Not all cars are created equally, even identical models that are sold in different markets. Honda drives the point home by revealing that the next-generation Civic Type R for Japan packs more power under the hood than the U.S. version.
Japanese customers have traditionally enjoyed more horsepower out of their Civic Type Rs than American buyers
On Honda’s official Japanese website, the new Civic Type R is listed as being capable of 325 horsepower. This is a clean 10 gallopers more than what the North American version offers, even though both share the same 2.0-liter K20C turbocharged VTEC power unit that has been standard fare since the fourth generation. Torque rating between the two remains at 420 Nm.
It stands to reason that the Japan-spec version of the sixth-generation Civic Type R was responsible for breaking the lap record set by the previous model at the famed Suzuka Circuit in Japan. This means that the Civic’s high-performance variant was slightly detuned for the U.S. market.
In any case, Honda’s assertion that the latest Civic Type R is the most powerful version of the nameplate yet is still no lie. To put it in context, the fifth-generation model was rated at 316 horsepower for both Japan and Europe, while other markets had 10 less.
This version likely achieved the new lap time at Suzuka Circuit
Everything else on the powertrain that the Japanese market version has is carried over to its U.S. counterpart. There’s the six-speed manual transmission bolted on to a lighter flywheel, shifting gears through a revised rev-match system. A redesigned mono-scroll turbocharger produces higher intake and exhaust flow rates, working with more precise ECU control for improved output and response.
An improved exhaust system and four selectable drive modes (Comfort, Sport, +R, Individual) are also standard. And, with a body shell design common to all releases of the new Civic Type R, both the Japanese and American versions benefit from improved aerodynamics as well as better engine cooling.
Whichever we get, it will still be a hoot to drive
Now that the outgoing model has been sold out in our market, there’s still no word from Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) on when the new Civic Type R is coming here. But even if we end up with the detuned version, it should still be pretty impressive to floor on the right stretch of highway.
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