Saying "It is just a 35k Civic at the end of the day" . . . Makes me so mad

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Harlaquin

Harlaquin

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Alright, here's my take:

I think it's fair to say the CTR is very sporty but just not a "sports car."

The most helpful definition of a "sports car" is a car that was intentionally specifically designed and engineered with the primary purpose of being fun to drive - that is to say, choosing to hit a sweet spot in terms of comfort, speed, and handling. It's engineering is focused on the performance driving experience, with little to no effort being put toward utility. This means, with very little exception, it isn't built from nor will it have a "non-sports car" version because that largely defeats the point of the engineering. The utility considerations are mostly ignored in favor of the driving experience. This is why they generally have small trunks, only carry 2 people, don't emphasize fuel mileage, and often have fewer features than their touring/luxury counterparts. Removing the unnecessary weight or saving the costs after investing them in the platform is a higher priority. Of course, different enthusiasts want different amounts of these features, so there is a spectrum- Elise up to Bugatti - but in every case, the engineering is still focused on the driving experience, not the utility.

Of course, there are many cars over the years that have sought to capture the "sports car" feel without losing all the utility/practicality - this is where the "hot hatch" category got created (among others - wagons, high performance SUVs etc.). But these are not sports cars, they exist in their categories as high performing versions of utility focused cars. Doing that the other way around - taking a sports car and giving it extra utility - is where we get the category "Grand Touring" cars.

The CTR was not designed from the ground up for driving first. Nor, was it a sports car which had extra utility/comfort added. It is, by design, a factory modified version of a mass market compact sedan (again, one that was executed with fantastic engineering to great success - this is not an insult). If the CTR is a sports car, then any tuned sedan with a body kit (or really any car which comes from the factory looking a bit more aggressive and/or having a decent driving experience) can be argued into the sports car category. This makes it pretty difficult to draw any line and still have the "sports car" category mean anything.

The CTR is a fantastic, excellent, fast, fun, sporty car with top tier value. It is not a sports car.

:)
Is too a sports car!!! Lol. But your discription cuts out Mustangs and just about any US made "sports "car from being a sports car. Lets take the Mustang for example. Sports car? Not according to you. It holds 4 people, the inside is built for comfort, the trunk is rather large and its got more do dads and bells and whistles then any car ive seen. My friend just got a 19gt and its got 22 yes 22 buttons on the steering wheel alone. So this is not a sports car?

As for the R, sedan? Yes. Not built for driving or performance...um.... how many sedans are tested on world class tracks, hold records on world class tracks? I think you have it backwards the R is not a sedan that can perform . Its a performance car that says i can be practical too. Honda made a car to fit any situation they made a kick ass car that can be practical not a practical car that can kick ass.
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thirtem

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It is just a 35k civic. Makes you mad, makes me proud. Look what fun we're all having for just 35k!
 

slowride

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I was enjoying my Type-R today until a white GT-R pulled up right next to me at a light and started revving at me. I turned my music up really loud and pretended I had no idea he was was there lol
 
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It is just a 35k civic. Makes you mad, makes me proud. Look what fun we're all having for just 35k!
Oh no makes me super happy that just a civic kicks cars twice its price butt. Its when the dismissive arrogant jack wagons say it to put it down.
 

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The guy in the GTR is just being a douche. You’ll never know the dude that is driving the CTR may have a Lamborghini in his garage, and the type R is only one of his cars.
 


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"It is just a 35K Civic at the end of the day" has to be one of the most ignorant statements anyone makes.

How about this then,
The Ford Shelby GT500 is just a Mustang at the end of the day!
The Hellcat is just a Challenger at the end of the day!
The Camaro ZL1 is just a Camaro at the end of the day!
… and so on.

Look every cars base model is crap for performance and is sold to people who want the style but might not be able to afford the high end goodies. Comparing any cars high end to its low end is just stupid. And anyone who dismisses any performance car in this manor is simply ignorant of cars and should probably be driving an I Phone..er I mean tesla or Ecar.

Its just a civic... LOL... Why not ask the dipshit who pulled up to me last night in his louder then hell fancy Camaro, all revving and wanting to race with his Dale JR race team stickers. Well when I left him in the dust at a rolling race on the interstate I guess all that off the line power didn't mean shit now did it? So I guess he was back there going, "Whatever its just a civic" while crying over some Hank Williams and stroking his dash bobble head of Dale Jr.
Honda Civic 10th gen Saying "It is just a 35k Civic at the end of the day" . . . Makes me so mad cool-story-bro-changed-my-life
 

omar0123

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Guess the type r is just a 35k car that ran the nurbergring in one minute less then a McLaren thats a million dollar car , its the price of the car most cars a valued because of the materials used to make it Honda is more reliable than cars three times the price its all abought how much your willing to pay
 

wildbilly32

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Wikipedia(for whatever that's worth)
"A sports car is designed to emphasise handling, performance or thrill of driving. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around the world."

Sounds like the Type R fits this definition to me. Is it a Civic? Yeah a 306 hp Civic with more torque than should be allowed. Handles like a slot car and out stops an NSX. Thrill to drive...YES!

Look I am fortunate enough to be able to own the Type R and a Porsche C4S. I love them both. Don't tell the Porsche guys but I enjoy driving the Type R more because, well, it is thrilling to drive without having to break into triple digits on the speedo. It is the most fun car I have ever had between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm and I'm an old guy who has had some hot cars. When uninformed people ask what it is I respond: "It's just a little ol' Civic." with a great big satisfied smile!
 

Thawk

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Is too a sports car!!! Lol. But your discription cuts out Mustangs and just about any US made "sports "car from being a sports car...
I think you might have missed a few lines if that was really your takeaway :) The Mustang, in all its forms, is a purpose built sports car. It was designed as a ground up, driving focused vehicle. It's not based on or built out of something else the way a CTR is.
 


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I think you might have missed a few lines if that was really your takeaway :) The Mustang, in all its forms, is a purpose built sports car. It was designed as a ground up, driving focused vehicle. It's not based on or built out of something else the way a CTR is.
if it was built from the ground up as a purpose built driving car.. um.. they missed that goal. LOL. It goes straight very fast. Not much driving required. WE have all seen what happens if it tries to turn a corner.
Honda Civic 10th gen Saying "It is just a 35k Civic at the end of the day" . . . Makes me so mad 385831
 
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jred721

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if it was built from the ground up as a purpose built driving car.. um.. they missed that goal. LOL. It goes straight very fast. Not much driving required. WE have all seen what happens if it tries to turn a corner.
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I get the meme and stuff but obviously you dont know much about the current gen mustangs. They now have an independent rear suspension and pretty much every single car review has acknowledged the fact that these new mustangs really do handle well, especially the GT350. Hell i've had a decent amount of seat time with the S550 GT and I can say the car's handling is pretty damn good. And the Coyote motor is nothing short of amazing.

But thats beside the point, the fact is a Civic Type R IS just a $35k Civic at the end of the day. But why is that a bad thing? The car is a hot hatch and hot hatches have been based on their economy car roots since their inception. So i dont think its bad to say it is a $35K Civic, because it is. If people try to twist that as negative, then they just dont know much about cars or specifically hot hatches. I get the point @Harlaquin is trying to make, but I also dont get the point of putting down other cars in the process. Muscle cars are great cars especially now, and offer insane horsepower and performance for the price. As does the Type R, just depends whats your cup of tea. I do think the Type R is a sports car because its a car thats built for performance and enjoyment, end of story. Doesnt matter if it's a Civic underneath or not.
 
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I get the meme and stuff but obviously you dont know much about the current gen mustangs. They now have an independent rear suspension and pretty much every single car review has acknowledged the fact that these new mustangs really do handle well, especially the GT350. Hell i've had a decent amount of seat time with the S550 GT and I can say the car's handling is pretty damn good. And the Coyote motor is nothing short of amazing.

But thats beside the point, the fact is a Civic Type R IS just a $35k Civic at the end of the day. But why is that a bad thing? The car is a hot hatch and hot hatches have been based on their economy car roots since their inception. So i dont think its bad to say it is a $35K Civic, because it is. If people try to twist that as negative, then they just dont know much about cars or specifically hot hatches. I get the point @Harlaquin is trying to make, but I also dont get the point of putting down other cars in the process. Muscle cars are great cars especially now, and offer insane horsepower and performance for the price. As does the Type R, just depends whats your cup of tea. I do think the Type R is a sports car because its a car thats built for performance and enjoyment, end of story. Doesnt matter if it's a Civic underneath or not.
I got ya. But im only negative toword other cars in return for them being negative to mine. Tit for tat. I dont hate mustangs. I have had three and my buddy has a really kick ass one. I was just picking on them because of the previous post stateing what a sports car was and i was saying according to those standards a mustang was not one either. But calling a Mustang a Drivers car...um...powerful yes nimble and handling prowess not so sure. But ill get back to you on that me and my mustang friend are gonna hit some curves on the mountain roads and see. I honestly hope he nails it as i love Mustangs but my three older ones i had were all power no finesse. If i hangs corners ill be going to a ford dealer lol. I actually love all cars and hate when others throw shade so I return in kind
 

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No need to hate on the Mustangs. As mentioned, there is a full gamut of sports cars - dragsters are impressive in their own right - doesn't mean they'd win a hill climb - still purpose built. Converse for something like an RX-7 or Miata - not going to win any drag races, but a lot of fun and pretty darn fast through the twisty bits. My take has nothing to do with how well a particular vision is executed, or which side of the spectrum a car falls - might be fancy, might be bare bones, might be more straight line or more handling - I'm just saying that a sports car is purpose built with driving as the focus and everything else is secondary. Civics aren't built that way. The CTR is born from an economy sedan - it's been given the heart of a race car, which makes for a super fun and very impressive ride, but it's still not a pure sports car :)
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