2023 Honda Civic Type R Revealed, Still More to Come

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey


There have been teasers, and teasers, and teasers...and now we can see the 2023 Honda Type R uncovered.


Just don't ask about specs.


Because Honda hasn't listed them yet.


Instead we're told the body is lightweight and highly rigid, though it's not said how in relation to the last-gen car.


We are promised that the engine will have more power, so that's something a bit more concrete, and the six-speed manual, which appears to be the only available transmission, will be improved. Improved how, we don't know -- better gearing for acceleration? Shorter shifts?


Similarly, the suspension and steering are said to be "enhanced" and improved.

If we sound cranky, that's just because after all this time, we were hoping to hear some numbers. That said, the car looks great to this author's eye, even with the big boy-racer wing remaining as part of the experience. And having driven the current Civing Si, and having enjoyed it, I imagine the Type R will be quite good.


To be fair to Honda, the company does get a bit more clear with some things. This car is longer, lower, and wider than what it replaces. The tires are wider, the front-fender grilles larger, and there's a new side-sill to increase airflow efficiency. The rear wing and bumper are redesigned, the rear doors wider, and the rear diffuser is new.


But the three exhaust outlets remain.


Inside, the serialized dash plate moves to the dash, and the seats, carpet, and trim are red in Type R tradition. There will be data recording features specific to Type R.

Finally, the car will be available in five colors, including Historic Championship White, which is only available on Type R Civics. Rallye Red, Boost Blue, Crystal Black Pearl, and Sonic Grey Pearl round out the menu.


Soon enough, we'll have specs, pricing, and an on-sale date. For now, though, you can gawk.

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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  • John S. John S. on Jul 22, 2022

    Looks great. Too bad I would have to wait a year or two to consider it before the 'market adjustment' comes off. I can be foolish with my money, but I have my limits.

  • MaintenanceCosts MaintenanceCosts on Jul 25, 2022

    Bolt in a hatch from a standard Civic and it would be perfect. Feeling a lot more want than I did for the last generation. Though as John S. says actually buying one will be a challenge.

  • Ajla So a $10K+ transmission repair?
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X I've mentioned before about being very underwhelmed by the Hornet for a $50000+ all in price tag. Just wasn't for me. I'd prefer a Mazda CX-5 or even a Rogue.
  • MaintenanceCosts Other sources seem to think that the "electric Highlander" will be built on TNGA and that the other 3-row will be on an all-new EV-specific platform. In that case, why bother building the first one at all?
  • THX1136 Two thoughts as I read through the article. 1) I really like the fins on this compared to the others. For me this is a jet while the others were propeller driven craft in appearance.2) The mention of the wider whitewalls brought to mind a vague memory. After the wider version fell out of favor I seem to remember that one could buy add-on wide whitewalls only that fit on top of the tire so the older look could be maintained. I remember they would look relatively okay until the add-on would start to ripple and bow out indicating their exact nature. Thanks for the write up, Corey. Looking forward to what's next.
  • Analoggrotto It's bad enough we have to read your endless Hyundai Kia Genesis shilling, we don't want to hear actually it too. We spend good money on speakers, headphones and amplifiers!
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