We've been raving about the 2006 Honda Civic Si for almost a year now. It blew us away the first time we drove it, beat the 2006 Volkswagen GTI in a comparison test and is quickly becoming one of our favorite long-termers. There's no doubt it's a great drive, but if there's one thing we have yet to get used to it's the styling. If we had a choice we would rather have something more like the 2008 Honda Civic Type R, the European equivalent of our Civic Si.
First shown at the Geneva auto show in March, the Civic Type R concept had deep front and rear airdams and a sizable rear spoiler. It was typical concept-car stuff, but our latest spy photos taken outside the Nürburgring test track in Germany show a production prototype which is nearly identical in every detail.
Other than the foglights in the grille the front is a perfect match, and in back everything from the triangular exhaust tips to the big wing is the same. As dead-on as this prototype is compared to the concept, there is one detail which raises some questions. Take a look at the cutline just above the rear wheels. It appears to outline what could be a scaled-down set of rear doors, possibly a clamshell design like the Mazda RX-8. It's probably just a ploy to make the prototype look like the standard European four-door, but it would make for a more usable coupe.
Put this prototype side-by-side with the production four-door and it's clear they're different cars. The front doors on the coupe are much longer and the wheelbase looks shorter. In fact, it looks closer to our Civic Si than anything currently on sale in Europe.
Apart from its hatchback rear end and the possibility of a four-door layout, the Civic Type R will be equipped much like our Si coupe. It will likely use the same 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine and a six-speed gearbox. None of the suspension specs were discussed at the unveil of the concept, but it's clear the Type R will get an aggressive set of wheels and tires to go with what we can only assume is an even tighter setup than our Civic Si given Europe's preference for sharp handling over ride comfort.
As much as this Type R coupe shares with our Civic Si it's doubtful we'll ever see it in the U.S., which makes us wonder if we'll ever get anything from Honda with a Type R badge. Squeezing more power out of the current Si's 2.0-liter engine would be a stretch given its already sky-high redline and 11.0:1 compression ratio, but there is an engine which presents some possibilities.
Displacing 2.3 liters and delivering 240 hp, the turbocharged four-cylinder introduced in the Acura RDX would turn the Si into a legitimate Type R. We've been told the engine will fit with nothing more than new motor mounts and a relocated intercooler. Add a little extra rubber up front to get the power down and Honda would have a Type R worthy of its badges. And with the RSX out of the picture there's room for Honda to add a few grand to the Civic's price without pushing into Acura territory. With that kind of power on tap, its odd styling would be the last thing on our minds.
First shown at the Geneva auto show in March, the Civic Type R concept had deep front and rear airdams and a sizable rear spoiler. It was typical concept-car stuff, but our latest spy photos taken outside the Nürburgring test track in Germany show a production prototype which is nearly identical in every detail.
Other than the foglights in the grille the front is a perfect match, and in back everything from the triangular exhaust tips to the big wing is the same. As dead-on as this prototype is compared to the concept, there is one detail which raises some questions. Take a look at the cutline just above the rear wheels. It appears to outline what could be a scaled-down set of rear doors, possibly a clamshell design like the Mazda RX-8. It's probably just a ploy to make the prototype look like the standard European four-door, but it would make for a more usable coupe.
Put this prototype side-by-side with the production four-door and it's clear they're different cars. The front doors on the coupe are much longer and the wheelbase looks shorter. In fact, it looks closer to our Civic Si than anything currently on sale in Europe.
Apart from its hatchback rear end and the possibility of a four-door layout, the Civic Type R will be equipped much like our Si coupe. It will likely use the same 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine and a six-speed gearbox. None of the suspension specs were discussed at the unveil of the concept, but it's clear the Type R will get an aggressive set of wheels and tires to go with what we can only assume is an even tighter setup than our Civic Si given Europe's preference for sharp handling over ride comfort.
As much as this Type R coupe shares with our Civic Si it's doubtful we'll ever see it in the U.S., which makes us wonder if we'll ever get anything from Honda with a Type R badge. Squeezing more power out of the current Si's 2.0-liter engine would be a stretch given its already sky-high redline and 11.0:1 compression ratio, but there is an engine which presents some possibilities.
Displacing 2.3 liters and delivering 240 hp, the turbocharged four-cylinder introduced in the Acura RDX would turn the Si into a legitimate Type R. We've been told the engine will fit with nothing more than new motor mounts and a relocated intercooler. Add a little extra rubber up front to get the power down and Honda would have a Type R worthy of its badges. And with the RSX out of the picture there's room for Honda to add a few grand to the Civic's price without pushing into Acura territory. With that kind of power on tap, its odd styling would be the last thing on our minds.
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