2018 Civic Type R Could Debut in April (U.S.) with 335 BHP

[Design]

I think the ITR has left enough of a legacy that people know what to expect. I see very little ridicule/hate in the VW, Subaru or Ford communities except for the typical FWD/traction woes. Most expect it will do very well on a typical high speed circuit, but comparatively poor from a dig. It's a niche car no doubt. And one that will garner respect in the hands of a capable driver.

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[17siturb0]

I honestly think the new type r will do great from a dig. I hear the new suspension set up they are using and the LSD will make it grip good. And the wider tires will help. And it will be pretty damn fast. I expect it to out perform most in its class. I'm no fan boy. I do love Honda but I'm not being biased by any means. Like I said just wait, lots will be surprised.

 

[J35W2]

I agree, but I was using STi as a generalization for all of that general class of sub-5.0 hot cars. If the CTR isn't sub-5, it's going to have a hard time finding a market.

I have to disagree here. I don't think a few tenths of second with regard to 0-60 times defines an entire market, nor does it give proper respect to the enthusiasts market for hot hatches. I will choose the CTR over its competitors because it is a Honda and I know it will be a fantastic overall value with brilliant performance AND unsurpassed reliability, regardless of its 0-60 times. The Golf R, STI & RS are great cars and will likely out accelerate the CTR from 0-60, but I'm willing to bet (around $35,000 as it may be) that the CTR will be lighter & more reliable than the lot. All of the hot hatches are fairly similar on paper with regards to performance specs, so reliability becomes the most important aspect to me. Reliability is why I have owned Hondas since I bought my very first car, many years ago.

 

[s2kdriver80]

I agree, but I was using STi as a generalization for all of that general class of sub-5.0 hot cars. If the CTR isn't sub-5, it's going to have a hard time finding a market.

The FK2 CTR does 5.2 sec (as tested by Top Gear). It will be tough to break the 5-sec barrier. FWD just isn't the optimal drivetrain for dead stop races.

 

[17siturb0]

The FK2 CTR does 5.2 sec (as tested by Top Gear). It will be tough to break the 5-sec barrier. FWD just isn't the optimal drivetrain for dead stop races.

I bet you could easily the FK2 under 5 seconds. And I bet ours will be under 5 seconds out of factory since we get a power bump. Just cause it's fwd does not mean it can't have a good 0-60 or be good from a dig. You'll all find out. It will be impressive I think.

 

[Design]

It will need DRs to be capable from a dig. You can't outrun physics lol.

 

[ronmcdon]

i could be wrong, but I dont think Honda intended this to be a car optimized for 0-60 and drag racing.

Honda did seem to make a big deal out of ring times, so you may get more out of it if you go road racing, while having the practicality, and reliability of your typical civic at a reasonable $35k or so is my guess. For me that is a great package.

Given its fwd, I am not sure this is going to be a good car if you want much more power via aftermarket. Still, to push around 340hp on a stock fwd car is fairly unheard of as far as i know

 

[17siturb0]

i could be wrong, but I dont think Honda intended this to be a car optimized for 0-60 and drag racing.

Honda did seem to make a big deal out of ring times, so you may get more out of it if you go road racing, while having the practicality, and reliability of your typical civic at a reasonable $35k or so is my guess. For me that is a great package.

Given its fwd, I am not sure this is going to be a good car if you want much more power via aftermarket. Still, to push around 340hp on a stock fwd car is fairly unheard of as far as i know

I think people are forgetting how top notch the suspension will be with the limited slip differential which is vey aggressive and keeps the car planted. With some nice sticky tires, it's gonna be interesting that's for sure. I honestly think it will out perform most. And I love when people say it's pointless to have 400+ horse power in a fwd car. i never had problems with my 8th gen. I was making just over 400 and I could beat so many cars with identical numbers from a dig. It's all about your setup and you as a driver. That's my .02

 

[Design]

Unfortunately, you cannot tune the suspension for drag and for road performance as they require different approaches. Drag suspensions require stiffer rear springs or bags to limit weight transfer to the rear. They also sacrifice NVH by leveraging poly-mounts to limit engine/trans movement relative to the axles. Doing that much in a road car sacrifices traction along the rear inside tire @ apex. Honda will compensate by using slightly softer springs while reinforcing damping/ARBs as they've done with previous Rs. Contrary to popular belief, a great suspension does not technically improve straight-line grip; it only serves to maximize the the contact patch of the tires relative to the road.

I'm not here to be negative. Just realistic about this car's intended performance.

 

[Biggeek55]

Gah. Just got off the phone with my Honda guy. Their Rep just left the dealership and they're saying it will be July or August before we will see the CTR on the ground and wasn't very confident in that date.

Interestingly the SI's may be part of hold up. Honda doesn't like to drop a lot of cars close together and just had the CRV production and Odyssey prototype. They were supposed to put their dealer orders in for the SI in mid December and now they have been delayed again until next month and still don't have any specs.. or even basics like color options. They expect it will be prob 2-3 months after the SI lands before the CTR will, at the earliest.

 

[Eddie]

Gah. Just got off the phone with my Honda guy. Their Rep just left the dealership and they're saying it will be July or August before we will see the CTR on the ground and wasn't very confident in that date.

Interestingly the SI's may be part of hold up. Honda doesn't like to drop a lot of cars close together and just had the CRV production and Odyssey prototype. They were supposed to put their dealer orders in for the SI in mid December and now they have been delayed again until next month and still don't have any specs.. or even basics like color options. They expect it will be prob 2-3 months after the SI lands before the CTR will, at the earliest.

If nothing else, this is how they're going to make it a MY2018......Booooooooooooo, Damn Si!!! lol

 

[DrwMDvs]

Maybe they are re-evaulating the Si market and contemplating (testing) the 2.0T more

 

[Browncoat3000]

I've made this point before, and I agree reliability is important, but value will also be important, especially considering that there are going to be two performance versions of the same car, both with long histories of solid performance to live up to. That makes the targets much narrower for Honda if they want to make a serious dent in this somewhat crowded segment.

The current CTR runs 5.2, the previous CTR ('07) ran 4.9. Sure, that's getting close to what a FWD car can do, I agree.

However, the stock Civic is in the 6.5-7.0 range, the previous (2013)Si ran 6.1, so that means the new Si needs to beat those times, especially given its better power/weight ratio.

So, let's say the new Si runs 5.8-6.0 stock, and prices a bit more than the TS, that puts the car at around $30k without extras.

The CTR needs to be under 40K to compete in this sector. North of $40k you are up against Bimmers and Audis and others. Many folks think it will be around 35K, I'm guessing 38K.

Lets say the new CTR doesn't out perform the current CTR's 5.2, and the Si hits 5.8, there's a lot of folks who will think that that .5 second jump isn't worth the $8k, especially if $2k of mods to the Si will get that car down to near CTR numbers.

On the other hand, there is something psychologically appealing about having a sub-5.0 car that would change the math, even though in the real world that few tenths are "within the noise." That's why I say the CTR needs to hit 5.0 or less, otherwise the Si will simply dominate sales.

 

[DrwMDvs]

I refuse to believe that the Si will be ~$30k. I'm thinking $28k, tops, or so help my wallet. In the past, the Si has been priced below the top trim. I don't see it the Si increasing by over $7k.

 

[mjyumping]

Off-topic: Any news when will Australia receive a normal hatchback, and a manual?

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