Honda Civic Type R (FD2) | Spotted
Don't let its sensible saloon image fool you, this may be the best and most hardcore Civic we never got
For a country that can’t get enough of the Civic Type R, Honda doesn’t half give us the short end of the stick at times. The car giant can be forgiven for not bringing the original EK9 Type R to Treasure Island (even if the closely-related Integra Type R went down a treat here), but when it launched the follow-up EP3 in Europe it decided that the market didn’t need the limited-slip differential, extra grunt and stiffer chassis that the JDM cars received. More frustrating still was the fact that the Japanese cars were built on the same production line as their UK counterparts at Honda’s Swindon facility.
Then, for the third iteration of Type R, Honda pulled out all the stops and developed two different cars for its home and export markets. In Britain, we’d get the FN2, a car that had a tough time making friends after Clarkson gave it a public dressing down for being heavier than the old car with no more power to balance it out. The FN2 was better than JC would have you believe, mind, but had we received the JDM version that you see here that seminal piece of TV may have panned out differently.
Based on the four-door Civic saloon, the FD2 was essentially the righter of all of the UK-built Type R wrongs. The JDM car featured fully independent rear suspension as opposed to the FN2’s torsion beam axle and, like its predecessor, the FD2 transferred its power to the tarmac via a limited-slip differential which, again, is absent on earlier versions of the European car. The damping of the Japanese car was stiffer, too, which could make the car jittery on Britain’s pimply roads, but on smoother surfaces it was said to be extraordinary.
Then there was the engine: a K20A VTEC engine developing 225hp compared to the 201hp on tap from the K20Z4 motor in the FN2. What’s more remarkable is that despite being longer, the FD2 is 50kg lighter than its European sibling thanks to aluminium body panels and the use of adhesive over spot welds. Closer ratios in the six-speed gearbox capitalised on the racier engine, while beefier Brembo brakes brought the fun to a halt with greater urgency. So superior was the FD2 that, when Fifth Gear pitted it against the FN2 at Castle Combe, the JDM car crossed the line three seconds ahead - a mammoth gap around such a short course.
That gap may have been even greater had the show used the car you see here. It’s a titanium exhaust away from being completely stock, which in itself is rare for any JDM import, but this 2007 example benefits from the optional Modulo suspension package, lowering the ride height and firming up the damping even further. Not for the faint of heart, then, but that’s one of the many reasons why some consider it the best Civic Type R there’s ever been.
Clearly, this example looks to have been kept in good nick by its previous owner in Japan. The car’s a recent import, and the images would have you believe it’s never seen a salty road in its life. It’s up for £21,000 with 79,600 miles on the clock, which is similar money to an early FK8 and a considerable premium over the mintiest of FN2s. For half the price you can grab this one-of-200 Mugen Type R, limited-slip differential and all. But there’s something special about a car that was never meant to be driven here, especially one as critically acclaimed as this. Who fancies seeing what all the fuss was about?
SPECIFICATION | HONDA CIVIC TYPE R (FD2)
Engine: 1,998cc four-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 225@8,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 159@6,100rpm
MPG: 31.7
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 79,600
Price new: £22,995 (import)
Yours for: £21,000
I encouraged the Mrs to buy a freshly imported one in 2015… she was 55 at the time and kept it for 6 years.
We only sold it as rust was creeping on despite having been ‘undersealed’ on import. Bought for £14k and sold for £13k.
A common modification was to fit Koni dampers to the rear, made a world of difference apparently.
Something quite cool about a car that needs modifying to make it less hardcore!
A common modification was to fit Koni dampers to the rear, made a world of difference apparently.
Something quite cool about a car that needs modifying to make it less hardcore!
Phenomenal cars.
I owned one for 4 years from 2010 when they were close to new and did plenty of trackdays in mine (in addition to driving it to and from work) and it never missed a beat.
My friend and brother owned an EP3 and DC5 each at the same time and the FD2 was a noticeable step on from both.
The way pricing has gone blows my mind a bit. I bought mine in 2010 with 18k miles on the clock for £17k, and put 30k miles on it over 4 years and sold it for £14k - I thought it was a residual marvel at the time!
Fast forward 9 years and I saw mine up for sale with 70k miles on the clock and it was up for more than I paid for mine! Should have held onto it for appreciation motoring!
The price seems pretty optimistic, can remember when they were almost new and going for 18k with 6k miles, so I guess you got to really want one.
The problem (if that is the right word) with all the NA type Rs/S2k etc is they are all very similar in terms of performance, they may gain a second or so round a track for each new model, like the DC2 to 5 but in real world driving there isn't much in it, and once the hyper hatches came on the scene they struggled to compete performance wise. These are still great things though.
After having a '99 EK9 and a JDM EP3,my brother bought a FD2 with about 1500kms on it back around 2008.
After leaving it in the garage for a few months,the credit crunch landed and he eventually had to sell it for about €14/15k at the time.
The thing I remember most about it,was how unforgiving the ride was on normal backroads.
It was very,very stiff,would have been ideal on a track though.
As a road based car to use,I would have picked the EK9 every time.
Standard suspension was just really well set up,though slightly stiff at slow speeds and it would go round nearly any corner like it was glued to the road.
Granted the FD2 engine pulled very well though.
But the best mod it has, imo, is the Tein Flex Z Coilovers, with EFDC II adaptive control box.
That allows me to adjust the damping on the fly from 0 to 16 (individually for front and back) making the car a joy to drive in most road conditions and speeds.
But the best mod it has, imo, is the Tein Flex Z Coilovers, with EFDC II adaptive control box.
That allows me to adjust the damping on the fly from 0 to 16 (individually for front and back) making the car a joy to drive in most road conditions and speeds.
I've got the Flex Zs on my Accord, they're very good value. No fancy controllers mind, didn't even know such a thing existed.
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