Bear with me as I explain a few things. First, there is no Honda Civic Type-R in America. Never has been and, possibly, never will be. What we have now is the two-door Si, the four-door Si, and the Mugen edition four-door Si. But, as exceptional as the USDM Si models are, Japan and Europe have one-upped us yet again with the Civic Type-R. Japan gets the blazingly fast Type-R sedan, while the European market is blessed with this hatchback, which looks every bit like a visitor from outer space.
As the across-the-Atlantic cousin to our own Civic Si, the juicy details on the Type-R are: six-speed close-ratio transmission, 2.0-liter i-VTEC engine pushing 200bhp and special suspension tuning. And yet, somebody thought they could up the ante and take the new Type-R straight onto a professional rally stage.
Ignore the stickers, stripped-out interior, rally seats and carbon fiber center console on this Honda Civic Type-R. Instead, concentrate on the fact that this car has 260bhp, a limited-slip diff between the front wheels, a sequential gearbox, an extensive rally-ready cage, meticulously molded carbon bits, a lower and stiffer suspension, and bigger brakes.
Why? Because those are the bits you can buy off-the-shelf from JAS Motorsport-engineering house and race car manufacturer.
JAS, based in Italy, has been the official works team for Honda in various European touring car series for 10 years now, and has been fiddling with the new Euro Civic Type-R to create this Group R3 rally car. A 'Type-RR' if you will.
JAS built it with lots of help from Honda, so this thing could possibly hint at a future Type-R, one that might actually make it to the US. Honda admits there is room in the line-up. The new Civic has only been out for a couple of years, so there's plenty of time for an ultimate version before the next shape arrives. What's more, the standard Si's 197bhp is likely to be considered a bit weak in the near future. The MazdaSpeed3 already comes packing 263bhp, while the new WRX has 224bhp.
The Type-RR is not like some hot hatches that don't match the badge-it's seriously hardcore. The chassis and body shell have been stripped and then oven-cooked to get rid of the sealants (and to allow better contact patches for seam welding). That's a rally car-specific option, by the way, which stiffens the whole thing by 70 percent, but you wouldn't necessarily opt for it on a road car.
I drove it up a tarmac rally stage in northern Italy and, trust me, the ride is extremely stiff. The car skips and hops from bump to bump because there's so little compliance. Personally, I prefer softer springs on a car that sees normal roads. Yet the car somehow works. The most noticeable thing about this creation is the grip. I have a confession to make: I'd love to tell you that I know the ultimate level of grip from driving it right to the limit on this twisty hill route. But, truth be told, my courage and talent ran out before the cliff did. So I relied on what it felt like with Dani Solff, (JAS' works driver and ex-Junior World Rally champ) driving and me in the passenger seat.
It's incredible and also slightly frightening. As we approach the first left-hand corner, I begin to worry. Being on the right-hand side, I have a better line of sight around the bend, yet even I can't see the exit. But Solff, doesn't lift. The nose stays rooted to the line as he takes the corner with an accuracy that would impress any rally hopeful. The car just refuses to wash out at any point. For a front-driver with this much power, it's damn impressive.
Much of the amazingly high grip can be attributed to the tires. These are tarmac-spec cut slicks and I seriously doubt they'll pass any DOT regulations. Combined with the limited-slip differential, available from JAS for a cool $3000, unreal lateral gs out of the corners is all you will feel, with that 260bhp pulling the car through. Accelerate hard out of a slow corner and there's no tug through the steering wheel. Incredibly, you can even do this in the middle of the corner. Normally, you have to wait until the wheels are pointed straight ahead before dumping the accelerator.
Solff bangs the throttle to the floor constantly and is rewarded with instant and raw acceleration. Thankfully, the brakes have also been upgraded. The front discs are now 13 inches in diameter and the rears are 11 inches (a standard Type-R makes do with 11.8 inches and 10 inches, respectively). Of course, the Type-RR stops extremely well, but the weird contrast between the massively heavy brake pedal and ultra-light steering takes some getting used to.
The steering column is carried over from the road car, but this feels a lot lighter at speed. You almost put on too much lock at the first corner, because you expect more resistance-fingertip-light control is required here.
Engine tweaks are simple, just basic ECU and exhaust changes. It's definitely quicker, but not quite as banzai as I expected, given the power numbers. That's no bad thing, perhaps it's a compliment to how well the chassis keeps it in check. I can't feel the i-VTEC variable valve timing kick as hard as it does on the road car, but the engine revs easily. The car has a digital speedometer, but the tach just zips round and the green shift light flashes faintly as a reminder to tug on the gear lever for a quick upshift.
Tug? That's an understatement, more like pull as hard as you can, because the sequential gearbox on the Type-RR requires real effort to slot it into gear. Don't be slow with it, either. With throttle foot flat to the floor, grab the lever (to the right of the steering wheel) and virtually jerk it into gear. No need to touch the clutch pedal at all when rowing up or down through the gears. The gearbox is definitely a serious piece-another part from JAS that could possibly fit onto a USDM Civic Si or RSX Type-S. But you've got to be a seriously committed track-day enthusiast to want a straight-cut sequential transmission in your Honda.
The JAS rally car feels great, but then again, the whole thing is designed to impress while flying sideways through dirt. JAS will sell a complete car like this one (it'll cost about $131,000-ouch), but unless you're rallying every weekend, you may not want to shell out for the whole deal. What an ordinary enthusiast needs to do is get his or her paws around just the Type-RR parts they want: sequential transmission, carbon door panels, center console, rally suspension, monster brakes, or engine package. But remember, even though Honda was involved with the design of the Type-RR, warranty concerns will be an issue. Can you even imagine the look on your local service advisor's face when you drive up sporting a Type-RR-spec roll cage?
The biggest concern remains: can we even get it here? Buying hardcore Type-RR parts from JAS and shipping them home is one thing, but being able to experience a full-blown Euro-spec Type-R rally car on American roads is another. Honda did have a hand in the creation of this little rocket and the release of the Mugen four-door Civic Si here obviously shows it's listening to us.
But will a car bearing the Type-R badge ever come Stateside? We're tired of lusting after unobtainable creations like the Type-RR. Hopefully, car manufacturers are beginning to realize this.
2007 Honda Civic Type-REngineType: 1998cc in-line four, DOHC, aluminum block and head, i-VTEC variable valve timing
Internal Modifications: FIA Group R engine assembly, JAS pistons
External Modifications: JAS camshafts and valve springs, JAS mechanical throttle body and cable conversion, hard rubber engine mounts, JAS exhaust and high-flow catalytic converter, carbon fiber airbox, oil cooler
Engine Management Modifications: JAS ECU with datalogger
DrivetrainLayout: Transverse front engine, front-wheel drive
Drivetrain Modifications: Six-speed sequential transmission, JAS twin-plate clutch, lighweight flywheel, upgraded axles, modified front subframe for hydraulic steering box
SuspensionFront: ExtremeTech coilovers, top mounts, upgraded knuckles, upgraded lower arms with harder balljoints, JASanti-roll bar with endlinksRear: ExtremeTech coilovers, top mounts, upgraded torsion beam with harder balljoints
BrakesFront: 13-in. two-piece rotors w/four-piston Brembo fixed calipers, Ferodo DS3000 pads, AP Racing master cylinder and proportioning valve, JAS brake ductsRear: 11-in. two-piece rotors w/two-piston Brembo fixed calipers, Ferodo DS3000 pads
ExternalWheels: 18x8 aluminum (F/R), extended wheel studs
Tires: Pirelli tarmac rally racing slicks
Body: Roof scoop, front skidplate, rear skidplate
Interior: Digital dash display, Sparco Evo (driver) and Circuit (passenger) seats, Sparco six-point harnesses, Sparco steering wheel with quick release, carbon fiber door panels, carbon fiber center console, Sparco fire supression system, seam welding, JAS roll cage