The annual Geneva auto show is known for attracting the lion's share of exotic-car debuts, and Honda is bringing an exotic of its own to Geneva next month—no, we're not talking about another Honda/Acura NSX variant, although the NSX will be there, too—but as exotic a Civic as ever has been: the Civic Type R concept.
Honda is describing the hopped-up hatchback as a "racing car for the road," and while no powertrain details were provided along with this preview sketch, we learned a lot about the production version of the 2015 Civic Type R at last year's Frankfurt auto show, including that it will have five doors and its 2.0-liter four-cylinder will be turbocharged for the first time. Two months later, we drove a Civic Type R prototype of the car with that new engine, and found it to be loud, but seriously fast, with about 300 horsepower and an indicated 7000-rpm redline on the tach. Transmissions will include a six-speed manual and, likely, a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.
- Instrumented Test: 2013 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan
- Auto Shows: Honda Introduces New Family of Turbocharged Engines
- Instrumented Test: 2012 Honda Civic Si Sedan
From what we can glean from the sketch, the Civic Type R concept will be more wildly styled than the prototype we drove, sporting smooth wide-body fenders with trailing vents, Subaru WRX-like quad exhaust tips, impossibly huge wheels, and a ground-scraping suspension. It also shows a unique rear-end treatment with what appears to be LED taillamps lining the huge rear wing. We shall see if the production Civic R will look as special as the concept, or if it will more closely resemble the prototype, with its tacked-on fender extensions and curious vertical aero winglets beneath the high-set taillamps.
Regardless of how truly exotic the production version ends up, Honda has no plans to bring the Type R to the U.S., so alas, this sizzling Civic shall remain exotic, at least to us.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment