2017 Honda Civic Type R to lob around $50k, order books open

The order books for the all-new 2017 Honda Civic Type R has officially open and here’s your the chance to secure the world’s fastest production front-wheel drive car around the Nurburgring circuit.

Set to launch in Australia on October 1, the first Civic Type R in the country for over a decade has already received 200 pre-orders, according to its maker.

“Our dealers have been telling us that customers are eager to put their names against a car so we’ve opened the order books early to allow them to secure their orders,” Honda Australia Director, Mr. Stephen Collins, said. “We understand the level of interest as the Civic Type R represents the pinnacle of performance for the Civic range and our faithful enthusiasts have been lining up.”

Pricing for the new Civic Type R has yet to be announced but Honda Australia says it is aiming for a circa-$50,000 starting price, placing the manic hot-hatch above key front-drive rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus ST and Peugeot 308 GTI, and into the territory of all-paw performance like the Subaru WRX STI, Ford Focus RS and Volkswagen Golf R.

Many prospective customers started contacting dealers last year about the Civic Type R when Honda Australia announced it was returning to Australia, Mr. Collins said. “We’ve had extraordinary interest in this car from existing owners and those enthusiasts who are looking for something bolder and visually striking; something distinctive from the usual European offerings.”

Buyer interest was energised last month when Honda confirmed that the new Civic Type R had set a new lap time for front-wheel-drive cars at the world-famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany. The Civic Type R set a record of 7 mins 43.80 seconds, besting the previous front-wheel drive record set by the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport.

Honda Australia has already brought in several engineering examples of the 2017 Civic Type R to show dealers, and undertake validation testing. “Even these cars have created a buzz around the arrival of the first production cars later this year,” Mr. Collins said.

For Australia, the Civic Type R will be available in one engine specification, a 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo engine producing 235kW and 400Nm of torque, mated to a new close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching capability.

Visually the car features an aero kit with front and side splitters, a rear diffuser, vortex generators at the trailing edge of the roof line and a rear wing spoiler, all designed to keep the Civic Type R planted on the road. Completing the aggressive look is a centre-exit triple exhaust system.

On the inside, the Civic Type R features heavily bolstered sports seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift boot, aluminium shift knob, aluminium sports pedals, red Type R driver’s gauges and a Type R serial plate number.

The 2017 Civic Type R chassis builds on the major upgrades undertaken for the 10th-generation Civic makeover with model-exclusive spring, damper and bushing settings, a new Dual-Axis front suspension set-up with aluminum lower arms and steering knuckles for improved at-the-limit cornering and reduced torque steer while a new multi-link rear suspension enhances stability under braking. There’s also a new four-wheel Adaptive Suspension System with three-chamber dampers; a retuned and adaptive dual-pinion electric power steering system with variable gear ratio; and a helical limited-slip front differential.

Mounted to the suspension are 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels and high-performance tyres. Stopping power comes from red-painted Brembo 4-pot aluminum calipers acting on 350mm cross-drilled rotors at the front. The rear braking system features solid 305mm rotors.

Designed to reward the driver in all driving conditions, on the track and on the street, the Civic Type R feature three driving modes: Comfort, Sport (default) and +R. The driver-selectable modes adjust steering and throttle response, transmission rev-matching, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and the Adaptive Damper System.

In Australia, the 2017 Civic Type R will be available in five distinctive colours. As with all previous generations Civic Type R the hero colour is Championship White – the traditional Type R racing colour. Customers will also be able to choose from Rally Red, Crystal Black, Sonic Grey or Brilliant Sporty Blue. Crystal Black and Sonic Grey are Pearlescent colours; while Brilliant Sporty Blue is Metallic.

The 2017 Honda Civic Type R will be sourced from Honda’s UK Manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK. Further model details and pricing for the all-new Honda Civic Type R will be released closer to launch.

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