autoevolution
 

2015 Honda Civic Type R will Have a 167 MPH Top Speed, First Photos Shown

Ahead of its imminent debut, Honda has dropped three crisp photos of its all-new Civic Type R, together with some rather enticing details. What used to be a family hatch is now going to be a 167 mph (270 km/h) Porsche Boxster killer. Honda also claims that its aerodynamics package will help the R go faster than any front-wheel drive EVER! Dang Honda, you really know how to tease a car.
2015 Honda Civic Type R 4 photos
Photo: Honda
2015 Honda Civic Type R2015 Honda Civic Type R2015 Honda Civic Type R
At the core of this car is a brand new engine, the first 2-liter turbocharged unit ever produced by the manufacturer. With such a high top speed, it's pretty clear that it's making at least 300 horsepower and not the 280 hp that was originally stated.

The first photos of the Type R show 10-spoke alloy wheels in gunmetal gray. They are shod in 235/35 ZR19 Continental tires. While the front fenders have been widened, the biggest changes were made to the front end, where a stunning looking gloss black spoiler looks like it came off a BTCC race car.

Oooo Dexter, what does this "R" button do?

The only photo of the interior should get hot hatch fans hot and bothered because it shows red dials. The steering wheel has red stitching and a stripe to signal the 12 o'clock position. Everything is very red, might we dare to say more red than the Astra VXR/OPC.

Which reminds us of the never-ending battle for the hot hatch crown. It started last March with the SEAT Leon Cupra 280, which set the first sub-8-minute time around the famed Nurburgring. Just a few months after that, Renault took home the crown with the track-focused Megane RS 275 Trophy-R, which set the current benchmark at 7:54.36. And Honda is undoubtedly going to shave at least 2 seconds, which makes the Civic Type R as fast around the Nurburgring as the BMW M4 or Lamborghini Gallardo LP500-4.

We'll see how the Civic Type R shapes up against its competition at the Geneva Motor Show 2015 on March 3rd. VTEC and Turbo just kicked in yo…
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories