The recent launch of the Honda Civic Type R marks the third time the hallowed Type R badge has appeared in Malaysia officially, after the FD2 and FK8 Civic Type Rs. It’s also the most expensive—whereas the FD2 snuck under the RM200,000 mark, and the FK8 was priced at just over RM330,000, the latest model, codenamed FL5, costs a sliver under RM400,000 (RM399,900).
A circa-RM70,000 price hike seems like overkill for something that, at first blush, doesn’t move the game on massively from the outgoing model. It still uses a K20C1 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo four-cylinder engine that produces 235kW (315hp) and 420Nm—an increase of just nine horsepower and 20Nm, despite significant modifications that include a more efficient turbocharger, a revamped ECU and a freer-breathing exhaust.
It also still uses a six-speed manual gearbox—an antiquity in a world where dual-clutch transmissions rule the roost—and continues to send all its prodigious power to the front wheels. It’s no wonder, then, that while the zero-to-100km/h times of all-wheel-drive rivals like the Volkswagen Golf R and Mercedes-AMG A45 S have numbers starting with four and three, the CTR takes a yawning 5.5 seconds to complete the same benchmark.
But the figures don’t tell the whole story, because the Honda has been singularly designed to put the driver first and foremost. Firstly, the manual ‘box is attached to one of the sweetest shifters known to man, while the steering has been wholly revised for a sharper feel. Under the skin, the Type R has a significantly wider track compared to the standard Civic to improve stability and comes with adaptive dampers so that the driver can adjust the stiffness of the ride depending on their mood.
Elsewhere, the car comes with dual-axis strut suspension and a limited-slip differential to reduce torque steer—a bugbear on most high-powered front-wheel-drive vehicles. The 19-inch alloy wheels, on the other hand, are wrapped in wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres and hide large Brembo brakes with gorgeous red callipers.
On the outside, the Type R pairs the more mature styling of the 11th-generation Civic with sleeker, more muscular additions, including flared wheel arches with front fender vents. You also get a larger grille and air intake for improved cooling, a vented aluminium bonnet to reduce front end lift and a humongous rear wing and diffuser that increases downforce. All this enables the Type R to achieve a production FWD lap record on the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife with a time of 7 minutes 44.881 seconds.
Inside, the CTR gets body-hugging red bucket seats, an aluminium gear knob and pedals and a numbered plaque to indicate the car’s exclusivity (only 19 units are coming to Malaysia this year). You also get a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster with a dedicated race car-style display in R+ mode, shift lights and a nine-inch touchscreen that incorporates the Honda LogR performance data monitor. Watch the video below to learn more.
