Performance-focused Hondas have always garnered respect from the broader motoring fraternity. After all, the very first Type R, the 1991 NSX-R, was developed with input from F1 legend Ayrton Senna, and the DC2 Integra Type R is considered by many to be one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars ever made.
South Africa’s firsthand fascination with the Type R badge was born at the moment the FN2-generation Civic was launched in 2007. It made use of the same highly strung naturally aspirated four-cylinder K20 engine also found in the previous-generation model from 2001. Unfortunately, the new model also gained mass compared with the outgoing car, and together with taller gearing for improved cruising ability, many fans were left feeling a tad frustrated.
Furthermore, by the time the FN2 was launched in South Africa, many of its direct rivals had already adopted turbocharging for added performance. Consequently, at this publication’s January 2008 Performance Issue testing
