There haven't been many cars as dominant in their sector as the outgoing FK8 Civic Type R. From launch in 2017 until its recent demise, there simply hasn't been another hot hatch which so ably combined performance, driver reward and practicality. It was as close to unbeatable as it was possible to get; only the new Focus ST Edition seems as sorted a package, and that's arrived after Civic production has ceased.
There's good news for Type R fans, though - Honda has just confirmed a new one. So it'll be only the briefest respite for the rivals, as the flagship Civic is expected next year. Teased on Instagram with two pictures of a camouflaged car, the Type R certainly has a few recognisable elements from before: see the trio of exhaust pipes once more, the enormous rear wing, red calipers, and a carried over wheel design. Make of the new Civic look - already previewed by the latest cooking model - what you will.
"Our hearts are racing just thinking about it", reads the image caption. #Nurburgring is the final word, too, which will be a surprise to nobody. All the way back to the FK2 generation of 2015, Honda has claimed various FWD records on the Nordschleife for the Type R, alongside a host of other circuits. Though using 'production representative prototypes' has always rubbed some up the wrong way, the new Nurburgring record process should put a stop to that. Currently the FWD benchmark is 7:45.39 for a Megane Trophy-R. The overall compact record is 7:40.75 for an RS3 - that would be a scalp worth talking about.
It's thought that the new Type R will be the only Civic in the range not to use some kind of hybrid power, instead keeping the 2.0-litre turbo that's done such a mighty job for half a dozen years. Given it only went from 310hp to 320hp in the last generational update, a huge power gain this time around seems unlikely, not least because the Civic will almost certainly remain front-wheel drive. It might nudge closer to 350hp, but not much. The mesmerising six-speed manual has to remain, given its status; whether the Type R will finally join all its rivals and offer some kind of automatic option remains to be seen. It would surely open the car up to a few more buyers.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves; all that's confirmed so far is that another Civic Type R is testing, and that this mule has a snazzy red wrap. For all our conjecture, it could be auto, all-wheel drive and hybrid. Which would at least make it even faster, if do little for the famed driver engagement. All that said, given the rest of Honda's lineup and its EV ambitions for the future, we should probably be grateful of any Civic Type R at all. Given both FK2 and FK8 have debuted at Geneva motor shows, March 2022 seems like a sensible date to earmark for the full reveal of this one. We're counting down the days.
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