Engineering Explained‘s Jason Fenske explains how the front-drive Civic Type R beats all of its AWD competitors.
The video above comes to us from the Engineering Explained YouTube channel and it features host Jason Fenske explaining the ins and outs of the Honda Civic Type R K20C1 engine. Since the car hit dealerships in the United States, the new Type R has been making a name for itself on North American tracks and streets, but Fenske looks at just how badly it beats the competition and what goes into this level of performance.
Fenske begins his look at the Honda Civic Type R by flipping through the pages of a recently Motor Trend magazine in which the hot Honda hatch was compared to the Ford Focus RS, the Subaru WRX STI and the Volkswagen Golf R. All three of those cars are all-wheel drive and cost significantly more, but the Honda has them beat in many categories.
In the race to 60 miles per hour, the Civic beat the WRX and the Golf while trailing the Focus, but the Honda beat the Ford in the race to 70 while beating all three by a comfortable margin in the race to 100.
In the quarter mile, the Focus RS ran the quicker elapsed time, but the Honda had a much higher speed and in a stopping test from 60 miles per hour, the Type R was the only one of the four to get stopped in less than 100 feet.
So, how is the Honda Civic Type R so much quicker than those pricier all-wheel drive sport compacts? It is all about the engine.
Honda Civic Type R: What Makes It So Awesome continued…
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
