Concept art for the new Honda Civic made its debut before the model made its official reveal at this year’s Geneva motor show. The drawing was made by the automaker’s design team, which revealed the new model would be a Type-R Civic, which will soon put the real version in Switzerland where it’ll be viewed by the public, however won’t be making its debut in Europe until 2015 and go on sale in early 2016. Honda still has no intentions on bringing their Type R lineup of vehicles to the U.S. The new model is being dubbed by Honda as being a “racing car for the road” and not just another high performance version of a regular road car. While no powertrain specifications were giving with the concept drawing, taking what’s known from previous models, the new model will likely be equipped with a new engine and six-speed manual transmissions while also potentially having an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
From what can be told from the Honda Civic Concept, the new Civic looks wildly styled while showcasing smooth wide body fenders along with trailing vents, quad exhaust tips similar to the ones on the Subaru WRX, 20-inch wheels, and even ground scraping suspension. The concept art also showed that the new model will have a unique rear equipped with LED tail lamps that line the rear wing. Despite the lack of released specifications so far, the automaker has confirmed that the new Type R model will be the first to feature the new VTEC turbo engine that comes from the range of Earth Dreams Technology.
Many of the new model’s styling designs is heavily linked to its performance, offering real performance benefits while also being equipped with aesthetics, possibly making it the most extreme Type R Civic yet. The exterior itself gives off a sleek an aerodynamic appeal that showcases a vehicle that’s been designed for performance while still maintaining a road car look and the distinctive look of the Type R series. The front and rear fenders being sported by the new Type R Civic have been widened to accommodate larger tires, up to 20 inches, with air outlets that optimize air flow. The shape of the angled rear provides additional downforce. The new model showcases enlarged upper and lower grilles in the front with air outlets strategically placed on the bonnet to prove cooling for the hot engine. When all these features are combined, the new model delivers maximum cooling, optimum performance on the road, and a better grip.
The new engine is a 2 liter, direct injection, with a four cylinder turbo that is expected to give at least 280 pounds-per-second in addition to being Euro 6 compliant. Although turbo engines have not been used in any current models by Honda (in Europe) for quite some time now, the automaker has still been actively developing the turbo technology in other regions and on the race track. It was from the track that Honda’s development team gained needed knowledge that was used to create the new Type R Civic to improve the car’s analytics and performance.
The new Honda Civic Type R model takes inspiration from Honda’s race car that currently competes in the World’s Touring Car Championship. Despite Honda only showcasing the Type R lineup overseas, making it an exotic ride in the United States, there is a petition to Honda executives to bring the new Type R model to North America. Unfortunately, even if the petition manages to reach the target number of signatures, that doesn’t mean the automaker will bring their hatchbacks to the U.S. But it could be enough to at least encourage the Japanese executives to think about it. With its release, the new Type R is sure to signal a new era for the civic lineup of on-the-road race cars.
