Known as the “EK9,” the first Civic Type R debuted in Japan in 1997 and was based on the car’s sixth-generation platform, though Honda has followed this up with a Type R for each new gen. And after showing off a camo-clad teaser of its R-spec Civic last October, Honda has now officially released its latest generation of the Civic Type R — the fastest and most powerful Type R model that Honda has ever produced.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Honda Civic, the release of the latest Type R model benefits from extensive on-track testing and development, with the car receiving features that have trickled down from the Japanese marque’s factory race programs. Constructed around the 11th generation Civic, the new Type R-spec hot hatch features a sport-tuned chassis and an all-new suspension package that together afford better handling than the 2023’s model’s predecessor. Longer, lower, and wider than the outgoing Type R Civic, the car also boasts all-new bodywork with a more aggressive and muscular appearance — and a markedly more slippery drag coefficient. The car also gets flared fenders, a new honeycomb mesh grille design (that’s also found on the interior vents), new side sills, reshaped bumpers fore and aft, and a redesigned spoiler. At the heart of the new Civic Type R is a revised turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that’s mated to an improved six-speed manual transmission with a rev-matching system — a powertrain that’s reportedly good for 306hp and 295ft-lbs of torque.
Heavily inspired by race and track cars, the interior of the new Honda has also been completely redesigned, now sporting race seats, a serialized Type R plate, suede-like upholstery, and a race display with onboard diagnostics, G-force meters, and a slew of other metrics. Other highlights include Brembo brakes, a triple-pipe exhaust setup, carbon fiber engine covers, a short-throw shifter, five-arm split-spoke wheels, Honda’s LogR data logger, a new +R driving mode, an onboard stopwatch, and the ability to share driving videos. To demonstrate the new model’s on-track capabilities, Honda used the new Civic Type R to set an all-new front-wheel production car lap record at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan.
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is slated for a release later this Fall — by which time pricing and additional details will be revealed.
