Honda's new Type R model oozes race-winning DNA

Here's a nice write up on a car we'll probably never see in North America....
Honda's new Type R model oozes race-winning DNAHonda's hottest hatchback, the highly desirable and thoroughly entertaining Civic Type R, has just gained a new sibling that turns red-hot to white-hot - literally!

Based on the existing Type R - which is still offered in the traditional Milano Red and Nighthawk Black paint finishes only – the new derivative is known as the Type R Championship Edition, thanks to its unique, Championship White exterior colour.

Celebrating Honda's extensive track record of international motorsport successes, the Type R Championship Edition is a winner in own right, thanks to its raft of special features.

Chief among these is the fitment of a standard limited-slip differential, which not only underscores the considerable performance potential of the Type R, but allows the driver to attack corners with even greater confidence.

BELLS AND WHISTLES

Other standard features unique to the Championship Edition version include both an iPod USB connector and a mini-jack auxiliary audio input for non-Apple devices.

Together, they ensure that owners of this special Type R can conveniently enjoy their own music collections.

Also offered by the Championship Edition Civic Type R are several exclusive convenience features. These include an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a tyre deflation warning system, rear-mounted park distance control, and impact-sensing door locks.

"The Type R Championship Edition does not replace the existing Type R. Instead, it's aimed at extending the high-revving hatchback's fan club with an even more comprehensive package of meaningful features, including items such as park distance control and a limited-slip differential," says Graham Eagle, general manager of sales and marketing at Honda South Africa.

For dyed-in-the-wool motoring enthusiasts, the Championship Edition's limited-slip diff will be the most telling improvement over the standard version. Usually the preserve of racing and rallying machines, the so-called LS diff improves traction by limiting wheel spin when cornering hard, at high speed.

The result is a sharper, more resolute turn-in action, linked to an almost uncanny ability to carry speed through corners without losing grip and falling prey to potentially terminal understeer.

The remainder of the mechanical package remains identical to that of the standard Civic Type R. A free-revving 2,0-litre i-VTEC engine delivers 148 kW and 193 Nm to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.

Like the standard Type R, the Championship Edition sprints from standstill to 100 km/h in only 6,6 seconds, and has a top speed of 235 km/h. Combined-cycle fuel consumption comes to 9,3 litres/100 km, while the CO2 emissions rating is 219 g/km. top.DisplayAds('SquareAV',19,855);

Music fans will be particularly pleased about the inclusion of both an iPod USB interface, and an analogue stereo auxiliary audio connection in the Type R Championship Edition.

Usually an added-cost extra in similarly positioned rivals, the two connections allow the seamless interface of personal music collections on iPods and other MP3 players with the Type R’s integrated sound system.

Enhanced convenience and safety is provided by the new auto-dimming rear-view mirror, which prevents traffic approaching from behind from blinding the driver by automatically dimming the mirror. Also new are rear parking sensors to assist the driver when reversing.

CORE ISSUES

Safety is also at the core of two additional systems introduced exclusively on the Type R Championship Edition.

A Deflation Warning System has been included, which informs the driver if the tyre pressure on one or more tyres is too low. In addition, impact sensors have been fitted to all door locks, which will unlock the doors in the case of an accident, allowing the occupants of the vehicle to exit safely.

"The Honda Civic Type R is a performance icon with a particularly loyal following. The changes incorporated into the new Championship Edition enhance its performance legacy, while adding a substantial list of meaningful convenience and safety features," says Eagle.

"Perhaps most telling of all, we have been able to introduce the Championship Edition at a relatively small premium, compared to the standard version, which ensures that value remains a key component of the Type R package," he concluded.

The Honda Civic Type R Championship Edition has a recommended retail price of R299 900, and is available from all accredited Honda dealers countrywide. The standard Civic Type R’s current recommended retail price is R290 900.

Exclusive Championship Edition version of iconic Civic Type R added to existing model
-New derivative celebrates Honda’s strong motorsport heritage
-Introduction of limited-slip diff enhances dynamic appeal and cornering performance
-Significant convenience upgrades include iPod interface and MP3 player connectivity
-New safety enhancements include Tyre Deflation Warning system and impact-sensing locks
-Free-revving i-VTEC powerplant and six-speed manual gearbox remain unchanged

Source;
http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4877842&fSectionId=855&fSetId=381

UK Honda celebrates ‘Red H’ with Type R drivers’ club

Honda has invited Type R owners from across the UK to a special celebration event at Brands Hatch on 21 September.

Hundreds of Civics, Integras and Accords – all wearing the famous ‘Red H’ badge – are expected at the final round of the British Touring Car Championship, to pay homage to the rev-happy performance badge.

Drivers of any Type Rs attending the event at Brands will be able to park in a special ‘Type R Only’ car park near the entrance to the circuit. Then 250 owners of the Honda performance cars will get access to an exclusive Type R Drivers’ Club in the paddock of the Kent circuit.

They’ll also be able to view a display of unique Type R cars and motorcycles from the past 20 years and take part in the ‘Question of Motorsport’ quiz featuring racing drivers from the world of Honda. The collection of classic Type Rs will then complete two parade laps of the Brands Hatch circuit.

A group of lucky owners will also get the chance to take part in a pre-race grid walk and meet Gordon Shedden and Tom Chilton, the Team Halfords Civic drivers, before they do battle in the end-of-season Touring Car races.

Source;

http://www.automotoportal.com/article/honda-celebrates-red-h-with-type-r-drivers-club

Edmunds Review: 2008 Honda Civic Mugen RR

Honda's Own Skyline GT-R
By John Barker, Contributor Email Date posted: 09-08-2008

Our first sight of the rarest and probably most desirable Honda Civic on the planet is a flash of blood-red paint and a glint of black wheel spokes a couple of hundred yards away, parked in a roadside turn-off in the middle of England. Even at this range, we know it's the real thing, and up close the 2008 Honda Civic Mugen RR is even more striking.

When the Mugen RR went on sale in Japan last September, all 300 examples were snapped up in just 10 minutes. This is the only example in the U.K. and is likely to remain so, as RRs are now changing hands at a premium in Japan. While the standard Honda Civic Type R costs $25,600 in Japan, the Mugen RR went for $43,900.

That's a premium of $18,300 for what appears at first glance to be a gentle massaging of the already impressive JDM Civic Type R sedan. The more you delve into the details of the 2008 Honda Civic Mugen RR, however, the more plausible becomes Mugen's claim to have built the ultimate front-drive car.

The Mugen Way
Mugen, of course, is the Japanese word for "Unlimited," and it began when Hirotoshi Honda built a racing car in his father's workshop back in 1965 while he was still a student at Nihon University. And, yes, his father was Soichiro Honda, the patriarch of Honda. Mugen has specialized in high-performance and motorsports with Honda products since it was formally established, although the company was restructured in late 2003 under the ownership of M-TEC.

Mugen is well known for offering tuning and styling parts for Hondas, but everything on the RR is unique and will not be on sale separately. Take a chunk out of one of the forged-aluminum 18-inch wheels and you'll have to prove that you own an RR to get another. The same goes for the carbon-fiber front airdam and rear aero diffuser, the aluminum vented hood and the adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing.

Despite these lightweight pieces, the RR is only 22 pounds lighter than the Honda Civic Type R upon which it is based, even with the lightweight carbon-fiber Recaro racing seats inside the cabin.

You won't find a substantial power uplift either. In prototype form, the RR was said to have a 256-horsepower, 2.2-liter version of the Honda K20A engine, but the production version sticks with the standard displacement of 1,998cc. Mind you, the 237 hp it does produce is more power than the stock 222-hp Type R unit. The improvements come from a ram-air intake, a larger cold air box, new intake and exhaust camshafts, stiffer valve springs, a 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, a low-restriction catalyst and dual exhaust.

Track Record
Now, we're big fans of the Honda Civic Type R, even though its appearance in Japan as a four-door sedan instead of a three-door coupe caused something of a scandal (Honda U.K. even built its own Type R coupe in response).

The Type R's grooved, street-legal slicks, limited-slip differential and a K20A with a 9,000-rpm redline make it pretty impressive. The Mugen RR sets out to be even more focused, but we can't help but cynically imagine that this will be like the difference between a four-blade and a five-blade disposable razor, i.e. largely imaginary. After all, the Civic Type R's own K20A spins out 225 hp at 8,000 rpm and 158 pound-feet of torque at 6,100 rpm.

Nevertheless, the Mugen RR is 2 seconds quicker than the Type R around the Tsukuba Circuit, the 1.3-mile road course that Japanese car manufacturers regard as an important standard of speed just like the Nürburgring Nordschleife (only, you know, shorter). So the RR does the business.

For the rest of the article;
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=131768?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*#2