New Honda Civic Type R proves to be the ‘the most extreme yet’

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The Honda Civic Type R has always been a blast to drive, but for 2015, Honda is taking it up a notch.

The radical 2015 Type R will reportedly boast a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-banger that produces 280 horsepower. That’s 58 more hp than the previous generation, 40 more than the Honda S2000, and only 10 less than the last NSX.

Ok, maybe that’s a few notches.

“The new Type R promises to be the most extreme yet,” said Olivia Dunn, Head of Marketing for Honda UK. “It’s born from racing and it pushes the boundaries.”

One look at the concept car and you’ll see Honda isn’t kidding around. An enormous front grill is accented by sinister, dagger-like headlights, and the aft section has more vents, splitters, and wings than Optimus Prime. 

Honda’s aggressive approach doesn’t stop at the car, though; the Japanese automaker has just released the first installment of its new “R-rated” hype campaign for the Civic, and it’s, well, weird.

The sixty-second video, titled ‘Disruption,’ starts with a typical Honda scene: a happy, non-threatening family loading supplies into their picnic-mobile. Surely, a clean, politically correct outing is in store for these suburban warriors. 

Then everything goes wrong. There are brooding neon lights, biomechanical attack wolves, a woman smashing pottery, and tattooed man cracking his knuckles. It’s not exactly your average Honda advert, but the Type R isn’t exactly your average Honda.   

“This new campaign encompasses this spirit perfectly, with ‘Disruption’ the ideal curtain raiser in setting the energy and adrenaline levels very high,” Dunn continued. 

The video may seem a little strange, but let’s look at the big picture: We’re getting a 280-hp Civic Type R. Make as many weird videos as you want, Honda.