It’s been a good few years for tuners who cut their teeth – or at least lusted after – sporty machines from Japan back in the day. Recent developments have seen the return of a Civic Type R and freshened Nissan Z, new versions of which are set to hit our shores later this year.
This week, Honda showed off their new R at the Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan, while video surfaced of Team Nissan demonstrating the aural delights of the forthcoming Z.
We’ll start with the Big H, fresh from testing at the Suzuka Circuit and making its first public appearance in prototype form at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Wearing a camo wrap that was exclusively for it, the next Honda Civic Type R is promised to be the “best performing” Civic Type R to date. This is expected since it is unlikely the House of Honda will take a step backward in the hot-hatch handling and horsepower wars.
What little is known about the upcoming Type R has been gleaned from frame-by-frame study of a test-driving video, one which was shot at Suzuka in Japan and officially released by Honda. It will assuredly have less manic styling properties than the current car, a decision which makes sense given its polarizing design, but your author will still pour one out for the existing Type R when it vanishes since he enjoys its look tremendously. Please keep in mind that I am writing this while wearing a bright orange sweater and usually get a kick out of any car tuned by Mansory. No one said I was sensible.
Elsewhere, video clips have surfaced of the next Nissan Z blipping its throttle and making noise on a cold January morning. The new coupe was shown spitting gearhead delight out of its dual exhaust tips, though it was absent any crackle-and-bang that’s accompanied some of its competitors. Even at rest, for example, some Hyundai N products pop like rapid-fire, though there’s nothing to say Nissan hasn’t saved that bit of tuning for the overrun when letting off the throttle while going into a corner on a close course.
Quick poll of the B&B: Which of these two nameplates are you most excited to see in 2022? Are you the type who enjoyed fiddling with a grey-market Civic Type R in the ‘90s? Or are you a Z-head who preferred the delights of a rear-drive Nissan? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image: Honda]
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I likes me a Z… probably the only one of its product Nissan hasn’t ruined yet.
The Z will be a fun product but the Type R is the one that could fit my kids in back so it’s more interesting to me personally. Still would probably choose a cheaper, slower Si over it.
Z
“Are you the type who enjoyed fiddling with a grey-market Civic Type R in the ‘90s? Or are you a Z-head who preferred the delights of a rear-drive Nissan?”
Lol. I think the normie Civic is pretty good, but I’m not buying either of these.
Neither am I. Long past the time of wanting either but I am glad both exist.
Definitely the Z.
Z; absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Well duh RWD FTW.
That’s a tough one. I’d have to test drive both. The nominal Golf like “practicality” of the Civic is a big bonus. But in type R trim, the Civic has gotten pretty far removed from a “practical” car, no matter how many doors.
How is it less practical? It does all the practical things a normal Civic does and adds some spice.
It’s “responsive” t the point of being annoying for rear seat passengers.
And it plays pop-the-magic-rim-and-tire-and-alignment a bit too easily on LA and SF streets at Type R speeds and side loads. In more open locales, with better roads and higher speeds (Germanic Europe) it’s great. More so than near all RWD cars even…. For hacking around bomb craters, it feels noticeably more “fragile” than less precision-under-heavy-loads-uber-alles cars.
I miss sidewalls too.
Here’s an alternative plan:
a) Get a real car
b) Learn to drive
(The world is not your track. Be a grown-up for once.)
I own a racetrack though.
Owning a track is exactly the right way to do it. (But if you own a track you can pick *much* better options than either of the vehicles referenced here.)
@ajla Do tell..
@ToolGuy I took my car to the track 5 days last year (first time ever) and plan to go more often this year. So having track capabilities DOES matter, as does have 4-person capacity.
A Z with the Honda “scramble” paint job would be sweet.
The Z since it’s actually significantly different than the last two, whereas the CTR seems mostly carryover (plus I already have the last one).
Definitely more excited for the new Z. Hell it might even cost less than the new Type R with the way Honda is jacking up Civic prices
rwd +MT+ LSD+non2.0T= Z for me or GR86 if dealers are going to price gouge it
Not counting the need for carting 4 people around, I prefer the Z as a looker. And I test-drove a 300ZX around ’00 (settled on a Corrado VR6). My Honda ties go way further back to our ’82 Civic Wagon I learned to drive stick on and drove all over.
If I had to pick right now, I’d take the R (in order to carry the family) – but I doubt I’d actually sell the Stinger to buy an R, unless I get SUPER serious with track days or something. I don’t need to “win” HPDEs to have fun, and I need the auto for sitting in traffic, etc. Plus, 500 HP+ is fun :-)