The teaser campaign for the 2023 Honda Civic Type R seems like it will never end, but we’re entering the homestretch as the model arrived stateside over the holiday weekend. Shown in prototype form, the highly anticipated hatch made a few hot laps around the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and also served as the lead vehicle at the start of the Honda Indy 200 on Sunday.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much to say as
Honda has been teasing the model for months and we’ve seen countless prototypes
over the past year. That being said, the redesigned model looks less aggressive
than its over-the-top predecessor as it follows in the footsteps of the latest
Civic Hatchback. However, the Civic Type R is distinguished by a sportier front
bumper, which features unique intakes as well as special mesh inserts.
Designers also installed aerodynamic side skirts, a prominent rear wing, and a
center-mounted triple exhaust.
Honda is staying tight-lipped on
specifics, but billed the model as the “pinnacle of Honda factory performance.”
The company went on to say the car was “engineered from the ground up to
deliver thrilling performance on the road and the racetrack.” The 2023 Civic
Type R will go on sale later this year and it promises to be the “best performing
Civic Type R ever.” While that remains to be seen, the car is expected to be
powered by an upgraded turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It produced
306 hp and 400 Nm of torque in the outgoing
model, and there’s little doubt the redesigned car will be more powerful.
