Bearing the heart of a performance car with its naturally aspirated 2.0-litre unit, this scorching sedan should convince all who would suggest the Civic sedan is only really suited to those ready to leap towards the light otherwise.
The i-VTEC unit dispatches 165 kW at a howling 8 000 r/min and 215 Nm of torque at 6 100 r/min. It is coupled with a short-shift six-speed manual gearbox with gear ratios optimized for rapid acceleration at high engine speeds. Drive-by-wire technology ensures more rapid throttle response.
The aerodynamically crafted exterior's gaping grille, large air intakes, diffusers and spoilers conceal a more rigid body shell, a specially tuned sports suspension with revised spring and damper settings and torque-sensitive limited slip differential that, along with other performance-boosting features, aid Civic in achieving its performance goals.
This Type R rides on 18-inch rubber with stopping power provided by four-piston aluminium calipers at the front linked to the sturdy ABS system.
Inside its all-black cabin, the performance sedan is fitted with front bucket seats, a sports steering wheel, and a foot rest and pedals finished in metal. The special instrument panel incorporates an alert function to signal when the rev limiter is about to be reached.