The Civic Type-R (CTR) that true-blue JDM boys know and love is most definitely one of the best front-wheel drivers ever made. We reckon that any extant generation of the CTR be up there with the Integra Type-R and, dare we say it, the Lotus Elan.
Forget the extra spot welds and fridge-chic Championship White colors. What defines the car, and any Honda with a factory-equipped Type-R badge for that matter, is the free-spirited, exaltating naturally-aspirated powerplant. To put it simply, Type-Rs have the best engines ever to be hewn in Hamamatsu.
Fast forward to 2015, when the CTR will be relaunched. Set to be the sporty protegé of the brand-spanking-new NSX, the latest CTR proves to be quite the hot hatch, not the least helped by some forced induction. We told you so.
The thrust towards turbocharging is due to Honda’s involvement with the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), where the spec engines in the series are 1.6L turbo’d units. The 2.0L turbo engine in the CTR is said to produce “at least 280PS”. That folks was the former power limit in force under the Japanese motoring industry’s “gentleman’s agreement”. Twenty years ago, this power level was the realm of the Japanese techno-sports car (think Skyline, GTO, RX7). How times have changed. Hooray for progress.
Another WTCC influence is the presence of Gabriele Tarquini in the CTR’s development phase. Honda’s resident touring car driver is helping to achieve a goal set by the powers that be. Which is to claim the fastest front-wheel production lap time at the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit. Two more years of development time should get them there.
Honda, here’s a hint. Add more boost. And don’t forget sell the freaking car here in the Philippines, please. Or put this engine in the CR-Z.
Want to hear the new motor sing? Check out the video after the jump.
Source: Autoblog