The wait is almost over for hot hatch lovers.
Although the next-generation Civic Type R was first seen in May 2020, Honda didn’t reveal the hot hatch until October 2021. Since then, we’ve seen a lot of official previews and now we know when the red mask will be removed. Stephen Collins, director of Honda Australia, announced that the world debut would take place next month in an interview with Carsales magazine.
“It [2023 Honda Civic Type R] is going to be displayed in its entirety – there has been a lot camouflaged stuff seen – in June during Europe’s summer.”
The global premiere of the prototype Honda will be followed by a debut in the USA during the NTT IndyCar Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The prototype Honda will be shown in Ohio, but it will remain hidden.
The new Civic Type R, which is believed to be the last gasoline-only Honda in Europe will use a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. Although the old FK8 model had a respectable 316 horsepower, enthusiasts hope that engineers will add more horses to the mix. Hybrid rumors have been rumored but are unlikely to be true. Purists can rest assured that the CTR will keep the ICE formula.
Honda already confirmed that the Civic Type R hatchback will only be available with a manual transmission, just like the Si sedan. The next-generation model is likely to attempt to beat the Nurburgring lap record for front-wheel-drive production cars. With a lap time of 7:01 and 40.1 seconds, the Renault Megane RS Trophy R won this title in April 2019.
The Civic Type R will be a last affordable performance car that sticks to the old formula. It features three pedals, an efficient gas engine and no electrification. It will also look a lot more civilized than its predecessor. It will retain a large rear wing as well as the triple exhaust system, a la Ferrari 458 Italia.