Power and precision – the Type R’s legacy
Ripping through the gears, somewhere near the redline, is where Honda precision meets pure racing adrenaline. The engine sings, the chassis tightens, and everything else fades. Pulse racing endorphins kick in and you feel like an F1 driver on the starting grid. Only you’re not at Silverstone, you’re on the A1 driving to work in a Civic Type R - the ultimate hot hatch - enjoying track-worthy performance whilst being road legal.
For over 30 years the Type R has proudly delivered razor-sharp handling and high revving redline performance, staying true to Honda’s racing roots. Loved by fans and motoring journalists alike, the Type R has symbolised Honda's racing principles; to engineer a car that purely delivers exhilarating performance. And it’s amassed a host of awards, records and accomplishments too, earning the Type R a well-earned place in racing dynasty. A legend.
Racing DNA
The roots of the Type R lie in Japan in the ‘90s, where the iconic Honda NSX was created to rival the performance of Ferraris. The development code name, NS-X represented ‘new’, ‘sportscar’ and ‘unknown world’, X being the mathematical symbol for an unknown value. It was Honda’s first supercar, engineered with input from racing legend Ayrton Senna. Japan loved it and it was hailed a race car for the streets, balancing everyday drivability with performance.
Next up was a stripped-down, no-frills version of the NSX, with an uncompromised racing experience and pure sports performance thanks to its weight reduction and tuning of the suspension and powertrain. The NSX-R or Type R (R referencing racing) was born. Sold in Championship White, replicating the colours of Honda’s first F1-winning car which won the Mexican GP back in 1965, it was the first Honda to feature a red Honda H Badge, reflecting both its passion for racing and Japanese engineering.
Affordable track performance
Differentiating between its standard models and high-performance variants, the red H and Type R badges next graced the 2-door Integra, often referred to as the greatest front-wheel drive performance car of all time. It was the first Type R model to be available in the UK, and the Integra Type R offered a lighter weight, stiffer suspension and chassis as well as the iconic red Recaro bucket seats and a titanium gear knob. Hot on its heels was the Accord Type R with a meaty 2.2L, 209BHP engine, low slung twin exhausts and a statement rear spoiler. This 4-door saloon was marketed as a family saloon you could take to the racetrack at the weekend, and thanks to its limited slip differential the car cornered with ease, cementing it as a must-have by petrol heads.
Cult status
In the late 90s the Civic Type R was launched in Japan, a souped-up version of the much-loved standard model, featuring a four-cylinder, 5-speed 1.6L 182BHP VTEC engine. Soon people started importing the heart-thumping hot hatch to Europe, leading to a refined UK version being launched in 2001 that was made in Swindon. Its legendary high-revving 2 litre i-VTEC engine and 6-speed transmission took the UK by storm, winning Top Gear’s Hot Hatch of the Year (2001) and What Car? Best Hot Hatch (2002 and 2003). It paved the way for the Civic Type R being a global hot hatch and the awards continued to roll in over the years with the Civic Type R winning everything from Best Performance Car, Legend of The Year and Car of the Year across the all the major motoring awards.
Racing legend
Of course we can’t mention the Civic Type R without also talking about Honda Racing and motorsport. Touring Car Racing to those not in the know is a global motorsport category focused on production-based touring cars, seeing the best of the best compete across the globe. The Honda Civic Type R TCR was crowned TCR Model of the Year for 2024 following an ultra-successful season which saw the car score its 100th major title success and 500th global race win across the year.
The fastest front wheel drive car
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R currently holds the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for a front-wheel-drive (FWD) car, with a time of 7 minutes and 44.881 seconds. This record-setting performance by the FL5 generation Civic Type R surpassed the previous record held by the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy-R.
It’s no surprise therefore that the 6th generation Civic Type R has just won the Hot Hatch of the Year award in the Auto Express New Car Awards for the 3rd consecutive year.
Today the Type R remains the epitome of racing, having been constantly refined and honed to deliver the ultimate FWD experience. The current Civic Type R was designed to be the fastest front wheel drive car in the world. Sleeker, lighter and faster, its two litre, 4-cylinder VTEC turbo engine can do 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds and is the fastest FWD car to have driven the legendary 5.8km Suzuka Circuit.
"This level of chassis balance and performance shouldn’t be possible in a family car, but it’s a wonderful combination of all that is good about a hot hatch." - Auto Express Editor Paul Barker
The end of an era
Sadly, it’s almost the end of the road for the Civic Type R, as it will be removed from the UK and European model line-ups in 2026. Like all true icons, the Type R is going out on a high. A commemorative model, named the Ultimate Edition, has been created in signature Championship White paintwork with striking bespoke red decals and carbon detailing. Needless to say, the limited run of 40 cars, with just 10 being destined for the UK, sold out in a flash.
Discover the Type R Discover more in the Press release
The industry is changing, and our model range is having to evolve with it in accordance with European legislation. However, Type R has always been Honda’s ultimate expression of our passion for driving excitement, and we look forward to celebrating its heritage in the weeks and months ahead
Related Articles
Honda Car Awards
Honda has been awarded some of the most prestigious accolades in the automotive industry. So if we can't convince you, our awards will certainly speak for themselves.
Honda Hybrid Car Range
Explore Honda hybrid cars and discover our advanced hybrid technology. Find the best hybrid for you and be a part of our vision of achieving a low-carbon society.
Are Hybrid Cars Worth It?
There are many advantages of driving a hybrid car when compared to a petrol or diesel car, so it’s no surprise that their popularity has grown massively in recent years.
The power of dreams
Our founder, Soichiro Honda, was always dreaming of the future. Usually while he was creating it. The dream started when Soichiro first saw a car. He dedicated the rest of his life to making it a reality.