The Civic Type R goes turbo

What you see in the photos is merely a graphic reconstruction made by Auto Express of the future Type R. Beneath the bulging front and rear bumpers, the sill skirts, the prominent rear spoiler and the enormous diffuser, lies a surprise in the form of a turbo, which will astonish all Type R enthusiasts.

Indeed, the next generation of the Civic Type R will be the first to use turbocharging. Goodbye, naturally aspirated engines. Mugen is behind its development, and we hope they manage to produce an engine that continues to excite its driver. Development of the new powertrain is already well advanced.

Honda is going turbo for the simple reason of being able to meet European Euro V exhaust emissions regulations. It will be a 2.0-litre engine with a single turbo, partly derived from the engine Honda uses in the British BTCC. The new turbo configuration will mean a lower rev limit, but greater pulling power at low and medium revs, which in principle could make for a more pleasant car in everyday driving.

The increase in power will not be very large compared with the previous 201 CV Type R; figures between 210 and 215 CV are being mentioned. With this output, the new Type R will go from 0 to 100 km/h in under 6.5 seconds (versus 6.6 seconds for the previous model) and reach a top speed of around 240 km/h (235 km/h at present). The gearbox will be a 6-speed manual with short, precise throws, and the suspension will receive stiffer springs and dampers.

It will reach the market in 2013 with a starting price of around €27,000. In addition, it will be available only as a five-door, breaking once again with Type R tradition.

Source | AutoExpress