Honda redesigned the Civic for 2022, which right now you can purchase in sporty Civic Si guise. However, the model we’re most keen on is the high-performance Civic Type R, a production-spec prototype for which recently lapped Japan’s Suzuka International Racing Course in record time for front-wheel-drive cars.
The Civic Type R arrives later this year as a 2023 model, and U.S. fans will get the first close-up look in July when a prototype is presented during the IndyCar round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course scheduled for July 1-3. The prototype, which will be donned in camouflage gear, will make several demonstration hot laps during the round, and serve as the lead vehicle as the start of the race on July 3.
The Civic Type R sticks to its tried and true formula of a massive rear wing, 6-speed manual transmission, and powerful turbo-4 powering the front wheels. The outgoing Civic Type R, the fifth generation of the nameplate, is a favorite here at Motor Authority, and the new sixth-generation model is shaping up to be even better thanks to improved performance.
What we know is that the latest Civic family benefits from a more rigid platform compared to its predecessor, and this should aid the Civic Type R especially. We’re talking 8% better torsional rigidity and 13% better bending rigidity. The interior of the latest Civic family has also seen a major step up in technology and refinement, including the use of digital screens for both the instrument cluster and infotainment. And hopefully there will also be more power than the outgoing car’s 306 hp.
Production of the Civic Type R will be handled in the U.S. for the first time. It will be built at the same Greensburg, Indiana, plant where regular Civic Hatchbacks are already rolling off the line.
Keyword: 2023 Honda Civic Type R prototype to make US debut July 1 at Mid-Ohio