2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition review: Sharper on the track, but still great on the street

The Civic Type R Restricted Version is a screamin’ small very hot hatch which is a critical monitor weapon. Lighter and sharper than a typical Type R, this smaller-batch Honda can outrun sporting activities cars and trucks costing twice as significantly, and greatest of all, none of this included functionality will come at the cost of day-to-day-driving comfort.

A swift background lesson: Immediately after the Type R introduced in 2017, Honda utilized it to set a blistering seven-minute, forty three.8-second lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, making this Civic the quickest entrance-wheel-generate production automobile to operate the notorious German training course. But then the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R arrived together and trounced the Type R’s record, beating the Civic by four complete seconds. When the Type R Restricted Version debuted in the prior to-times of early 2020, a Honda government explained to me it was born out of the motivation to reclaim that FWD very hot lap title. And adhering to the Type R LE’s recent record lap at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan — where by it defeat the Megane Trophy-R, by the way — Honda’s confident the ‘Ring crown will shortly belong to the Civic at the time all over again. 

In order to get rid of time although shredding laps, Honda opted to reduce weight alternatively than enhance electric power. The Restricted Edition’s 2.-liter turbo I4 carries more than from the foundation Type R unchanged, generating 306 horsepower at 6,five hundred rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque at 2,five hundred rpm. The 2021 LE’s six-pace handbook transmission, limited-slip differential, suspension hardware and Brembo entrance brakes are all equivalent to people on the 2020 Type R, way too.

Alternatively, Honda reduce fifty kilos out of the US-spec Civic Type R by deleting the rear wiper, removing the cargo protect, fitting lighter-weight BBS wheels and removing a complete bunch of seem-deadening material — 28 kilos really worth, in truth. That “US-spec” qualification is significant, by the way Restricted Version models marketed in other marketplaces fall an further 30 kilos thanks to the removing of the audio process and air conditioning.

Now, prior to you bitch about the US not having the whole Restricted Version light-weight experience, here’s a further background lesson: When Honda introduced the monitor-ready S2000 CR in 2007, the radio and air conditioning ended up optional, but only a super-duper-smaller share of Us citizens ordered the CR this way. So except you are preparing to use your individual CTRLE to set a lap record, which you are not, perhaps just crank some tunes and love the amazing breeze of your AC. Us citizens generally consider they want a stripped-out automobile till they in fact have to live with it.

Mainly because it is really lighter, the Restricted Version has a bit distinct adaptive damping and electronic steering calibrations than a typical Type R. The dampers preserve the Civic managed although accounting for the trimmer body, and right after driving a Restricted Version back to back with a Type R Touring on monitor, the steering tweaks are seriously noticeable. Switch-in is significantly sharper with a lot quicker response, but there is certainly continue to tons of come to feel and feedback as a result of the wheel. I’m into it.

Off the monitor, the changes are significantly less noticeable, but even so appreciated. You will come to feel the sharper turn-in, but the retuned adaptive damper configurations really don’t seriously change (read: ruin) the Type R’s journey quality in the town or on the highway. Actually, the Restricted Version just will help enhance what would make the Civic Type R so good to begin with: Plenty of turbo electric power, a slick-shifting six-pace stick and an unbelievably able entrance-wheel-generate set up. This all would make for a significantly chuckable small very hot hatch. The Type R has generally been a huge-slayer — you can chase down Porsche 911s on mountain roads all day very long — and the Restricted Version is no distinct.

The absence of seem-deadening material does end result in a ton far more cabin noise, but it is really not that huge of a deal. At ease and nicely appointed as it may well be, the typical Civic Type R is just not specifically a serene highway cruiser, so I really don’t consider most men and women will notice the included roar from the wind and tires.

As considerably as creature comforts are anxious, the Restricted Version has every thing you will discover on the typical Type R Touring. The activity seats are as supportive as they are comfortable and a seven-inch central touchscreen has embedded navigation as very well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. You get a complete mess of driver-guidance functions, way too, such as forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-retaining support and adaptive cruise regulate. The only point which is lacking? Heated seats. Nevertheless. Sigh.

Honda will develop one,000 illustrations of the Civic Type R Restricted Version for international distribution, with 600 offered in the US. They are all painted Phoenix Yellow and will have a serialized plaque on the sprint.

With a $forty four,950 rate tag (such as $955 for desired destination), the Restricted Version expenses $6,five hundred far more than the 2021 Type R Touring. That’s very likely easy plenty of for a critical fanboy, collector or monitor rat to swing, and as is the case with all Type R-badged Hondas
, the 600 US-spec cars and trucks will absolutely be marketed in quick order. Luckily, the Type R Touring presents 98% of the experience, so if you won’t be able to snag a single of the Restricted Editions, there is certainly continue to loads of very hot hatch greatness to go about.