Winged UKDM Mugen Civic Type-R 3D For Hardcore Boy Racers

Last week we brought news of a harder-core Mugen-tuned Civic Type-R for the European market. This week we're presented with the fruit of Mugen's labor, the multi-winged and vented UKDM Mugen Civic Type-R 3D. More »

Mugen Readying Harder-Core Civic Type-RR For UK

The wildly-styled UK Civic Type-R is already a phenomenal handling vehicle and with the emergence of a more raw JDM-only Civic Type-RR, the Brits are starting to feel a bit left out. Not for long. More »

Honda Sport Modulo S2000, Fit Concept Cars Heading To 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon

As we get ready for the Detroit Auto Show, Japan's getting ready for their annual Tokyo Auto Salon. Think of it as our SEMA show, but on crack and with lots of cute umbrella girls. More »

Honda Civic Mugen Type-RR, A Popular Choice For Pirates

With only 300 examples planned and a Japan only audience, the Honda Civic Mugen Type-RR is a rare bird indeed. Somehow, those crazy Frenchmen over at Nihon Car managed to get their hands on one for a review of the 236 HP little beast. There are things we like and dislike about this car; foremost in the "like" category is the combination of an adjustable suspension, a 220 lb slimmer waistline, quicker steering ratio, and the guts to chuck the radio out the window. More »

Type R To Burn Oil

Honda's chief power train engineer has revealed to Autocar that the Civic Type R is a candidate for the company's new 2.2-liter diesel engine. 180 bhp may sound tame next to the current gasoline motor's 201 bhp, but with 320 lb/ft of torque in comparison 142, the diesel should be significantly faster. The engine is likely to appear in the Civic's mid-life facelift, which is likely to occur in 2009. America, you're left out on this one. [Via Autocar]

Honda Japan Reveals Track-Only Civic Type R

Honda fanboys, put down your VTEC cereal bowls, Honda Japan says it's releasing a new, track-only Civic Type R to be used in a new single-make racing series. The all-business Type-R sedan will be sold with no helical LSD, seatbelts, seats, steering wheel, interior trim, AV goodies and air conditioning. Such heavy-handed deleting results in a 40 percent discount over the roadgoing Civic Type R. That is, 1,690,500Yen or $14,769.15. Of course, having to add in racing seats, harnesses and other safety gear will cost extra. Or, you can just sit on the floor and steer with your feet. [Japmobiles]

Mugen Civic Type R Revealed

If you're a devotee of the Mugen-tuned Honda, and you reside in a prefecture instead of a township, you'll get a crack at the new Mugen RR later this year. It's a Civic Type R fallen under Mugen's spell, with less weight — (-22 lbs at 2733 lbs) — and more horsepower (+15 at 240 hp @ 8,000 rpm) and torque (160 lb-ft @ 7,000 rpm). On top like a cherry is a typical Mugenesque bodykit, along with a wheels-and-tires package, better brakes, stiffer suspension, and Recaro sport bucket seats. If you want one of the 300 set for production, be ready to whip out $38,750 in JDM money. And brush up on your left-hand shifting. – Mike Spinelli More »

Japanese Honda Type R Civic to Hit Dealerships this Week

That's not to be confused with the UK Type R hatchback. The Japanese Type R Civic sedan will go on sale tomorrow across Nihon, that groovy constitutional monarchy occupying the Japanese Archipelago. It's the one we wish they sold here, only with the steering wheel on the starboard side. Specs include a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four, joined to six-speed manual transmission; a lighter, more rigid body shell; sport tuned suspension; 18-inch tires and 17-inch front discs, and a functional aero kit. Inside are front buckets, a unique instrument panel (set among the three-tiered dash binnacle copied from the USS Voyager) and other accouterments. Rumors persist that it's coming to the US in 2010, and we're keeping the bookies on speed dial. – Mike Spinelli More »

Honda Type R Coming to America, Maybe

Hot Honda alert. Winding Road's European editor, Matt Davis was present at a press event recently, when a Honda Japan engineer dropped a choice nugget. Apparently, Honda's launching a Type R model for the US market. As Honda frizzeaks know, Europeans have the UK-built Type R hatch and Japanese have the Type R sedan. We're most likely to get the sedan, considering the Euro hatch has no counterpart in the US. The US Type R would get a horsepower boost over the JDM's 220 hp and limited-slip diff, along with similar suspension and appearance mods. The low-end horsepower war the car is sure to foment will commence around 2010. – Mike Spinelli More »

JAS Motorsport Rallyfies the Civic Type R

Privateer rallyists, try not to stare. JAS Motorsport, Honda's sanctioned partner supporting customer racing, has been shaking down its Group-A rally version of the new Honda Civic Type R at the Adria circut in Italy. Early reports from the company indicate it's ready to sell turnkey cars to those prone to speeding in forests, guided by a savants with freakishly good eyesight. The kit meets all byzantine FIA regs through 2007, though competing in 2008 will likely involve another trip to the shaman for a second dose of newt oil. [Thanks to Dave for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli More »

Honda Civic Type R Sedan Prototype to Be Official Car of F1 Suzuka

Honda's got a new, high-revving "Red H" prototype with which to tweak Japanese car audiophiles — and it's serving as the red-flag car (read: pace car) for the Japan Grand Prix at Suzuka next weekend. The proto Honda Civic Type R sedan, which is powered by the same 197-hp, 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC (K20A) as the coupe version also gets a specially tuned sport suspension. Buyers in Japan will get the production version in mid-2007. More »

Honda Civic Type R in Paris

Honda released a promotional video clip of its Civic Type R intro in Paris last week. If memory serves, I once heard the video's Euro-chillout sound bed at an oxygen bar in Berlin, where, in between sips of a well-turned Batida Garincha, I pointed out to a Portuguese transfer student that we were indeed proving Kant's Theory of Judgment by not just hanging out in a basement listening to AC/DC. She disagreed, saying I was a shallow denyer of the metaphysics in aesthetical choices. Sheesh, Europeans. – Mike Spinelli More »

Aye, Lil' Red! Honda Reveals Civic Type R

Here it is, UK boy racers, the Honda Civic Type R straight from Blighty. It'll be unveiled at the Paris show, but in advance, the company released press shots this evening. But on to the specs, since this is a game of numbers: 198 hp from a higher-revving version of the 2.0-liter iVTEC mill, peaking at 8,000 rpm. Zero to 62 mph will reportedly come in in 6.6 seconds, with a top speed of 146 mph. Wheels are 18 inchers, down one from the Geneva concept's 19s. Honda says the Type R sits 15 mm lower than the base model, with a stiffer suspension from sport springs and dampers, with strengthened cross-members and front mountings. But that's not the only news: Honda says a GT model is on the way, though that will mainly be a luxury upgrade, with cruise control, dual-zone air, automatic headlighs and wipers, fog lights and side curtain air bags. It'll be available to the Queen's subjects in March 2007, for around 18,500. Click through for more pics. More »

Coming Soon: Honda's Red H

Hmm. Now this is curious. Honda's set up a pre-site site for something called the Red H. It features a sound-effects bed of recorded revving, which sounds suspiciously like worked-over VTEC hardware. Hondaheads know that "red H" refers to the logo badges used on Type R series models. That means It's likely the company's preparing to reveal the new Type R Civic and/or the FIA-homologated racing version of the Type R, developed with JAS Motorsport we mentioned earlier. Either that or it's promoting a new cinnamon breath freshener. [Thanks to Stephen for the tip.] More »

Go, Boy Racer, Go: 2007 Honda Civic Type R to Be Unveiled in Paris

According to the heads at PistonHeads, Honda's preparing to unveil the production verision of the 2007 Civic Type R — that Blighty-built performance model we've admired from afar — at the Paris show next month. Word is, the company's planning its largest display ever, as its push for a wider European profile continues. There, it'll also show off an FIA-homologated racing version of the Type R, developed with JAS Motorsport, for 2007 track and rally events. The concept shown at the London show this summer (pictured), execs say, will be nearly identical to the production model. More »

Spy Photos: 2008 Honda Civic Type R

We got our first peep of the concept model at the Geneva show, where Honda introduced it to a crowd of rabid ricer kids (disguised as the world's motoring journalists in ill-fitting suits). Now a production model of the UK's own 2008 Honda Civic Type R coupe has been spotted in what we'd assume to be shakedown testing at the N rburgring. It's likely not for US consumption (don't gloat, Blighty), but we can watch and wait and write down specs and stuff as if we'd actually ever get to drive the thing. What else can we do? More »

Go, Street Racer, Go: Honda Introduces Type R Coupe

Honda rolled out a prototype of what will become the Type R, which for the uninitiated in the ways of Honda's globalized wackiness, a UK-built, hotrodded Civic. Powered by the corporate 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC four banger, producing 197 bhp (200 in metric), the Type R will likely get a full range of skirting and other such demonstrative accoutrements. Double kisses, all 'round, then. More »

Civic Type-R Concept Pic!

We don't really know why we torture you with this stuff. We'll never see the Civic Type-R on these shores, because Honda's weird. And they don't wanna cannibalize RSX sales. Interestingly, the Type-R concept stepping at Geneva's got 200hp. Well then, how is that better than the Si, really? All will be revealed, we're sure, when Spinelli sets foot on Swiss soil and starts explanin' it all like Melissa Joan Hart on a meth bender. More »

Honda Civic Type-R to Debut in Geneva

Ok, our many and various UK friends, try your best not to gloat. Thanks much. The new UK-built Civic Type-R will make its debut in Geneva next month, replacing the last-gen version, which was discontinued in 2005. Sadly, as we reported in December, the US won't be getting this version — which, according to Edmunds Inside Line sports the same 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC engine as its predecessor. No problem guys, but we're not smuggling over any more White Castle hamburgers. Sorry, but it's only fair. More »