Honda has given us our best look yet at the next-generation Civic Type R, and the gold standard of hatchbacks looks like it wants to be taken a lot more seriously. That’s not to say that people weren’t taking the Civic Type R seriously already — the car previously held the record as the fastest front-wheel-drive production car around Germany’s famed Nürburgring — but the car’s outrageous and overly-aggressive styling certainly turned a few people off. So if you’ve been looking forward to seeing a Civic Type R with a more civilized exterior, then we think you’ll like the car’s next evolution.
Honda released two photos of the upcoming 2023 Civic Type R, and though the car is wearing camouflage, it’s clear that this is much more toned-down stylistically compared to the current car. Gone are the oversized wheel arches, the angry-looking front end, the angular side cutouts, the fighter jet-style rear wing, and possibly even the hood scoop. In other words, gone is the car that looked like it came from a Fast & Furious movie. In its place is a much sleeker and more sophisticated silhouette that more closely resembles a sportier edition of a regular Civic sedan, or maybe even a Japanese Audi S3, thanks to its lack of bits and bobs and more fastback-like rear. Of course, since this is a Civic Type R, there are still some flashes of boisterous style such as the rear wing which, while toned down, is still quite large. Frankly, we’re OK with a little extravagance as long as the car has the goods to back it up. And with Honda calling the car the car “the best performing Honda Civic Type R ever,” we’re inclined to believe it does.
Honda says the 2023 Civic Type R is ready for Nürburgring testing now (better get those record books ready), and has revealed that the car will be introduced sometime in 2022.
