Despite the ongoing industry-wide shift towards electrification, Honda announced that its performance models under the Type R designation will continue to soldier on into the future.
A report by Autocar quotes Honda Type R Project lead engineer Hideki Kakinuma’s remarks at the launch of the sixth-generation Civic Type R. “Honda strongly believes that driving pleasure is the core essence of private mobility, personal mobility,” he said.
Kakinuma notes that efficiency does not necessarily entail the death of the internal combustion engine or ICE altogether. “Carbon neutrality doesn’t have to be focused on the powertrain itself. It can have the possibility of achieving it even though you are driving a car with an ICE.”
Lead engineer Hideki Kakinuma asserts that Honda would not even be possible today without Type R
He explains that the Type R itself is defined not so much by the powertrain, instead describing it as a certain philosophy or principle combining a number of factors, resulting in the joy of driving. “If this excitement can be provided with a certain powertrain that is carbon-neutral or somewhat electrified – or a completely different technology – this will also justifiably be a Type R,” Kakinuma continued.
This opens the possibility that the next Honda Type R offering will still be a purely combustion model, continuing the tradition established by the nameplate. That is, customers can expect no battery-electric power or hybrid assistance under the hood.
However, Kakinuma admits that the prospect is a challenging one for Honda to realize for now. He says that it would be exceedingly difficult for the automaker to produce a sports model in the meantime, as emissions regulations continue to be very stringent in pursuit of carbon neutrality.
Volkswagen has also pledged to continue its GTI and R lines
Stricter emissions standards impacting sales have led several brands such as Peugeot, Ford, and Renault to retire their respective GTI and RS programs. Honda remains a holdout in this regard, joining German marque Volkswagen which recently confirmed that it plans to continue its own GTI and R badges.
Keep up with what automakers are planning for a new age of mobility at Philkotse.com.