That aforementioned turbo four makes an effortless 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, the latter sitting on a flat plateau between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm. With or without the Limited Edition’s lightweighting and retuned suspension and steering, the Honda Civic Type R is one hell of a fun car. Of course, if you’re after an even more polished ride, there’s always the similarly priced Volkswagen Golf R. For as much grip and roll stiffness as the Type R has, its composure in daily driving is an impressive achievement. Truly broken pavement makes its presence known with a fair amount of harshness, but the hot hatch is poised over even marginally maintained roads. Positioned perfectly to keep your arms in a good relationship with the steering wheel and shifter, they make driving the sporty front-driver much easier and more enjoyable.Īnd in spite of those massive 20-inch wheels and a relatively short 106.3-inch wheelbase, the Civic Type R has a comfortable ride, easily the equal to the Hyundai Veloster N. The shoulder bolsters, in particular, deserve praise. The biggest contributor on this front is an excellent set of well-shaped sport seats that keep you in place during sporty driving without pinching your backside the rest of the time. The current Civic Type R does an excellent job of balancing freeway comfort while remaining fun to drive. The matte-black wheels, faux carbon fiber side skirts, and gloss black body accents with red pinstripes are a bit of a mish-mash, but they also give the Type R an angry-hornet motif that wholly suits the car’s purpose. Adding to the appeal is impressive paint quality – if you told us this vehicle was hand-assembled next to the Acura NSX at the automaker’s Performance Manufacturing Center, we’d believe you. Phoenix Yellow is one of the most recognizable hues in the Honda portfolio, and it looks resplendent on the Civic Type R’s comically angry form. We’ll forgive some of the exuberance, particularly in this particular color. The Type R is not a vehicle for introverts.

All that before we mention the huge, hatch-mounted rear wing and center-exit exhaust, which for some reason exhales through three pipes. The Civic Type R is even more exuberant, with massive, fake grilles on the front and rear bumpers, faux vents on the flared fenders, and a functional NACA duct on the hood. Looking at the 2022 Honda Civic sedan and hatchback, it’s pretty apparent that the automaker is correcting (possibly over-correcting) for the current example’s unhinged exterior styling. And while the changes aren’t really noticeable on public roads, the not-so-mellow yellow Civic is still a hoot to drive. Finally, by ditching the rear window wiper, parcel shelf, and some sound deadening, the Type R LE is lighter by just about 50 pounds relative to its more common siblings. Along with the heritage paint, the Type R Limited Edition wears a unique set of forged BBS wheels that reduce unsprung mass and require a slight retuning to the dampers and steering system. The unique hue also pays homage to Type Rs from the past, including the first Civic Type R of 1998 (forbidden to Americans) and the US-bound 2001 Acura Integra Type R. It’s fitting, then, that the automaker chose Phoenix Yellow for a limited run of 250 examples to commemorate the hot hatch – after the current Civic Type R flames out in glory, its replacement will rise from the ashes sometime next year.

It’s nearly time to say goodbye to the current Honda Civic Type R, which will cease production on July 31 when its manufacturing facility in Swindon, England, closes.

2021 honda civic type r