drivers won’t have a clue what an LSD is anyway.
Looking at the residual values that Honda are quoting it seems like the new FN2 would be a good purchase to those people wanting to own the car for 3 years as they believe it will retain around 50% of its rrp and that’s above the market competitors.
So is this car the Type R for you? Well it all depends on you as a buyer. If you are the average buyer wanting the thrills and spills of a great driving experience when required but then want a car that is comfortable on long journeys etc then yes it certainly ticks most of the boxes. If however you are the purist and want the full on Type R experience of old, then I’m sorry to say you are going to be sorely disappointed, but like I’ve mentioned earlier the majority of new car buyers looking to buy the FN2 will not want the full stripped out experience as its simply not practical for day to day usage. It is worth noting though that Honda have got a model aimed at the purist called the Type R “S” Grade. This model whilst not marketed in the same light as the standard & GT FN2’s is available to order from any Honda dealership. The “S” Grade does away with sound deadening, all stereo and air conditioning components and also the parcel shelf to attempt to liberate weight. The only drawback for the purist is the 16-20 week build time.
There are also lots of aftermarket parts available such as an LSD from Honda’s motorsport partner in Italy, Jas Motorsport, but, it has to be said though that the prices are quite high so be prepared for sharp shock when you get a quote from them.
So there you go, the new CTR is here and in my opinion it’s a great car. Whilst it’s certainly not a Type R of old, it is definitely a Type R and deserves credit. It’s a great car to drive, it handles well, has a nice of kit (in GT spec) and looks the part depending on your point of view. The purist may dislike the direction Honda has taken but there’s no denying it will do well and rightly so. It’s certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, with foibles like the poor rear visibility but overall its well worth a look.
All I can say at this point, is test drive one and pass your own judgement. The old adage of “Never judge a book by its cover” is very pertinent in this respect because whilst the cover of this book is repulsive to some, the content is actually very very good.
Enjoy.
EvoStu.
http://www.civictype-r.co.uk
NEW 2007 Honda Civic Type R
Exclusive Review.
There are so many thoughts going through my head right now I can hardly concentrate. To me this is one of the most singly important cars to come out of the Honda stable in years. The anticipation of seeing a car in the flesh that we’ve seen grow from initial designs and discussions with Honda a couple of years back is beginning to play on my mind. I just hope the rain that’s coming down isn’t going to be the order of the day in terms of the way I feel.
Pulling up at the Honda press centre at Goodwood, it is clear Honda mean business. The evidence of their racing past is everywhere, from the F1 style pit trailers in the car park for staff and journalists to the press centre building with its collection of Type R’s past and present including an ultra rare NSX-R to racing bikes (old and the new) from a 2007 model CBR1000 RR Fireblade to the jewel in the crown of Honda’s racing line the 1991 NR750 which just for the record is insured by Honda for a cool £1million.
More and more Honda marketing staff and journalists are now beginning to mill around as the preparations begin for the Type R’s arrival and I have to admit I can’t wait to see the car up close again but this time it will be closer than ever.
All of sudden a set of headlamps are switched on outside about 50ft away and then the unmistakeable shape of 5 new Civic Type R’s make their way over to the press centre.
The cars pull up outside and my initial thoughts are extremely positive. The car has presence there is no doubt about it. Yes there is the question of the somewhat marmite looks but the car looks good and whilst I’m not the greatest fan of red cars, the milano looks fantastic.
Unfortunately due to the weather it won’t be until much later in the afternoon that I’ll get a good view of the heavily discussed bronze colour.
Looking around the car in all different angles it is my opinion that at the moment there isn’t a single press shot which does this car justice. The bodykit is much more subtle in the flesh, and the rear spoiler which is so missed on the standard car, tidies up the arguably over fussy rear end. However I’m nit picking because frankly beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When you compare it to it’s rivals such as the rather dull looking Golf GTI (even in 30th anniversary style) and the odd looking people carrier style adopted by the new Leon Cupra the Civic makes them look old fashioned already. Obviously the questions will arise about how quickly the styling will date on the Civic but to be honest when you look at the rivals it’s those that look dated. The much debated alloy wheels also look much better close up and dare I say it the standard 18’s are extremely good looking. The finish is superb, and much higher quality than the EP3 alloys ever were and whilst I haven’t seen or tested the optional 19” “Rage” alloys on a moving car yet I’ve been told they are apparently lighter so shouldn’t alter the performance of the car much.
Space wise the interior of the new 3 door is superb. In the back it is wonderfully spacious with armrests now covered in material giving an overall feel of quality and comfort. There is a cup holder in each armrest as well so at least the kids will be happy and no doubt it will used as an ipod or PSP holder or something else from the playstation generation than a place to hold a large coke.
The seats in the rear are also a very comfortable place to be now. The rear of the previous CTR always felt like an afterthought with a very flat bench style seat that was somewhat uncomfortable on long journeys, but now the individual style designed seats are much more comfy. Oh and regardless of what the initial batch of Honda brochures say, this car is a strict 4 seater. I can confirm that there are definitely only 4 three point belts in the car not the 5 mentioned by Honda (who are aware of the error and this has now been altered).
The boot of the car is also a revelation, much like the standard Civic, with its hidden flooring, and nice little additions such as the 12 volt socket, which will come in handy at events when you require a fridge etc or when you require a compressor if you get a flat tyre, because as per the standard Civic you don’t get a spare wheel. You get one of those wonderful instant mobility kits which quite frankly are no use nor ornament but Honda will offer you a spare wheel (at cost) but then you will lose the hidden floor compartment, so you pay your money and take your choice. One of the best items taken over from the 5 door (and borrowed from the Jazz) are the fantastic rear “magic” seats which at the pull of a handle disappear into the floor of the car creating a completely flat surface.
Now onto the important bit, the front of the car, where most of us will spend most of the time. On opening the drivers door the first thing you notice is how inviting the cabin looks. A lovely red glow coming from the dashboard instruments and the foot wells just make you want to jump into the seat and drive.
Stepping over the Type R branded door sills and as you settle into the very nice body hugging Type R seats you realise this is a completely different car to the EP3, well anything in its class really. When you jump in you are faced with one of the freshest looking dashboard designs for a long time. A look around the inside of the car shows just how much the new car has progressed in terms of build quality and space. Simple things like the doors slamming create a nice healthy sounding clunk rather than the old EP3’s tinny sounding doors. It’s the quality of the materials though inside which really make you sit up and think. Honda has aimed this car squarely at the Golf GTI and you can tell their product planners have done their homework. The soft touch plastics and switchgear and the gunmetal style trim on the dash and switchgear components wouldn’t be out of place in an Audi S3 to be honest, they are that good. There are one or two slight let downs of course in the build but they are easily forgiven. For those owners of the previous CTR, you will have hoped that stickers on the air vents would have been excluded from the new car? But no, they are still here. They are however in the new CRV as well so I guess this is a Swindon quirk. The only other item of note was the slightly cheap armrest cover hinge, but saying that these were pre production vehicles and after checking the production Type S they had there as well the hinge on the production 3 door seems to be much better. But that’s all I can complain about in the interior so all in all not a bad start.
The seats in this Type R are superb, they might not be Recaro’s but with comfort and quality as good as this they don’t need to be. I have to be honest and say I don’t miss the brand name one bit, just as I didn’t on my first EP3 with Type R branded seats. These new seats however adjust for height and have lots of support all over. Some will criticise Honda for not providing Recaro seats as in the Premier run out EP3 model but to be honest these new seats are a much better option. The ability to get yourself into a good driving position is easy in the new model as well thanks to the full adjustability of the steering wheel which now adjusts for both reach and rake. All controls are angled towards the driver and also the all new exclusive Type R leather steering is a joy to hold, it feels chunky and well made. As per the standard Civic the Type R also carries over the very useful steering wheel remote controls for the stereo (the only good idea to come from Renault) and on this particular GT model it also has cruise control buttons and also Bluetooth phone controls.
The Honda sat nav in this fully specced GT model also looks the part it has to be said. I’ve always viewed factory fit sat nav systems as overpriced and not very useful but after seeing both the standard Type R and the GT together, the dash in the GT with the sat nav does look better. Now whether its £1400 better is something you have to ask your bank manager about or maybe (fingers crossed) strike yourself a good discount with your dealer, however based on current order backlogs I don’t hold out much hope of getting much money off, and its then at that point when you are nice and settled in the driver’s seat you quickly notice the two items which are almost definitely worth adding onto your order, reversing sensors and the rear view camera. As we know, the standard Civics rear visibility isn’t brilliant. This is due as we all know to the two tier rear window, which also like the standard Civic does not have a rear wiper, but what it does have though is a huge rear wing and whilst this does hamper the view even more, as I stated earlier it also makes the rear end of the car much more pleasing on the eye. Also you do notice that the very thick door pillars hamper your vision slightly as well but I’m being picky now. All I want to do is drive the beast!
Looking at the red glow on the dashboard I’m excited at the prospect of turning the key and pressing the nice red starter button. Upon turning the key the dashboard fires into life, all the blood red instruments glow and begin to test themselves, the large central rev counter glows red with easily legible white digits and the differentiation between the standard Civic and the new Type R are instantly clear, where there was once an eco light system now lies a shift light system and to the right of your eye line next to digital speedo is the much vaunted ivtec indicator, both of these additional instruments shout loudly at what this car is about.
Pressing the bright red starter button kick starts the Type R into life and what you first notice is how quiet the new K Series is. It doesn’t have the metallic noise of the K20* series in the EP3 at all. I’m almost disappointed.
Pressing down on the nice and easy clutch and slipping the car into first gear using the new more conventionally mounted gearshift which it has to be noted is more comfortable to hold than the EP3 gearknob, you realise this is it. All those months of waiting and all the anticipation I spoke of earlier are finally over. The Type R pulls away with no drama and the first couple of shifts are positive plus the all new gearbox feels ultra smooth but I’ll have to drive it harder to test it fully and that isn’t far away.
Moving onto the main Goodwood estate, I’ve got my first chance to open this new car up. I leave the car in second and plant my right foot to the floor; the new fly by wire throttle response is instant. The revs begin to rise……..quickly……..the iVtec indicator glows red and we are in iVtec heaven, the noise of the new engine is incredible. It doesn’t sound like a 4 cylinder anymore, more like a 5 cylinder. It is a very very deep bellowing noise and to be honest if it sounds that loud outside then there will be some very scared local wildlife very soon. Let me try to describe the noise for you……………..VrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHG!!!!!!
I kid you not, if you think the EP3 sounded good then nothing, nothing at all will prepare you for this. This new engine is almost old school in the way it sounds, it reminds me of a old B series. One point of mention though, there isn’t any vtec changeover kick anymore though which will disappoint some but to be fair, if you’ve driven a KPro enabled EP3 then you’ll know what this ultra smooth cam changeover feels like.
Pulling down to the exit of the Goodwood estate, this is the bit I’ve been waiting for, at long last I can drive the car in the way it was designed to driven…….briskly! A nice right turn (in the damp) should test out the new traction control system (a first on a Type R). I place the shifter into first and drill up about 4000rpm and release the clutch and we are off…….the traction control picks up the tyre scrabble, but there is no power loss to speak of as such, it’s almost like having a launch control system, because almost instantly we are moving and the noise is building, into second and much of the same, into third and the speed is building quickly. Honda quote the new car at 6.6 seconds to for the standard 0-62 sprint but I have to be honest it feels quicker than that. I think the new transmission helps immensely because this new box shifts much quicker and even smoother than the previous one. I’ve owned two EP3’s and on fast starts both suffered the same problem in that second could crunch if rushed, not so with the new one because every change is smooth and quick and with the added carbonising on the 4th, 5th and 6th gears the later shifts are just as good as the earlier gears. I always said that the EP3 has one of the best manual boxes I’ve ever used and that includes Porsche’s & Ferrari’s, but and I can’t believe I’m going to say this; the new box eclipses the old one by some margin. This is in my opinion the best manual transmission I’ve ever used. The car also feels as light and nimble as the EP3 and according to the official kerb weights which do seem to vary on who you talk to, but apparently those in the know say the car tips the scales at between 1264Kgs and 1290Kgs depending on the spec you choose, so in reality its not that far off the current EP3 and its still lighter than its rivals.
A lot of discussion has been based around the new (well…old depending on your outlook) torsion beam suspension setup; a setup that most purists will tell you doesn’t belong in a hot hatch or any car worth its salt to be truthful because lets face it, this type of setup is as old as the hills and has been used on everything from the very first VW Beetles to the today’s modern day trucks, so why oh why is it being used in a 19K hot hatchback? Honda have been quite honest about the whole situation though in that they have used this torsion beam suspension to free up boot space in the new car and because of the weight saving, plus the costs involved with redeveloping an all new suspension setup when the standard Civic utilises the torsion beam would have been very high.
The big question though is does it work on the Type R? The answer to which I’m happy to say is undoubtedly yes…….and no. This new model handles like a dream. Its assured through the bends and now doesn’t suffer the problems the EP3 did in being bounced offline part way through a corner on anything other than a smooth patch of tarmac. It isn’t perfect though, the ride can be jaw clangingly hard at times but overall it’s fantastic and in my opinion better than the EP3 over the same surfaces. It does however lose some of the throttle adjustability of the old car but the majority of buyers won’t notice this anyway, and this brings me nicely onto the steering, the root of all evil as far as most previous/current owners and past reviews are concerned. If we are being honest with ourselves, the steering in the EP3 wasn’t very good, it wasn’t communicative, it was too light at speed and at car park speeds whilst performing tight manoeuvres it had the tendency to shut off if you moved the steering wheel quickly from one direction to another making you feel like you had the strength of a new born baby in car parks, hilarious for onlookers but embarrassing for the driver. This new Type R however is completely different. Honda knew from the feedback of the press and also its owners that the steering had to be corrected and boy oh boy have they done their homework. From the outset, it feels much heavier than previous attempts by Honda to get a decent EPS system working well on the Type R and on the move you can actually feel what the front wheels are doing, which is a surprise. It’s a revelation moving from the EP3 to this model it really is. OK it’s not as good as a full hydraulic setup for sure but on the whole it’s bloody good.
Slowing down to normal speeds you realise how much Honda have changed the direction of the Type R brand, from the noise of that first foot to the floor, normal day to day driving speeds are eerily quiet. The road noise from the standard Bridgestones is just background noise now, and in that respect Honda has cracked it. Don’t get me wrong, there is still road noise to contend with but certainly not as much in the outgoing car, all we have now is the noise from that wonderful engine when you plant your right foot. You really wouldn’t think that this was riding on essentially the same tyres as the outgoing car. But what it does go to prove is that if other manufacturers can make the Bridgestones work for them (like Mazda with the RX8) then so can Honda.
Now based on previous Type R’s there’s no doubt that this Type R on paper is more refined, however times have moved on since the heady days of the EK9 and DC2. The average buyer of the Type R no longer wants a stripped out racer for the road, they require more from their purchase and this is the balance Honda have tried to make. OK, so in the GT spec you get lots of gadgets and plenty of refinement which will upset the purist, but the moment you plant your foot to the floor you realise that the raw passion of the Type R brand is still there at its heart and if I may borrow Hondas new saying for the Type R for 2007 it is “Rawfined”.
Pulling back into the press centre and parking the car up next to a standard Type S Civic it gives me a chance to look at the two cars side by side. The Type R really does look aggressive sat next to its baby brother and finally I have the chance to look properly at the deep bronze colour. In the normal light of day it looks black, no doubt about it, however once the sun comes through the clouds (a rarity at this time of year in this country) the colouring changes of the paintwork flips to a lovely bronze sparkle. Its actually very nice to look at and certainly doesn’t look as brown as the initial press release pictures of the Type S in that colour. Would I choose it as the colour of my car though? Hmmmm that’s a tough one. It would be a brave choice no doubt about it. You see the problem is instantly highlighted by the colour of the car after a hard drive in not so brilliant conditions. It has all of the same problems attributed to black, it picks up and shows the dirt a lot and would be a nightmare to keep clean on a weekly basis so on that note, I’d say the red and the silver are the best colours to go for but there is no disputing that if I lived in a country where the sun was shining down every day then the bronze or the black would be a tempting option, but alas I don’t.
Speaking of options, it would have been nice to have seen HID headlamps available to tick on the options box seeing as though the 5 door gets them from the Sport trim upwards, and maybe a factory fit LSD but to be honest the standard headlamps are very good and the majority of drivers won’t have a clue what an LSD is anyway.
Looking at the residual values that Honda are quoting it seems like the new FN2 would be a good purchase to those people wanting to own the car for 3 years as they believe it will retain around 50% of its rrp and that’s above the market competitors.
So is this car the Type R for you? Well it all depends on you as a buyer. If you are the average buyer wanting the thrills and spills of a great driving experience when required but then want a car that is comfortable on long journeys etc then yes it certainly ticks most of the boxes. If however you are the purist and want the full on Type R experience of old, then I’m sorry to say you are going to be sorely disappointed, but like I’ve mentioned earlier the majority of new car buyers looking to buy the FN2 will not want the full stripped out experience as its simply not practical for day to day usage. It is worth noting though that Honda have got a model aimed at the purist called the Type R “S” Grade. This model whilst not marketed in the same light as the standard & GT FN2’s is available to order from any Honda dealership. The “S” Grade does away with sound deadening, all stereo and air conditioning components and also the parcel shelf to attempt to liberate weight. The only drawback for the purist is the 16-20 week build time.
There are also lots of aftermarket parts available such as an LSD from Honda’s motorsport partner in Italy, Jas Motorsport, but, it has to be said though that the prices are quite high so be prepared for sharp shock when you get a quote from them.
So there you go, the new CTR is here and in my opinion it’s a great car. Whilst it’s certainly not a Type R of old, it is definitely a Type R and deserves credit. It’s a great car to drive, it handles well, has a nice of kit (in GT spec) and looks the part depending on your point of view. The purist may dislike the direction Honda has taken but there’s no denying it will do well and rightly so. It’s certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, with foibles like the poor rear visibility but overall its well worth a look.
All I can say at this point, is test drive one and pass your own judgement. The old adage of “Never judge a book by its cover” is very pertinent in this respect because whilst the cover of this book is repulsive to some, the content is actually very very good.
Enjoy.
EvoStu.
CTRO Events.
BTCC Packages: COMING SOON!
BTCC Packages: COMING SOON!
R02516
And the current CTR held onto over 60% after 3 years. 
