FK8 Honda Civic Type R launched in Malaysia: RM320k – paultan.org
There’s probably no better way to end the year for Honda Malaysia – the official arrival of the FK8 Honda Civic Type R marks the final model launch for the company this year. It’s priced at RM320,000, on-the-road without insurance, fully imported from Swindon, UK. If the figure looks familiar, it is – it’s priced identically in Indonesia, where it was launched in August.
For the uninitiated, this hot Civic is based on the 10th-generation hatch and packs the fire-breathing 2.0 litre turbocharged VTEC engine plucked from the FK2 CTR. The phrase VTEC just kicked in yo won’t apply here – VTEC now solely controls the exhaust valves, reducing turbo lag through increased exhaust pressure at lower rpms while delivering a high output at higher engine speeds.
The four-banger lump produces 310 PS at 6,500 rpm and 400 Nm of torque, the latter peaking from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm, which mirrors the output found on Australian and Indonesian market models. That’s 10 PS down from what the UK and European markets get, though.
At the Indonesian launch in August, Hideki Kakinuma, assistant large project leader for the CTR, had told us that the lower tune is due to fuel quality considerations in non-UK/Euro markets. The flip side to this is that it can run on RON 95, but running it on higher octane fuels won’t yield any added performance, not even RON 100, he explained today during the local launch of the car.
Power goes out to the front wheels through a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission (sorry, no auto transmission is available, and neither is AWD) with helical LSD to aid cornering traction. The gearbox gets a new single-mass flywheel, offering better response thanks to a reduction of clutch inertia weight (-25%). There’s also an auto-rev match function that blips the throttle during downshifts, but the good news is this can be manually turned off.
All this contributes to a rather impressive set of performance figures: the nought to 100 km/h sprint is done in 5.7 seconds before maxing out at 272 km/h. It’s currently the world’s fastest front-drive car around the Nurburgring with a time of seven minutes 43.8 seconds, or about seven seconds quicker than the FK2R.
New to the car is a set of adaptive dampers with upgraded shocks (in them are electromagnetic coils), featuring a three-chamber design to spread damping capabilities. This can be adjusted through a drive mode switch, featuring three – Comfort, Sport and +R – preset settings.
Responsible for managing ride duties is a frame that’s 16 kg lighter than the FK2 CTR’s, with torsional stiffness and bending rigidity up by 38% and 45% respectively. This improves agility and stability – the former achieved through camber reduction (-1.0) and stiffer springs which are 100% firmer than the standard Civic’s. Stability on the other hand, is gained through positive caster (+2.3) and wider track width (+62 mm).
A software called Agile Handling Assist works in tandem with the car’s VSA system to reduce inner wheel slip by applying light braking force during cornering. Speaking of braking, stopping power comes from Brembo, with four-piston callipers grabbing 350 mm front ventilated discs. The rear gets 305 mm solid discs.
Another highlight here is the trio of asymmetric exhaust pipes – the larger outlets are gas exit ports, while the centre pipe predominantly controls exhaust sound. It also doubles as an extra exhaust port at full throttle, as well as a silencer at mid-loads for better cruising NVH.
As for equipment, the list dittos the Indonesian model, starting with the blacked-out grille, red Honda and Type R badges, a vented bonnet, large air intakes as well as vertical air curtains (this also help cool the brakes) just next to the fog lamps. Just like the standard car, forward illumination is completely LED.
On the side, it sits on 20-inch Berlina black alloys wrapped with specially-commissioned 245/30 Continental SportContact 6 tyres. The rear gets a whole lot busier with aero bits like the vortex generators and huge spoiler, all working in tandem to provide more downforce than ever before. Flanking each side of the rump is a pair of familiar LED combination lamps.
Inside, the cabin gets a sporty red-on-black theme, but interestingly the rear seats seem to lack the racy vibe. Up front, the dashboard and steering wheel get red contrasts, while the instrument cluster is Type R-specific.
Honda claims that this CTR is meant to be used daily, and as such the seats have been designed for maximum comfort and support. It’s non-branded and provides decent levels of comfort, thanks to generous use of padding.
So there you have it, folks. For the price, would you put your money down on one? Apparently, close to 60 bookings have been made for the car to date. If you’re looking at one, orders for the Civic Type R can be made at any 20 Honda Sport dealerships nationwide.
