Honda Civic Type R to be a one-shot

IT’S been a long time between hot laps, but the revival of Honda’s Type R sub-brand will be limited to a single model for now.

Speaking at the 2015 Geneva motor show, Honda Europe senior vice-president Philip Ross said there were no immediate plans for more Type R hero models in the Honda line-up.

That means only the Civic Type R will be at the top of the brand’s performance tables – at least until the arrival of the NSX hybrid supercar late in the year.

“No plans at the moment to do any other Type Rs,” said Ross.

“It’s taken us a while to develop and this is what we’re focused on. That one there is so exceptional that that’s good for us now.”

Type R models have had more powerful, highly strung engines and stiffer suspension for better roadholding, particularly on track.

Distinguished by more aggressive wings and a red Honda H badge, Type R versions of the Civic and Integra have been sold in Australia, with other models available sporadically overseas.

A glance at Honda’s domestic model range yields no promising contenders, so the British-built Civic represents your lot for the time being at least.

Honda claims it will be the fastest front-wheel drive car around the Nürburgring race track in Germany. A development model lapped the undulating 21km track in 7min50sec, beating the former record-holder – Renault’s Mégane RS275 – by four seconds.

Debate the legality of that if you will, but Ross is confident a series production version will go at least as quickly again in a planned future run at the infamous circuit.