The Civics can be considered as the platform of choice when it comes to car modifications. Be it the ‘normal’ roadworthy Civics to the Type R performance parts are readily available, competitively priced and affordable as there are a few tuning houses carrying these parts. What we are looking at here is the Type R, whereby before the FD2R came rolling out of the showrooms, the most sought after model in the Civic lineage would be the EK Type-R and there is no doubt it was ‘the’ model to own when talking about high performance, more economical Japanese models.
But with the launch of the FD2R, Honda has pushed the boundaries further in terms of ‘out-of the-box’ performance and there is no doubt in my mind that at present it is also the best in terms of looks by far. With claimed engine performance figures of 225hp@8,400 rpm and 215 Nm of torque peaking at 6,100rpm, the FD2R exceeds its predecessor performance, the EP3 Type-R, which claimed figure is at 212hp@8000 rpm and 202 Nm@7000 rpm. The impressive figures of the FD2R are achieved by the introduction of a larger intake manifold and higher compression ratio. Furthermore, the ‘roar’ whenever the VTEC is engage has been ‘toned up’, giving a better feel towards spirited driving.
