New Civic Type R details

The skinny on how Honda hopes to put Renaultsport in the shade with the new Civic Type R

While Honda remains decidedly tight-lipped about the next generation Civic Type R, does the new Civic Tourer estate point to the use of an adaptive suspension system? And has it 'accidentally' leaked the hot hatch in a development video? Having behaved ourselves with the Tourer's embargo we can now expand on our teaser story of last week...

Interesting test mule beside less interesting Tourer

There are no two ways about it - Honda is taking an awfully long time over the new Civic Type R. In fact, Volkswagen has managed to launch an entirely new Golf and introduce the GTI variant since Honda announced its intentions. And the damn thing still isn't due until at least 2014. Possibly even 2015.

However, we do know it will be powered by a turbocharged engine, in place of the traditional VTEC wonder box - though the jury is still out on whether this will be a screaming downsized 1.6 (to match current touring car and rally regulations) or a more muscular 2.0-litre unit. Either way, boost just kicked in, yo.

Then there's the bold statement by at least two senior Honda personnel (CEO Takanobu Ito and R&D chief Yoshiharu Yamamoto) confirming that the new car is after the front-wheel drive Nurburgring lap record. Prompting all sorts of speculation about power outputs 300hp plus? and the gearbox. After all, Honda makes no secret that its own dual-clutch unit is in the works.

Now Honda has revealed the Civic Tourer. This doesn't sound like much of an incentive to talk about the Type R some more - except for the surprise appearance of a Civic hatchback with an enormous rear wing in the official development video. The source of the inevitably grainy screen shot above. First official sighting of the Type R in the wild? Quite possibly.

No more screaming VTECs, more's the pity

Then there's the Civic Tourer's optional Adaptive Damper System (ADS), a variable active suspension set-up that takes the novel approach of only being applied to the back axle. Which is a world first, incidentally. Having driven the prototype, it's surprisingly effective, as well as essentially halving costs - but more pertinently was initially developed using five-door Civic hatchback mules.

Now, the European engineers responsible for the Tourer were absolutely not prepared to say whether the Type R would use something similar - or even whether it would have adaptive suspension at all. But when asked, they did immediately circle back to the Nurburgring conundrum, and point out that in order to go quickly round there you do need a rather special sort of solution. ADS might just be that secret weapon.

So, the 2015 Type R formula is looking something like a turbo engine, a dual-clutch gearbox, adaptive suspension and a bloody great tea tray. Make of that what you will.

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Pierscoe1

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