RE: Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition | PH Road Test

[Wills2]

MightyBadger said:

5.7 secs to 60 seems slow, expected it to be a little quicker.

That's to 62mph the 0-60 would be 5.5 by either measure it's pretty good for a manual front drive car.

.

[A1VDY]

shoestring7 said:

Is "Heal and toeing" something to do with reflexology?

Something like that I think.
I've heard it's something totally irrelevant to road driving except the shopping trip or school run..

[Deathmole]

Motormouth88 said:

I can only imagine these are all sold to people with bad eyesight or white sticks, I think it is a monstrosity of a design.

I think that they look wicked

The standard ones are unbelievable to drive, too

[NikMc2]

Sick bro - I brought one of these bad boys - boooya

[SidewaysSi]

Motormouth88 said:

Jasey_ said:

Motormouth88 said:

I can only imagine these are all sold to people with bad eyesight or white sticks, I think it is a monstrosity of a design.

What sort of audi do you drive ?

Because I've commented on how this car looks like its been designed by a teenager that obviously means I drive an audi, of course it does.

I thought you previously said you have a Polo Bluemotion?

[Leftfootwonder]

I love the way these look but I can understand those who don't. It's function over form and who gives a stuff what people in the Wyevale car park think?

There are a few near me and all of the drivers I would say are over 40. I plan on buying one too when the world gets back on it's feet.

[airhawk1]

Full disclosure - I own an FK8 Type R and genuinely like the way it looks (yes - I have a mental age of approx. 7).

I totally understand why some (or most) people can't stand the looks of the FK8 Type R; they're certainly pretty punchy. My personal view is that a Type R is supposed to look a bit daft, OTT, and err on the side of yobbish and childish. If you want a subtle hot hatch you buy a Golf R/GTI or similar. It's not like there is any shortage of Golf-esque substitutes. But I love the fact that Honda isn't trying to emulate the Germans. It would make no sense for Honda to try to beat the Germans at their own game. Classy, understated and civilised is not meant to be a Type R's position in the marketplace. The world has plenty of Golf wannabes / copies, so I'm glad Honda decided to offer something that is genuinely different. It's seemingly a bold thing to do these days, and I respect that.

It clearly isn't to all (or most) tastes, but it is to mine.

As far as the "Limited" is concerned, I'm sure it's excellent to drive. And no doubt slightly more excellent than the standard FK8 Type R. But I tend to struggle slightly with the concept of stripped/compromised hot hatches. If you're making it less practical and usable then you inevitably begin to lose the inherent advantage a hot hatch holds over a true sports car.

The appeal of a hot hatch (to me) is substantially derived from the usability, practicality and general affordability of running the thing - you can have a car that is mega to drive without having to make too many sacrifices elsewhere (or run another car in parallel..). You can have your cake and eat it, to an extent. But this is undermined when the car is made less usable.

I'd be intrigued to know how much of the laptime delta is made up by the mechanical changes to the car (suspension, brakes, marginal weight loss etc.) vs how much is the tyres. I'd have thought you could come close to matching the experience with a set of Cup 2s, but I could be wrong.

Anywho, I'm sure the owners will love them (assuming they actually drive them). Personally, I love the yellow and I still love the looks. And I love how much some people hate the looks. I'm not sure what that says about me, but it probably isn't good... But I'm happy to stick with the standard car, and might whack on a set up Cup 2s...

[varsas]

samoht said:

Good insight. An aircon system includes a condenser, this is basically an additional radiator stuck up front sharing the cooling airflow with the engine radiator and the intercooler. In cars I've seen it's a thinner radiator sandwiched together with the main one. Clearly in doing so you are slightly restricting the airflow through the main rad, as well as adding heat when the system is in use. I've no idea how much difference it makes when the a/c is off, but I could imagine that avoiding having the condenser could help a bit, given the pre-facelift has been reported as marginal for cooling on track.

I'd expect removing the air con compressor/condenser etc also brings disproportionately big benefits in terms of balance. The car will have a lot of mass over the front so reductions here will have a big effect, taking weight from the back (e.g. removing the rear seat) is going to have far less impact. I'm surprised they didn't move the battery to the back (unless it's already there).

[Haltamer]

varsas said:

I'd expect removing the air con compressor/condenser etc also brings disproportionately big benefits in terms of balance. The car will have a lot of mass over the front so reductions here will have a big effect, taking weight from the back (e.g. removing the rear seat) is going to have far less impact. I'm surprised they didn't move the battery to the back (unless it's already there).

They were rather aggressive with the weight reduction; Oddly, the US Cars retain AC / Infotainment as do some other markets - EU and Japan get the "True" limited sans everything.



That's all the sound deadening they've ripped out.

[Housey]

Looks are subjective but no one (with any experience) can criticise how much fun these are.

Probably the car that impressed me most in the last 10 years, cracking little things.

[the_hood]

robsa said:

I'm not a huge fan myself, but they do look quite good on the road; however, the valet who thought it was a Lamborghini must have been mentally deficient or from the Cook Islands to mistake it...

Reminds me of a story when, many years ago when I worked in a local shop, my colleague came in saying that there was an Aston Martin parked outside. Keen to get a look of such an exotic car I walked outside only to see this 'Aston Martin'. It was an MGF! Doh!

[antspants]

airhawk1 said:

I'd be intrigued to know how much of the laptime delta is made up by the mechanical changes to the car (suspension, brakes, marginal weight loss etc.) vs how much is the tyres. I'd have thought you could come close to matching the experience with a set of Cup 2s, but I could be wrong.

I think you're probably right and the standard car with lighter wheels and Cup 2s doesn't have the compromises that just don't seem worth it for this LE. Like it in yellow though.

[Housey]

Love dem Onda's

[Haltamer]

Housey said:

Love dem Onda's

Wings, vents and diffusers all in the right places :P

[British Beef]

Leftfootwonder said:

I love the way these look but I can understand those who don't. It's function over form and who gives a stuff what people in the Wyevale car park think?

That is exactly my problem with the car it is not function over form.

There are plenty of fast and much faster cars that dont have all the stick on crap that Honda have adorned these with.

Fake vents in front bumper and rear bumper behind the rear wheels, to look like vents, they are not. Solid plastic.

That huge rear wing, really necessary? I understand downforce, but there are much more elegant ways to achieve.

So many parts of the car have been designed as form over function, I dont get it.

This is why I have put deposit on the Toyota GR, that is 100% function over form and looks brilliant.

[tim-jxv5n]

I test drove 1 of the standard cars last year, the salesman was a good sport and had nerves of steel as I made sure I gave it some.

Needed a bit more time in one, very capable but I kept bouncing off the rev limiter as I'd recently been driving my s2000 and probably expected too many revs from the civic.

I think they look good with a slight drop and some spacers but I prefer the look of the fk2

[J4CKO]

Looks alright, a bit busy maybe but who says cars have to be beautiful, hot hatches are a different discipline and most are a bit nondescript, like the Golf is not bad looking but it doesnt exactly set the pulse racing.

The Japanese manufacturers seem to be getting their Mojo back, after all the cool stuff they did in the 90s it all seemed to go a bit stale but they seem to have cottoned on again to the enthusiast market with the This, the GR Yaris, new GT86 coming, new Supra, New Z car coming, GTR still around and replacement incoming.

[Leftfootwonder]

British Beef said:

Leftfootwonder said:

I love the way these look but I can understand those who don't. It's function over form and who gives a stuff what people in the Wyevale car park think?

That is exactly my problem with the car it is not function over form.

There are plenty of fast and much faster cars that dont have all the stick on crap that Honda have adorned these with.

Fake vents in front bumper and rear bumper behind the rear wheels, to look like vents, they are not. Solid plastic.

That huge rear wing, really necessary? I understand downforce, but there are much more elegant ways to achieve.

So many parts of the car have been designed as form over function, I dont get it.

This is why I have put deposit on the Toyota GR, that is 100% function over form and looks brilliant.

Yeah fair point on the fake vents but try and find a modern car, even many supercars, that don't have fake vents. Sadly this is a (pointless) design feature of our times and unfair to call out Honda on it when everyone is doing it.

Personally, I'd be parking the Yaris in a very dark corner of the garage but I concede the recipe for driving fun on tight UK roads looks appealing. The Civic is widely regarded as the best in it's class, and has been for over 3 years now, for the simple reason it is a hoot to drive. As with the Yaris, that is all that should matter.

One thing I do love about both cars though is that they are doing their own thing and are unmistakably Japanese which can only be admired.

Edited to add, I assume your forthcoming "Toyota GR" is a Yaris, as the Supra is COVERED in fake vents.

Further edited to add, the Yaris appears to have fake vents above each fog light! Right, I'm off for a cuppa.

Edited by Leftfootwonder on Tuesday 17th November 10:41

Edited by Leftfootwonder on Tuesday 17th November 10:46

[Four Seasons Total Landscaping]

The FK8 was 7seconds quicker around the Nurburgring than the FK2. Would be interesting to know the difference between the standard FK8 and this one. Any of the lucky 20 owners in UK care to try?

[Chestrockwell]

MightyBadger said:

5.7 secs to 60 seems slow, expected it to be a little quicker.

0-60 times mean absolutely nothing, want to know why?

On paper, my C300d is as fast as the Civic Type R I had, on paper that is.

0-60 times are complimented by the driven wheels and gearboxes, never take/compare a FWD cars 0-60 in as if you would with an AWD/RWD car.

Realistically, if I was behind the wheel (average driver), I wouldn’t be able to keep up with a Golf R but that isn’t the point, the point is, who is having more fun!

On a track or with a good driver behind the wheel, the Civic would be the leader but you could say that about most cars.

Let’s say, a Ferrari F430 Scuderia and a McLaren 650s, the McLaren would be faster but the Ferrari would be more fun, and ultimately, that’s what matters when you own and daily drive the car.