Autosport: Celebrating 25 years of Honda's Type R badge

GTI, STi, AMG, Renault Sport and RS - each comes with its own reputation for high-performance machinery. In 1992 Honda gave birth to Type R, a badge that has come to rank among the most notorious.

by Tyler Heatley of www.autosport.com

Here is everything you need to know about Type R.

The first Type R

The Honda NSX had already established itself as something of a Ferrari slayer in its first three years of life, but Honda wanted to boost performance further, and labeled this very special 1992 model the NSX Type R. The R was for 'racing'.
Produced in limited numbers for Japan, the original Type R was a hardcore supercar. Extensive weight reduction saved 120kg by ditching the electric windows, air conditioning, stereo and all of the sound deadening.
A follow-up NSX-R was produced in 2002 with more extensive aerodynamic bodywork, as the first-generation car came to the end of its life.

A VTEC heart

Many Type R fans will proclaim the virtues of VTEC. Standing for Variable Valve and Lift Electronic Control, the innovative system changes the profile of the engine to boost performance.
The result is a notable kick as the car's full potential is released.

The red H

Every Honda Type R model wears a red H instead of the standard Honda logo in homage to the very first Honda Formula 1 car.
The RA272 led the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix from start to finish and delivered Honda its first F1 victory.
Many Type Rs are also finished in the same iconic 'Championship White' as the racing car.

Type R on track

The NSX went on to compete in various Japanese GT racing series, but it is in touring car championships where the sub-brand has made a name for itself.
The Integra and Civic Type R models have secured four British Touring Car Championships between them and a fifth is looking likely this year.
Entries into the World Touring Car Championship have resulted in multiple race wins and fastest laps. Entry to the newly formed TCR series promises similar success.

It has returned to America

In 1997 Type R made its US debut under the Acura brand with the Integra Type R.
Built to meet FIA race homologation rules, 3,823 of them found a home in the States. Due to the engineering involved with each example and the low sales volume, Honda made a loss on every car sold.
Production of the Integra ended in 2001 and it was the last Type R officially available - until the new 2018 Honda Civic Type R arrived.

The latest Type R, based on the 10th generation Civic, is a 316bhp hot hatch. Now available stateside, the Type R is no longer America's forbidden fruit.
Taking on rivals such as the Ford Focus RS, Honda knew that this car had to be one of its best efforts.

25 years of Type R

Those of you who are good at maths might already have worked out that 2017 marks 25 years since the first Type R.
In that time we have seen unicorn supercars, potent saloons and many a hot hatch proudly join the Type R family. Over the past quarter of a century it has become a true enthusiasts' favourite.
Honda's legendary reliability (away from its current F1 programme!), teamed with class-leading performance, makes the badge a popular choice for those who take their cars to the track.

What's next?

A number of interviews with engineers have hinted that Honda is keen to grow the Type R brand further.
Hotter versions of the Civic Type R, potentially with all-wheel drive, are a possibility. The current generation will have a longer lifespan than its predecessors and Honda will need to continue competing with the very best.
The latest NSX hybrid supercar is also a prime candidate that would see the Type R treatment return to the model where it all began.
If the latest offering is anything to go by, Type R fans should be very excited for what is to come - but don't hold your breath for a Jazz Type R. Some things remain sacred.

Source;
https://www.autosport.com/m1/news/131903/celebrating-25-years-of-honda-type-r

Spyshots: Honda Civic Type R Mule has Big Wing

This is primarily for the UK market, we won't be seeing this in North America....

When we drove the new Honda Civic earlier this year, all we could think about was a question: when will the Type-R arrive? Now we have something that’s not an answer but is good enough: a set of spyshots that show a test mule of the hot hatch.

The images show a Civic that’s wearing a huge (by OEM standards) wing at the back and a slightly modified front bumper (this seems to have a metallic add-on lower elements), with these indicating that we are talking about a go-fast version of the Civic.

Honda will stay true to its Type-R philosophy, so instead of slapping a turbo and throwing itself in the HP war that currently going on in the hot hatch segment, it will use a high-revving naturally aspirated engine that’s set to offer 220-230 hp. However, the heart of the vehicle will be its chassis, with Honda expected to make radical changes, but without its usual partner, Mugen.

Source;
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/spyshots-honda-civic-type-r-mule-has-big-wing-45666.html

Honda Titillating And Triumphant Returns

Honda brushes the dust off its Type R series—and not a moment too soon!
After the major earthquake in Eastern Japan, Honda has been strongly committed to resuming full operations. Unfortunately, the vehicle component plant has been hit hardest by the disaster, as has the Tochigi Research Centre—this has caused delays in the development of new cars. However, development is expected to speed up as Honda continues restoration.

Despite the inevitable delays, the schedule is not anticipated to change much—in fact, the new Freed, Freed Hybrid and CR-V’s release dates have been only slightly shifted to the end of the year. Also, Honda is likely to release several new cars from late this year until early 2012.

THE CASE FOR EUROPE
The combined effects of the recent disaster and the depressed global economy have forced automakers to re-evaluate their original plans. In Honda’s case, it is likely to continue producing mid-sized and large cars such as Accord Hybrid for the North American market. However, it might make some changes to its current compact car scheme.

A factor in Honda’s renewed sense of urgency is the state of the European automotive market. Despite Fit’s exceptional utility, appearance is not the only factor in retail success. Rather, Honda must think twice about improving its performance. Until today, Fit has been unable to beat the prolific Volkswagen Polo. Last year, the new Polo was launched with 1.2ℓ, turbocharged 1.2ℓ, 1.4ℓ and turbocharged 1.4ℓ GTI variants. On the other hand, the fuel-efficient Fit currently has 1.5ℓ and 2ℓ conventional variants and a 1.3ℓ hybrid. Honda’s smaller engines draw attention to the performance difference—not only that, Polo has a turbocharged engine and a Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), which also enhances its drivability.

In response, a Honda insider said that the automaker was hard at work on compact and fuel-efficient 1.3ℓ and 1.5ℓ engines. Like the 2~2.4ℓ K Series engines, Honda’s new projects will have excellent versatility—all that is left is for it to overcome the development hurdles.

The same source agreed that the proposed Fit will have many of the features that popularised the legendary Type R models. Not only will it have improved performance, but will also be more enjoyable to drive. Thus Honda’s goal is to penetrate the European market with sports variants of its compacts. Not only will these cars sport more powerful and fuel-efficient engines, but more importantly, they will proudly bear the Type R badge.

Fit’s next major revamp is scheduled for 2013, which may be concurrent with the Type R’s arrival. Also, depending on the reception, a 3-door GT Fit may also be included in the Type R line-up.

HONDA’S NEXT TYPE R
The Type R name can be traced back to 2002 with the lauded NSX, during a time when Honda only had Integra, Civic and the European Accord to boast of. The automaker had strictly limited the use of the moniker, only bestowing it onto cars that boasted exceptional driveability. Though the new Type R models are expected to uphold this tradition, their actual capabilities are still unclear.

The innovative Fit is expected to receive a Type R variant. Also, the North American and European Civics will be going for major revamps this year and next year, respectively—a coupe may also be in the pipeline. A new Accord may also hit the European market next year—however, this may not be a Type R since it will only be launched in Europe while the North American model is too large to bear the name.

CR-Z is also closely watched, especially since it is slated to transform into a hybrid with a supercharged engine. However, a Honda insider disclosed that Honda may still return to the beginning: regardless of whether CR-Z’s 1.5ℓ engine will indeed receive a supercharger, it may be the next Type R. Conversely, a turbocharged CR-Z would ascend to the top of the sports car class. So just as Volkswagen developed an R variant that is distinct from its Polo GTI, the next Type R may premiere as a separate grade.

Another alternative would arrive by 2014, when the NSX successor could receive a Type R variant and become a next generation sports model with a 2.5~3.5ℓ V6 engine. Like the original NSX Type R, its successor will surely be a hit—but it has to be properly manufactured. The insider even suggests that Honda scrap the V10 plan altogether and instead focus on its alleged Type R strategy.

As mentioned, the Type R badge has come to denote Honda’s most compulsively driveable vehicles. The time has finally come for the automaker to revisit this legendary series and to reclaim the affections of car aficionados the world over.

Source;
http://www.bestcar.sg/report-o/2011/09/titillating-triumphant-returns.html

Honda CRZ Type R in the works?

Auto blogs have been buzzing over recently released photos of the Mugen-tuned Honda Insight. Some people love the massively winged, zero-lift hybrid, but most people (well, most Americans) can’t quite wrap their heads around the fact that someone would even want to tune a hybrid. If you are one of these people, you’d better strap on a helmet ‘cause we’re about to blow your mind.

It’s no secret that Honda is planning to follow its new Insight up with a production version of the CRX-like CR-Z two-seat hybrid. But thanks to a very well informed source, we’ve got a few new, never-before-released details about the car.

First, the production version of the CR-Z will make its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this November and go on sale in Japan in December.

Got that helmet ready? ‘Cause here comes the mind-blowing part.

What’s got us both excited and curious is news that Honda is planning to make a CR-Z Type R. You read that correctly: a Type R hybrid.

The only thing we know about the CR-Z Type R is that it is supposed to launch in 2010. Unfortunately, this source can’t give us any details about just what will transform this standard CR-Z into a Type R. Will it be nothing more than a two-seat version of the Mugen Insight, meaning just a car with a functional aero kit and some wheels?

Will Honda take a cue from its Accord Hybrid and use the battery assist as a performance booster – like a battery-powered turbocharger – rather than use the electric motor to make the car as “green” as can be?

Or will Honda answer the tuning crowd’s prayers by ditching the hybrid powertrain completely to shove a K-series motor under the hood? Hybrid K20, perhaps?

We don’t know about you, the possibilities of a CR-Z Type R are getting us very excited. Honda is supposed to make an announcement regarding the Type R at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

Hopefully we’ll see at least a concept CR-Z Type R alongside the standard CR-Z at the show.

Source;

http://www.gtchannel.com/content.php?cid=55567