The six-speed manual transmission remains one of the best I’ve ever rowed through, with super-precise, snick-snick action that encourages you to shift often just for the joy of feeling the mechanical action in your hand. There’s considerable turbo lag, but that only encourages you to learn to better manage the 306-horsepower, boosted 2.0-liter four-cylinder’s revs. It’s quick, but not uncontrollably so like an over-powered rear-wheel-drive V-8 muscle car. The changes Honda has made to this Limited Edition basically do two things: It has slightly better steering feel and feedback thanks to its lower unsprung weight and sticky tires, and it’s a bit louder inside than other versions of the CTR due to less sound insulation.įirst, the performance bit: The Limited Edition is just as brilliant to drive as any other version of the CTR. And the conclusion I came away with was simple: It’s still one of the most entertaining, raucous, unhinged beasts you can buy. Honda loaned me one of these rare beasts for a three-day stint this past summer, and while I sadly didn’t have any track time to try the “CTR” (as its fans call it) in its intended road circuit environment, I did have ample opportunity to take it down some of my favorite local driving roads, around town and out on the highway. So the real reason to buy a Civic Type R Limited Edition isn’t for much in the way of a performance boost, but instead for its rarity and exclusivity - only 600 will be brought to the U.S., and given that there are just over 1,000 Honda dealerships here, not every dealer will get one.Ģ021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition | photo by Aaron Bragman A Little Bit Lighter Does it do anything for you out on the street? No, it really doesn’t especially when driver weight varies so much, passengers are involved, luggage might be in the boot, air temperature might vary, or any number of other myriad variables come into play. Even the tires, Michelin Cup 2 rubber, are a pound lighter each.ĭoes 50 pounds make a big difference in lap times on a track? Possibly, but it might just give the car a slight edge when tenths or hundredths of a second count. But another 28 pounds was taken out through the removal of sound deadening materials in the roof, the rear hatch panel, front fenders and dashboard, and the elimination of the rear cargo cover, rear vent ducts and rear wiper mechanism. The front brakes are lighter by 2.5 pounds per side thanks to lightweight floating brake rotors introduced for the 2020 model year, so those don’t count in the 50-pound figure. A concerted effort to lighten the Type R’s load resulted in a 50-pound weight reduction, thanks in large part to new, lightweight forged-aluminum-alloy BBS wheels that save 18 pounds of unsprung weight. What was the plan? Dump anything that’s not needed to go faster, lightening the car and helping it gain a little more speed. Related: 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition, on Track for U.S. We’re pretty sure one will be coming (the old Type R is too popular not to get a new version), but before Honda sends the old Civic Type R out to pasture, they felt it was necessary to give it one last hurrah - and a shot at reclaiming its lap record title at Germany’s famed Nurburgring racetrack, which it lost to the Renault Megane R.S. There’s an all-new Honda Civic for the 2022 model year, a significant refresh to a perennial favorite among compact car buyers, but a new fire-breathing, high-performance Type R model has yet to be unveiled as of this writing.
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