Honda Civic Type R - How much closer can it take you to a sports car experience?

The Honda Civic Type R within a short span of existence has already become a star. More like if a kid is born into a royal family, he or she immediately qualifies as the next one in the lineage. But the Civic Type R already proved its mettle of being the fastest production car around the Nürburgring race track. It is truly a sport car in the garb of an affordable hatchback. These cars are used as racing units in the British Touring Championship Cup or BTCC as it is popularly known. It is said that the idea behind the Type R originated from these series.

Let’s take a closer look on how much of the Type R is retained in the racing car.

Background

First a lesson in history though. The shells of the car you will now see in BTCC were first drafted in late 2011 for use in 2012. So the Civic Type R you see now has been in the works from six years ago. Wow! The shell or the frame of the car is said to be very strong and this may be the reason why Honda says that during all these years of racing, they have managed to damage only one shell beyond repair. The shells are very costly to manufacture, especially, if it’s for racing.

The modification

The car shells are sent to the dipping centre. Here, they are stripped off the galvanic coating that is applied to most of the road cars. After this the cage fabrication work starts. This is done after being approved by the top bosses at the ultra-secretive MIRA test ground. It is also fitted with an FIA approved roll cage. Depending on the driver and their dimensions, the roll cage is engineered. This then is sent back to the assembly pits to put in FIA approved parts.

Engineers here will add on the recommended spark plugs as well as tune the stiffer suspension to be a tad stiffer. After all, this is a car that will be used exclusively for the race tracks and not road legal. The aerodynamic bits on the Type R remain. They are there for a reason and that is to increase the aerodynamic efficiency. Simply put, it is to ensure that the Civic cuts through the air with the least drag resistance. For example, the skirts on the front bumper ensure that air passes from below, creating less drag. The spoiler at the back ensures downforce thereby aiding stability of the Type R. While a few of these body parts are removed and put back after ensuring they meet weight requirements, 70 per cent of the parts remain the same from the road car.

The brake parts on these vehicles stay stock too. However, depending on the races and the climate, they may need to be changed after every race. The exhaust of the car is routed through from the sides for efficiency gains, they say. This also makes the cars sound sonorous. The fuel tank which is at the back of the rear seat in the road car is moved slightly ahead to create a 50:50 weight distribution.

It is easy

Yes, Honda engineers say that the Type R is as road legal a car that you can get from the racing schools. The car has that precise handling which racers need and predictable brakes that stops speed very easily. The blades, splitters, spoilers are all there for a reason and while it may seem cosmetic to many, they have utility too. If you’re thinking of getting your Civic Type R modded to be a race car, there is very little you have to do. It also has the Agile Handling Package, which ensures that while cornering, the innermost tyres receive slight braking force.

Engineered

The Honda Civic Type R’s engine is turbo unit. The 2.0-litre unit is assisted by i-VTEC and makes 310 PS of power and a lofty for a petrol motor - 400 Nm of torque. A helical limited slip differential helps send power to the rear wheel via a 6-speed manual gearbox. Autothrottle blip is a race car technology and this helps immensely when one is in the mood to drive aggressively. The result is that with the time it might take to upshift or downshift manually, there is no loss in the power delivery.

So, that's are though on the Honda Civic Type R. Are you on the same page? Do let us konw in the comment section.