![]() I might even choose that one over this, partly because it’s ten grand cheaper. Would they be more fun? By chance I had just gotten out of the Hyundai Elantra N a week before and was really impressed with that car’s steering and grip. Any one of those would also be fun on this race track. Of course, so too might other cars in the class: a Toyota GR Corolla, Hyundai Elantra N, Volkswagen GTI, and Golf R. If I’d had mine off I coulda…Īw, but then there you go, talking like a race car driver. My last set of laps were behind “two guys who race Civics.” They had their ESC buttons in the “off” position and man they pulled away quickly. I had it in +R most of the afternoon but, with concern for residual moisture still on track, I never turned off the stability button located down and to the left of the steering wheel. Honda Civic Type R’s VTEC Turbo four-cylinder. Even along the back stretch through all those wiggles of Turns 8, 8A, 9, and 10, the Type R remained stable. So down and around I went, finding that you could take Turn 1 flat and amazed at the speed with which I could take the rise and drop just past Turn 3. Plus, it wasn’t raining, as it had been the day before. The Michelins were doing better as it was later in the day and a little bit warmer, maybe about 60 degrees. Up and down Sonoma’s 120 feet of elevation changes, and especially through the wide, sweeping carousel, the Civic just held on. Driving in the wetness would have been a much bigger task without it. Under power, it works unobtrusively to equalize the speed of the two front-drive wheels without locking them together, Honda says. The wetness and slipperiness of the roads was overcome to an extent by the Civic Type R's helical-type limited-slip differential. It all made me wish for warmer temps and emptier roads.Īll through it, the standard six-speed manual with its smooth aluminum shifter knob was easy to engage, and rowing through it was both fun and efficient. I eventually backed off, not wanting the poor schmoe to slide off in an episode that would require filling out paperwork. While you can never tell who’s driving these things, I kept up with a BMW M3 that happened to be in front of me struggling mightily to go fast. On dry, sunny corners I started to enjoy it. The tires felt better in the warmer temps, and I let loose a bit more. As the sun got a little higher and the road dried a bit, I pushed harder. Power from the K20C1 four-cylinder is massive. ![]() Rivals in the class include Toyota GR Corolla, Hyundai Elantra N, and Volkswagen GTI and Golf R. Both the diffuser under the back end and the wing above it are functional as well, Honda says. The rear doors of the Type R are unique, too, while the exhaust tips and routing increase exhaust flow 13% versus the previous Type R. “That’s all about keeping the form really clean and having that sleek design.” “The beauty about why this fender doesn’t look that much different from the side is because of how well it’s integrated into the car,” said Calhoun. The smoothly integrated flared fenders make the new car 3.5 inches wider than a standard Civic, which increases cornering agility, even if the added width doesn’t jump out at you. The inner set is functional and helps cool the brakes the outers are there for styling. Next to the grille are two sets of vents. Hondaįor instance, the lower grille is longer and wider, resulting in an increase of about 40% of airflow into the car. Speculation is they were going for the FWD record there. We drove the Civic Type R at Sonoma, but a pair of them were spotted at Nurburgring.
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