Celebrating 25 Years Of Honda Type R

Type R: One letter is all it takes for a Honda to change the world.

Here in the US, we’ve been blessed with just two Type R iterations, the glorious DC2 Integra and the brand new FK8 Civic. While the UK market didn’t get all of them either, they certainly got more than we did. Here is Autocar’s take on each of the five Type R units shipped to the British Isles. Japan got a number of special Type R models that weren’t shipped to any other nations, like the EK9 Civic, the DC5 Integra, and the NSX-R. That NSX special model was introduced way back in 1992, making the R brand now 25 years old. Here are the highlights.

With the new car arriving basically as we type this, the R brand is worthy of celebration. With each new car that comes to market, Honda has introduced drastic improvements in drivability, grip, acceleration, and outright speed. As front-wheel drive performance cars go, Honda’s R models rule the world. They set the benchmark with the DC2 Integra, and the outgoing FK2 Civic is an extension of that. In fact, many of these cars have been able to take on some of the greatest RWD and AWD models as well.

For many years the Type R has been forbidden fruit for North American Honda enthusiasts, but the new Civic is finally coming to our shores. Will it be enough to drown out the desires for an older model? Will the turbocharged R have enough pace to assuage our desires for a high-rev, naturally aspirated four cylinder?

Of the cars featured here, we think we’d most like to take the Accord Type R home. [Editor’s Note: The DC2 Type R is definitely the one to have.] What’s your take on Honda’s legendary Type R name? Which one really makes your heart sing? Weigh in here on the forums.

[Source: Autocar on YouTube]