New Honda Civic type R anyone?
Discussion
cerbagriff said:
Hang about - I've only had it a week and it's still not 'run in' yet. If you can believe it, the dealer told me not to go beyond 3k rpm for 1000miles. That hasn't lasted but I have been good - 700 miles so far and getting braver. Took the car across Ranmore Common which is a snakey hilly narrow bitch of a road a couple of miles long, and sooooo much fun to drive. Kept it in third gear on or around 6k rpm and the handling was terrific, even over the real bumpy bits it felt sure footed, and the noise (windows down of course!) was fab! Only gripe is I keep looking at the rev/shift lights in the dash - and not at the road!!! 
Think I might 'tape' over these lights!Sat in one yesterday at the FoS, and was impressed by the seats and driving position...and the pedal arrangement.
Dash...can take it or leave it. Stuff well-to-hand, but looks a bit messy (buttons all over the place), plus while the close-to-hand plastics are decent, the surround plastics don't look quite as good quality as some I've seen (Integra, S2000, my old VTi, my old Focus...).
Rear spoiler looks as intrusive as the 'tegs, and no idea where the bonnet goes (down?!?).
So was fairly impressed, but at the end of the day it's how it drives...
Dash...can take it or leave it. Stuff well-to-hand, but looks a bit messy (buttons all over the place), plus while the close-to-hand plastics are decent, the surround plastics don't look quite as good quality as some I've seen (Integra, S2000, my old VTi, my old Focus...).
Rear spoiler looks as intrusive as the 'tegs, and no idea where the bonnet goes (down?!?).
So was fairly impressed, but at the end of the day it's how it drives...
Theres one or two guys on the teg forum moved on to FN2s.
A lot more refined / softer, but I guess they cant be that bad to drive. Personally I would have one over the EP3 even if it was slightly slower, because it just looks so much better, and I didnt think the EP3 was all that to drive anyway.
A lot more refined / softer, but I guess they cant be that bad to drive. Personally I would have one over the EP3 even if it was slightly slower, because it just looks so much better, and I didnt think the EP3 was all that to drive anyway.
RichyBoy said:
Anyone understand japanese? Best motoring devotes a whole dvd to the new civic type r, looks like a bloody good car. Faster round a track than the skyline v spec, rx7, evo 6 rs, s2000, teg, 350z and nsx type s.
I suspect that may be the JDM Civic...which is totally different to the UK market one (220PS engine, torsen-style LSD, indep. rear suspension...)The drift king says that the four door one is the original type-r. I also heard said "lotus sport suspension" when they were talking about it in japanese, I wonder if lotus had a hand in developing it. Its unbelieveable in this day and age with all these heavy cars coming out (bimmer one series for instance 1500kg) that honda can produce a 4 door saloon car that weighs 1280kg.
Edited by RichyBoy on Monday 2nd July 16:25
Edited by RichyBoy on Monday 2nd July 16:30
RichyBoy said:
Its unbelieveable in this day and age with all these heavy cars coming out (bimmer one series for instance 1500kg) that honda can produce a 4 door saloon car that weighs 1280kg.
I think you'll find that's with the 3.0, and even then I'm surprised.1280kg isn't much different to the new Focus.
havoc said:
RichyBoy said:
Its unbelieveable in this day and age with all these heavy cars coming out (bimmer one series for instance 1500kg) that honda can produce a 4 door saloon car that weighs 1280kg.
I think you'll find that's with the 3.0, and even then I'm surprised.1280kg isn't much different to the new Focus.
ST is probably close, yeah, but it's got a 2.5 with a turbo up-front. Cooking Focus more like 1,300kg.
Yes, the Civic isn't a bad weight. But it's not leaps ahead of the competition, certainly nothing to be overly proud of. Lets face it, a 1,280kg 'Type R' is an abomination from my perspective!
Yes, the Civic isn't a bad weight. But it's not leaps ahead of the competition, certainly nothing to be overly proud of. Lets face it, a 1,280kg 'Type R' is an abomination from my perspective!
OK, 3 days into CTR ownership I have found something I didn't expect. A striking similarity with my TVR Chimaera! Over the past 5 years I have become used to using the door mirrors to see either (1) traffic disappearing into the distance as I accelerated, or (2) suspect Q cars as they try to innocently creep up behind me while I'm making progress. The reason for the door mirrors is that with the roof panel off and the rear section back as far as it goes it still obstructs just about all the useful visual area behind the car viewed from the rear view mirror. Hence the reliance on the door mirrors in a TVR during the warmer months. It turns out that this was the ideal conditioning for the visual rearwards deficit created by the spoiler on the CTR.
But, actually, who the hell cares about Honda's point in bothering to mount a rear view mirror on the front screen? Maybe they could have saved the weight and left the multilink rear suspension? Probably not.
I'll report back again after I've done a few thousand miles but so far after 300 miles I'm impressed (very impressed) with the handling and the driving position is as near perfect as its possible to imagine. The gearbox is silky smooth and requires a delicate touch. If your hand/wrist is tense and over-directional on the down shifts it can feel like its baulking, so relax and it's effortless.
Using the engine efficiently with 6 gears takes some getting used to. If you're accelerating through the 6-box using the revs that are screaming to be used then it's all pretty straightforward and intuitive. In mixed traffic there are times when it seems to be easy to find yourself in no-man's land and in the wrong gear when you have 3, 4, or 5 to chose from. I'm sure this is just part of the fun of learning a new toy (in the TVR it didn't seem to matter whether you were in 3, 4 or 5 because there was just so much low down grunt to launch you forward.
Did I mention the driving position? Stunning
And then there's all the gadgets to play with, including voice activated just about anything. But the moment the exhaust noise tickles the senses all these are forgotten. With little to compare IMHO with a v8 in full chat, the VTEC at 7 or 8k is pretty bloody exhilarating.
Oh BTW I got 22mpg from my first tankful as if anyone really cares a sh!t about that!
But, actually, who the hell cares about Honda's point in bothering to mount a rear view mirror on the front screen? Maybe they could have saved the weight and left the multilink rear suspension? Probably not.
I'll report back again after I've done a few thousand miles but so far after 300 miles I'm impressed (very impressed) with the handling and the driving position is as near perfect as its possible to imagine. The gearbox is silky smooth and requires a delicate touch. If your hand/wrist is tense and over-directional on the down shifts it can feel like its baulking, so relax and it's effortless.
Using the engine efficiently with 6 gears takes some getting used to. If you're accelerating through the 6-box using the revs that are screaming to be used then it's all pretty straightforward and intuitive. In mixed traffic there are times when it seems to be easy to find yourself in no-man's land and in the wrong gear when you have 3, 4, or 5 to chose from. I'm sure this is just part of the fun of learning a new toy (in the TVR it didn't seem to matter whether you were in 3, 4 or 5 because there was just so much low down grunt to launch you forward.
Did I mention the driving position? Stunning
And then there's all the gadgets to play with, including voice activated just about anything. But the moment the exhaust noise tickles the senses all these are forgotten. With little to compare IMHO with a v8 in full chat, the VTEC at 7 or 8k is pretty bloody exhilarating.
Oh BTW I got 22mpg from my first tankful as if anyone really cares a sh!t about that!
insanojackson said:
my car has a slight 3rd gear problem but its liveable, going to wait til honda have a fix until i get it sorted, no point in even booking it in when i already know what they will say.
like i said its not too bad!
i had a problem with my mk1 civic type r with crunching gear change from 1st gear to 2nd from cold,they changed gearbox then from there on the car had engine mount alignment problems,free play taking up drive and kangarooing on and of throttle,had to sell dealer and honda uk could not fix ! or would not admit to a fault ! the car had only 10,000 miles on clock and one cheeky dealer said well its done a few miles now ! hope the new r is more reliable.like i said its not too bad!
66,
Sounds like you had a bad one and a disinterested dealer...there were a few niggles with the EP3 Civic but not serious ones. And Honda dealers now ARE getting more patchy...used to be consistently good.
Oh...FYI the EP3 Civic Type R (your old one) was actually the second CTR...there was a Jap-market only one based off the previous-gen 3-door (imagine a white Civic Jordan with a bigger spoiler, white wheels, and an even sillier engine...absolute go-kart to drive by all accounts).
Sounds like you had a bad one and a disinterested dealer...there were a few niggles with the EP3 Civic but not serious ones. And Honda dealers now ARE getting more patchy...used to be consistently good.
Oh...FYI the EP3 Civic Type R (your old one) was actually the second CTR...there was a Jap-market only one based off the previous-gen 3-door (imagine a white Civic Jordan with a bigger spoiler, white wheels, and an even sillier engine...absolute go-kart to drive by all accounts).
havoc said:
Oh...FYI the EP3 Civic Type R (your old one) was actually the second CTR...there was a Jap-market only one based off the previous-gen 3-door (imagine a white Civic Jordan with a bigger spoiler, white wheels, and an even sillier engine...absolute go-kart to drive by all accounts).
the MK1 (1.6 = 185bhp) could crack 60 in 5.7s (or thereabouts) something that the new JDM Civic Type-R can just attain .. shows how much kg/PS has progressed (not!)Edited by fido on Saturday 14th July 14:33
OK - one month and 2500 miles in - and the Type R is turning into a right old bucket! There are two distinct rattles from the dashboard, one more (but different)noise in the boot area, the throttle runs on when you take your foot off the accelerator, and the electronic dash attracts dust like PHers too free booze! Oh yeah, and I love the thing to bits!
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