Well, it was about time! The Paris auto show has passed, and it was time for the 2018 Honda Civic Type R Prototype to show its face on the US soil, and they found the best place for that – Las Vegas and annual SEMA motor show!
People in Europe have grown used to receiving new Civic Type Rs every few years as opposed to the US people who have to wait long periods of time to catch one of these. This one is definitely going to reach US soil at least for one reason – to be the direct rival to the all-conquering Ford Focus RS. When you look at the 2018 Honda Civic Type R Prototype and the Ford Focus RS’s design, whether you want to admit it or not, hat down, the Civic beats it by miles.
The first thing that you will notice on the new Civic Type R Prototype is the brushed titanium-like finish that gives it an edge, style as well as ruggedness all in one. The sad info is that the said finish won’t make it to production, but the upside is that everything else you see, or already saw, on the Honda’s Prototype, will remain unchanged. Since it is based on the new Civic Hatchback, it received a completely new face with larger air intakes, dedicated fog lights, a very sharp-looking splitter and of course, the “Type R” logo which can’t be evaded by any means, neither we want to do it.
Some additional exterior look features were added, and those include centrally placed hood scoop, flared wheel arches, bespoke black and red wheels, a huge rear wing, “in your face” rear bumper and three centrally mounted tailpipes that strangely remind of the Ferrari 458 Italia and F40. It is said that the new Civic Type R will hit the US dealerships with the same 2.0-liter turbo four cylinder engine that is hosted in the ongoing model, but the difference is that it has been tinkered with to jump well over the currently 306 HP. Reports suggest anything between 320 and 350 hp. While the Ford Focus RS sends power to front wheels until it detects slippage and engages AWD system automatically, Honda decided that their hot-hatch should be FWD only which is more than welcomed.
