Some vehicles have fans so passionate, so loyal, and so dedicated, they’ll buy a car without even seeing it.
This is (sort of) the case with the new Honda Civic Type R.
For years, the sporty civic has been a fixture in the tuning community, and although it was never the fastest mill of the group, its ever-changing face has a place on the Mount Rushmore of street racing.
Because it’s garnered that popularity over a 17-year run, some buyers have put down their deposits even though a concept is all they’ve seen. The car is now available to order in the U.K.
It is a striking concept, though, with dramatic boy-racer styling, show car graphics, and a spoiler that’d make the U.S.S. Reliant jealous. And for 2015, it’s finally got it where it counts: under the hood.
Powering the little Honda’s front wheels is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with more than 280 horsepower. That’s over 40 more than the S2000, and just 10 or so less than the iconic Acura NSX.
The boosted hatchback can be reserved in Britain for £3,000 ($4,690), and is due in European showrooms next year. Honda calls the Civic “the most extreme and high-performing Type R in the 22-year history of the red ‘H’ badge, signaling the start of a new performance era for the brand.”
Debuting in the new Civic is the ‘+R’ button, which when pressed, enhances the precision and attack of the car by modifying torque maps, increasing the response of the steering, and flexing the four-point Adaptive Damper System.
You can see it, and the car’s dual personalities in the brilliant Type R advertisement.
