This is the Complete History of the Honda Civic Type R, from EK9 to FK8
You don’t often assemble all six distinct iterations of the Civic Type R in one place at one time.
The history of Honda’s Type R badge goes back to 1992 with the NSX Type R. The first one we got in the States was the Integra Type R, followed by the current Civic Type R. Despite the huge gap, the Civic Type R has been through no less than six distinct iterations since the first one was introduced in 1997. Tiff Needell and Paul Woodman present a video overview of all six Type Rs for Lovecars.
Tiff and Paul start out in a 1972 Honda Civic, the one that inspired all the cars to come. Sure, it’s not a Type R, but you can’t ignore the role it played in setting the stage. The first Civic Type R came in 1997. The hatchback is based on the sixth generation Civic and sported a 1.6-liter I-4 that made 182 HP at a glorious 8,200 rpm. Paul points out that wringing more than 180 hp out of a tiny I-4 in the late 1990s was quite the feat.
The next car is the 2001 to 2005 Civic Type R hatchback, based correspondingly on the seventh generation. This was the first Civic Type R to be made in England. Tiff explains, “now, Paul, this to me was the first Honda Civic Type R.” Many people didn’t love the shifter on the EP3, but Tiff explains that it’s actually set up like a “proper” racing car. That distance between the steering wheel and shifter does allow you to shift a bit faster. He makes a good point.
ALSO SEE: Can An Old Honda Civic Si Go As Fast As the Civic Type R?
The 2006 to 2011 eight generation Honda Civic Type R is where things get a little bit tricky. For the European market, there was the “FN2” Civic. The FN2 matched European tastes and came in a “hot hatch” three-door configuration. The Japanese market, however, got the “FD2”, which is a four-door model instead. This was the start of the Civic getting more buttons and features on the steering wheel, a point Tiff drives home.
The 2012 to 2015 Civic, the FK2, is the start of the turbocharged Type Rs. “I still prefer the good old fashioned VTEC chiming in at high revs,” Tiff says. Though, in the same breath, he admits there’s a certain kind of fun with a turbocharged engine.
In 2016 the tenth-generation “FK8” Civic got its own iteration of the Civic Type R. The styling is even more brash than any of the factory cars to come before it. Power still comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4, like the FK2, but delivery is different from the high-rpm VTEC engines from the CTR lineage.
Which one would you most want in the garage? Drop a comment and let us know!
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