Old vs New: Honda Civic Type R drag race, hot lap

The next-generation Honda Civic Type R is already out for both the global and Philippine markets. On paper, it comes with several improvements including a slightly more powerful engine, a lighter chassis, and a sleeker exterior design, among others.  

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R FL5

But how does the new Civic Type R FL5 perform against the older Civic Type R FK8 in the real world? A UK-based car-oriented Youtube channel named AutoTrader sought to answer that by pitting the two against each other via a series of races on the Castle Combe Circuit.  

2023 Honda Civic Type R: Track Review [Video: AutoTrader]

As seen from the video above, the newer Civic Type R consistently beat the older model on multiple drag race runs from a standstill. 

On the rolling drag race, the previous generation Civic Type R was neck and neck with the newer Civic Type R. 

The final track test AutoTrader performed for the FK8 and FL5 involved a timed full run of the Castle Combe Circuit. At the end of the lap run, the newer Civic Type R overall was faster around the track. It finished with a time of 1:20.02, while the older model managed a time of 1:21:08.    

The newer model was dominant during the drag races from a standstill [Photo: AutoTrader]

As pointed out by the video host, the better performance of the newer model during the drag race may be attributed to having better tires. So if the older model was fitted with the same tires as the newer Type R, the results could have been a bit different.

The new Civic Type R uses a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Compare that to the older model, which gets a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The newer ones are touting a better compound, and this is a key point to note considering how the newer Civic Type R performed.  

Likewise, the older model is lighter than the newer model. Specifically, the older Civic Type R FK8 is 1,328 kg, while the newer Civic Type R FK8 is 1,429 kg. This might have offset the power difference between the two cars during the rolling race. 

Neck and neck during the rolling drag race [Photo: AutoTrader]

For your reference, the older Honda Civic Type R FK8’s 2.0-liter turbo engine can produce up to 306 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. The next-gen Honda Civic Type R FL5’s 2.0-liter turbo mill meanwhile, can make up to 316 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. Both vehicles are still fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox, and they are both front-wheel-drive.   

But then again, the host also mentioned that the newer Civic Type R’s turbo boost comes faster compared to the old model. This comes via an upgraded turbocharger with a revised fan blade count and turbine shape. 

The combination of having better tires and a more responsive turbo then came to play during the hot lap. The said track, after all, had dramatic curves as well as fast straights.

During the hot lap, the newer Civic Type R FL5 was one second faster [Photo: AutoTrader]

Does this convince you that the next-generation Honda Civic Type R is a good buy? Also, are incremental performance improvements worth its tag of Php 3,880,000 in the Philippine market? 

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