Honda Civic Type R Touring Car Hits the Track

British Touring Car Championship Civic Type R is the track day special we’ve always dreamed of.

This is the same car that BTCC aces Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal are campaigning in the 2017 season. Based on the road car, this Civic Type R is a prodigious little racer. That is looks as badass as it drives is just icing on the cake.

Built to BTCC specifications, the car is stripped out, and caged to the tune of 1280 kg (2800lbs). The K20C engine has been modified to reliably deliver 365 horsepower and331 lb-ft of torque for lap, after lap, after lap. Gone is the six-speed manual transmission, in it’s place is a sequential dogbox. What does that mean? In short: use the clutch to get it going, and for the downshifts, no clutch work needed for full-speed upshifts. The suspension setup is unspecified, but it looks quite stiffly suspended, and I spy remote reservoirs for the shocks. Of course, tire grip is the biggest factor in dropping lap times, and this CTR doesn’t disappoint with massive racing slicks wrapped around centerlock wheels. Those wheels house some rather enormous brakes.

All of this works in tandem to scare this journalist from Autocar half to death. The insane grip, and braking ability is otherworldly, coming from even the greatest of sports cars. Watch the man come to terms with how hardcore this BTCC racer is, and what it takes to wield it effectively.

Jacob Stumph

Jake Stumph is a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, who has operated as the content editor for Internet Brands Automotive since 2015. He runs Corvette Forum, 6SpeedOnline, Honda-tech, and LS1tech, among other Internet Brands Automotive websites. His work has been featured by several other prominent automotive outlets, including Jalopnik and Autobytel.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Ohio State University in 2013, then pivoted from covering politics and policy to writing about his automotive adventures, something that, he says, is a lot more fun. Since that time, he has established connections with most of the world's major automakers, as well as other key brands in the automotive industry.

He enjoys track days, drifting, and autocross, at least, when his cars are running right, which is uncommon. You can check out what he's up to on his YouTube channel, as well as his Jake Stumph Racing Instagram account. He can be reached via email at stumph.jake@gmail.com