Civic Type R at the track, goods and bads! Let's share our experience.

Learn2turn

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Anyone tried running hot laps with the aluminum belly pan removed?
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Alright - a 1:33-34 for an S2000 on 200tw rubber at AMP and 1:34-35 for SpecMiata (qual) for reference here. You said it yourself, you weren't on 10/10 pace, but that's exactly the issue. The moment you lean on this car in high ambient temps, it checks out. The more I sit back and think on it, the more it pisses me off...the way this was marketed vs. the way it performs. In the end, we all love the car - but the dream of driving it "stock" at a solid pace on a track when it's hot out is just that - a dream. And for me, it's a nightmare - because I live in Houston and hot and humid is the only shitty season here. It has become my daily and I still love it for what it is.
All these people throwing cash trying to fix the problem, and I'm sitting here (as not an engineer) wondering if the turbo placement is the main culprit. Turbos get hot. Bolting a turbo directly to the block seems like not a smart move.

But hey, what do i know.

My only advice (I know I sound like a broken record by now)- get an s2k, or a miata for the track. Don't do anything to the motor besides maybe a test pipe (tracking murders cats) and throw the rest of the money into bracing and suspension. I think bringing a relatively heavy 40k DD and flogging it on track is expensive (especially since you're probably buying track insurance) and all that extra weight and the extra big tires... and all the other consumables.

Just enjoy it for what it is, a very fun and capable street car that can (if push came to shove) embarrass some really $$ cars for a lap or two :)
 

handsoffsam

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My only advice (I know I sound like a broken record by now)- get an s2k, or a miata for the track. Don't do anything to the motor besides maybe a test pipe (tracking murders cats) and throw the rest of the money into bracing and suspension. I think bringing a relatively heavy 40k DD and flogging it on track is expensive (especially since you're probably buying track insurance) and all that extra weight and the extra big tires... and all the other consumables.

Just enjoy it for what it is, a very fun and capable street car that can (if push came to shove) embarrass some really $$ cars for a lap or two :)
Not sure if you just expanded on my post or were replying to me but...you're preaching to the choir. Two spec miatas, an S2000 and a GP3 WRL prep miata in my stable along with the R. Recently stepping back from burning cash in racing for years to casually lapping again for fun (as in, not towing my life around in trailers and simply throwing the helmet in the trunk of a car and having fun). It's sound advice, but it ignores the true intent here and what needs to be addressed. I'm going to sound like the old man on his rocking chair but "it's the principle." Similar cars in this price bracket can turn laps without issue in their stock trim, but a Honda built car marketed as a track weapon that shits the bed after a lap or two when it gets hot. For the sake of future owners that want to own a fun hatch capable of completing their DE sessions when it's hot outside without having to baby the car, I think with respect to the community and the car it needs to be addressed.

Again, I totally agree with you 100%, but also think it's a deceitful move against the Honda ethos that has defined their cars for decades. Sorry if that didn't make complete sense, it's been a long day, cheers.
 

lawl

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Not sure if you just expanded on my post or were replying to me but...you're preaching to the choir. Two spec miatas, an S2000 and a GP3 WRL prep miata in my stable along with the R. Recently stepping back from burning cash in racing for years to casually lapping again for fun (as in, not towing my life around in trailers and simply throwing the helmet in the trunk of a car and having fun). It's sound advice, but it ignores the true intent here and what needs to be addressed. I'm going to sound like the old man on his rocking chair but "it's the principle." Similar cars in this price bracket can turn laps without issue in their stock trim, but a Honda built car marketed as a track weapon that shits the bed after a lap or two when it gets hot. For the sake of future owners that want to own a fun hatch capable of completing their DE sessions when it's hot outside without having to baby the car, I think with respect to the community and the car it needs to be addressed.

Again, I totally agree with you 100%, but also think it's a deceitful move against the Honda ethos that has defined their cars for decades. Sorry if that didn't make complete sense, it's been a long day, cheers.
Both! I also agree with you in that we got gypped. HARD. This will be the last gas powered car I'll probably ever buy and to say I put a lot of my hopes and dreams into it would be an understatement. But as I face reality- family is growing, time is a luxury, and tracking just isn't in the cards in the near future (actually I'd estimate at least 20 years), it doesn't make a difference to me whether or not this car overheats on the track. I'm kind of just looking for silver linings here. Sure I'm disappointed that I probably won't be able to track it, but I'm going to be real and say as this is probably the most expensive single purchase I've made outside of my house, I probably wouldn't want to risk it on track anyway.

I will say, if we were able to test drive this car before purchase i would not have bought it. However, there's not much out there that ticks my boxes right now so I'd be forced to wait. And life is short, and I'm not getting any younger, so I went for it

The silver lining for YOU is this car is holding value pretty well. You can take a small hit (small, compared to what you've spent probably in racing, lol) and get into something that has streetability/utility and probably wouldn't make you sad in your pants every time you THINK you see the coolant temp needle is creeping up from the corner of your eye.

Cayman??
 

remc86007

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I also agree with you in that we got gypped. HARD.
I see this sentiment on here a lot; and, maybe I missed a lot of the marketing for the car, but I never got the impression from Honda's marketing that the CTR would be ready to turn hot laps at 10/10ths on a track in 80F+ heat. I frankly think it would be naive to assume a $34k turbo car with the level of performance it has from the factory would be designed to handle a situation that less than 1% of owners would experience.

One thing I think a lot of people struggling with temps have in common is they have substantially upgraded the wheel/tire combo which allows them to stay the power for a way higher percentage of time. I've taken my CTR to two tracks in Florida, in the summer, and pushed the car as hard as I felt comfortable with the stock wheels and tires (so maybe 8/10ths of the cars ability), and I didn't have any trouble with temp rise. I think my tracking experience thus far is representative of what most people buying a CTR would experience.
 


GeezR

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Honda went waaay out of its way to set the FWD record at the Nurburgring. In doing so they were saying to track junkies, here is your affordable dream car. The auto mag echo chamber has been pushing this track-car message for 3 years. Honda never once said, ya know, maybe not so much. At least when Porsche messes up a car, it fixes it. We are still waiting for fixes that Honda knew were needed when it marketed the CTR with all the track car hype.

That said, it’s a pretty awesome track car, flaws and all. Just got back from a track day in Indiana where four Type Rs were holding their own against much pricier rides. And temps were down so heat soak wasn’t an issue. So, it’s a mixed blessing but still pretty awesome, even with its now-obvious track day flaws.
 

GraphiteAZ

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Alright - a 1:33-34 for an S2000 on 200tw rubber at AMP and 1:34-35 for SpecMiata (qual) for reference here. You said it yourself, you weren't on 10/10 pace, but that's exactly the issue. The moment you lean on this car in high ambient temps, it checks out. The more I sit back and think on it, the more it pisses me off...the way this was marketed vs. the way it performs. In the end, we all love the car - but the dream of driving it "stock" at a solid pace on a track when it's hot out is just that - a dream. And for me, it's a nightmare - because I live in Houston and hot and humid is the only shitty season here. It has become my daily and I still love it for what it is.
I'm not discounting what you're saying. I agree on all counts. The Corvette, the C6 and C7, both suffered badly from temps as well - I think it even spurred a class action lawsuit.
 

Gansan

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I agree with most of you, but I don't agree on the idea that we made a mistake and should have gotten a track car. I used to trailer my race car many times a year and I'm done with that. I wanted a trackable street car, and this car is 90% of the way there. If only Honda had extended their effort that extra 10%, this would be a 10/10 car for me. As it stands, if an updated CTR came out with a revised cooling system that did at least as well as the Type Rs of old, I would be first to trade mine in. (Assuming someone doesn't invent a turnkey solution to our cooling problems.)
 

Nanook

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Went to Dominion Raceway in Thornton, VA this weekend with National Auto Sports Association. I had an instructor for 7 sessions and we had 6 (i think) classroom sessions. Highly recommend for anyone thinking of learning to track their CTR. My only complaint is I've got some brake noise at highway speeds and medium brake pressure now. I don't feel vibration, but I hear it. My wheel lock key has disappeared since I rotated my tires two weeks ago, so I can't pull the wheels and look. New key is on the way...

Anyway. Car did awesome. Ended up feeling really good about my driving...obviously didn't start out that way. Temperatures were low to mid 80's on Saturday, and mid to high 80's on Sunday. We ran 30 minute sessions, and I had no issues with heat soak as long as I opened the hood between sessions. Instructor said my last lap was fast enough to be in the next group up, but I needed to work on passing (and confidence doing so) before I was ready for that group.

Video below starts just after I lapped a BMW and it's the last lap of the day for me.
 

Nanook

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Yes, that is pad smear, so you guessed right that you just overheated the pads.
I suspect I did the same thing this weekend. What's the fix? I've got shudder now when I brake moderately.
 


TypeR

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I suspect I did the same thing this weekend. What's the fix? I've got shudder now when I brake moderately.

This is what my rotors and pads (top ones in the picture) look like after 2 track days with stock pads.

Pad material is embedded in the rotors and pads look glazed. These were my first track days ever so I’m probably being too rough on the brakes I’m guessing, must be over heating the pads? Also this was with traction/stability control left on so that may also be contributing.

C0354F56-EAB8-48C2-AA9C-B3DAEB642B82.jpeg


2B830E41-B53F-40D5-9DAE-249A726C9973.jpeg
I'm not expert on this but if you look at the picture above with the 3 pads, the ones at the top are my glazed pads, the 2nd set down is after rubbing the pad on 80 grit sandpaper (the bottom is new OE pads). I've been running the sanded down pads on the street for a few hundred miles and the rotors are looking much better. Not sure if the shudder is totally gone as I haven't been doing hard braking on the street but it is definitely much improved. I expect running some track pads would help clean the rotors even quicker.
 

CTR88

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Hi folks, new to the forum here. Good info and nice to see people wringing the Type R out on the tracks. I’ve had mine for a year and had it on VIR bone stock running about 2:22 on full course (first time there). Very competitive for autocrossing. Just had it at CMP (Carolina Motorsports Park) a couple weeks ago with the Porsche club. That track destroyed and corded the original tires (6000 miles, VIR weekend and several autocrosses and one day at CMP) but I had brought a set of 245/40/18 RE71Rs that I ran on day 2 when I ran 1:53.8. Great thing about the R is being able to load a second set of tires in the back!

It was super hot at CMP, about 92 the first day and 95 degrees in the afternoon of second day. I only noticed on the last 30 minute run on the last lap of the last day where the engine temp gauge crept up to about 4/5. I did have fuel starvation and limp mode at VIR at quarter tank but made sure to stay above half at CMP. Unfortunately the stock brakes took a beating at CMP also. Rotors are heavily grooved in front so I’m looking at new rotors and pads.

With regards to brakes, what kind of replacement rotors are people using? I see some running Girodisc, but with those running about $800 a set vs say PowerStop or Centrics for around $170 and OEM for $400, are they worth it? Do the two piece brakes last significantly longer?

Thanks for the info
 

handsoffsam

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With regards to brakes, what kind of replacement rotors are people using? I see some running Girodisc, but with those running about $800 a set vs say PowerStop or Centrics for around $170 and OEM for $400, are they worth it? Do the two piece brakes last significantly longer?
IMO if you're planning on flogging this car regularly, go with the Centric Plain 120 series and spend the money on decent pads.

EDIT: and welcome!
 

TypeR

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IMO if you're planning on flogging this car regularly, go with the Centric Plain 120 series and spend the money on decent pads.

EDIT: and welcome!
Do you mean plain as in not cross drilled? I can't seem to find any non cross drilled centric front rotors for the FK8 but if they are available I'd love to get a pair.
 

willskiGT

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Hi folks, new to the forum here. Good info and nice to see people wringing the Type R out on the tracks. I’ve had mine for a year and had it on VIR bone stock running about 2:22 on full course (first time there). Very competitive for autocrossing. Just had it at CMP (Carolina Motorsports Park) a couple weeks ago with the Porsche club. That track destroyed and corded the original tires (6000 miles, VIR weekend and several autocrosses and one day at CMP) but I had brought a set of 245/40/18 RE71Rs that I ran on day 2 when I ran 1:53.8. Great thing about the R is being able to load a second set of tires in the back!

It was super hot at CMP, about 92 the first day and 95 degrees in the afternoon of second day. I only noticed on the last 30 minute run on the last lap of the last day where the engine temp gauge crept up to about 4/5. I did have fuel starvation and limp mode at VIR at quarter tank but made sure to stay above half at CMP. Unfortunately the stock brakes took a beating at CMP also. Rotors are heavily grooved in front so I’m looking at new rotors and pads.

With regards to brakes, what kind of replacement rotors are people using? I see some running Girodisc, but with those running about $800 a set vs say PowerStop or Centrics for around $170 and OEM for $400, are they worth it? Do the two piece brakes last significantly longer?

Thanks for the info
Unless the rotors are at/under minimum thickness specified by Brembo (30mm), there is no need to replace them. Just upgrade your pads/fluids and you'll be fine.

In the event that you are at/below 30mm, OEM Brembos are $216/pair, not $400. https://www.newparts.com/product/09...otors-drilled-pvt-for-honda-civic-type-r-17-1

Stoptech rotors (cross drilled) are $66/ea on RockAuto. Centric 12840098 is the part number.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...ocharged,3441249,brake+&+wheel+hub,rotor,1896
Sponsored

 


 


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