Japanese Domestic Market Civic Type Rs: Spotted
Both EK9 and EP3 Civics had more exciting versions just for Japan, and a couple have made it here...
That two decades of Type R means non-UK cars have to be included, the Japanese-only EK9 Type R where the super Civic saga began in 1997. We've already welcomed it into the PH Hero ranks, the combination of a wild powertrain, tiny kerbweight and import-only mystique securing its place. Think too of how UK hot hatches looked in 1997: Escort GTI, Bravo HGT, perhaps a 3 Series Compact if you were pushing the boat out. Alright, so a quick 306 would have done a good job, but over in Japan Honda was offering a Civic making more than 100hp per litre and weighing just over a tonne. It made even the VTI sold over here look a little ordinary.
Like so many icons of the Japanese performance car scene from the turn of the millennium, a good few EK9 Type Rs have made their way over here - some still are being imported, in fact. This particular Civic appealed because it's Championship White - the best Type R colour, even if this yellow car does look pretty cool - and because it's cheap: £5,800 is more than £2,000 less than any other on PH at present.
The reason? Higher mileage than most, at 118,000, but then doesn't it look clean? The paint looks fresh, the wheels are good and even the underbonnet shot doesn't throw up any apparent horrors. The driver's seat bolster is worn, of course, and a standard steering wheel would look better - don't even mention the sub - though the car has only been in the UK for two years (making rust less of an issue) and the owner is only selling because they have too many cars. That's usually a good sign, right?
For another £1,000, one of the later EP3 Civic Type Rs that just Japan was treated to is available. Don't mistake these for just a UK car painted in Championship White either - this was a tangibly more serious proposition. Power was up by 15hp thanks to bespoke valves, pistons and cams, and it revved higher too. There was a standard mechanical limited-slip diff, a unique suspension tune, those lovely red Recaros and, of course, the paint option. Bemusingly, the Japanese car was made in Swindon and then sent over for sale in Japan (note the Union Jack on the boot).
These cars are more expensive to buy than regular UK Civic Type Rs, though you are at least paying for a better version and not simply because it was only sold in Japan. This Type R, for sale at £6,995, was only imported this year and comes with less than 80,000 miles. As far as can be seen it's standard and comes with all its Japanese papers as well.
You don't need us to tell you that buyers after a hot hatch from the 2000s are spoilt for choice in the UK, various Renaults and Fords and everything else ticking a lot of boxes that makes an import a tough sell. But on top of the rarity and Gran Turismo kudos, these Civic Type Rs are serious performance cars too, a notch above their well regarded UK counterparts so well worth a look. And 8,000rpm is only going to get more exciting as it becomes less common...
HONDA CIVIC TYPE R (EK9)
Engine: 1,595cc, 4-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive, limited-slip diff
Power (hp): 185@8,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 118@7,500rpm
MPG: Well it's only a Civic, right?
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2015 (in UK)
Recorded mileage: 118,000
Price new: Approx. 2,000,000 yen (£16,500, 1997)
Yours for: £5,800
See the EK9 advert here.
HONDA CIVIC TYPE R (EP3 JDM)
Engine: 1,998cc, 4-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive, limited-slip diff
Power (hp): 215@8,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 149@7,000rpm
MPG: Well it's only a Civic, right?
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2017 (in UK)
Recorded mileage: 79,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £6,995
See the EP3 advert here.
[Sources: Wikipedia, TypeROwners]
I had a premier edition ep3 and hated it because of the EPAS it was up for sale after less than a month. Shame because everything else was good.
I had a premier edition ep3 and hated it because of the EPAS it was up for sale after less than a month. Shame because everything else was good.
Not something that bothers me IMO. The EPAS is hardly ruins what is a great car.
I should have just bought a JDM EP3 instead of messing with mine
I drove it for a month, hated it. Had it up for sale. Then I thought I would just try changing the tyres as it was about 3 years old and still had the originals fitted. Lots of tread but quite hard.
New tyres and it was like a different car. But by this time I had driven an Elise and wanted one. (Couldn’t Insure an Elise at the time so ended up in a vx220t)
Looking back I should have given the ep3 a proper chance. A fast road set up transforms them again so I have read.
5e steering has an odd feeling when you first drive it but after sometime in the car, I thought it was brilliant.
I owned two and did track days and had zero issues with the car, really enjoyed it. The only reason I changed was after driving a mildly modified P1 (340bhp) which was capable of things that the CTR in both performance and traction.
Domestic, though...
Domestic, though...
A car built outside Japan for sale in Japan is Japanese Market.
A car built in Japan for sale in Japan is Japanese Domestic Market.
The domestic market for a Swindon-built car is the UK.
Domestic market for a Boxster would be Germany or Finland.
Calling anything sold in Japan JDM is no more than scene-tax humpty-dumptyism.
I’m sure someone could engineer an aftermarket job in place of the top idler or AC pump (like where the supercharger fits on my car) but then you still have to have the rack, lines etc.
EK9 (on 15"s) arguably doesn't need a manual rack - like the DC2 it has amongst the sweetest PAS racks going (certainly for fwd, and neither are corrupted by torque-steer).
Anyway - PH, what about the daddy of CTRs (OK, grandson maybe) - the FD2!
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