2023 Honda Civic Type R Revealed, Still More to Come

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey


There have been teasers, and teasers, and teasers...and now we can see the 2023 Honda Type R uncovered.


Just don't ask about specs.


Because Honda hasn't listed them yet.


Instead we're told the body is lightweight and highly rigid, though it's not said how in relation to the last-gen car.


We are promised that the engine will have more power, so that's something a bit more concrete, and the six-speed manual, which appears to be the only available transmission, will be improved. Improved how, we don't know -- better gearing for acceleration? Shorter shifts?


Similarly, the suspension and steering are said to be "enhanced" and improved.

If we sound cranky, that's just because after all this time, we were hoping to hear some numbers. That said, the car looks great to this author's eye, even with the big boy-racer wing remaining as part of the experience. And having driven the current Civing Si, and having enjoyed it, I imagine the Type R will be quite good.


To be fair to Honda, the company does get a bit more clear with some things. This car is longer, lower, and wider than what it replaces. The tires are wider, the front-fender grilles larger, and there's a new side-sill to increase airflow efficiency. The rear wing and bumper are redesigned, the rear doors wider, and the rear diffuser is new.


But the three exhaust outlets remain.


Inside, the serialized dash plate moves to the dash, and the seats, carpet, and trim are red in Type R tradition. There will be data recording features specific to Type R.

Finally, the car will be available in five colors, including Historic Championship White, which is only available on Type R Civics. Rallye Red, Boost Blue, Crystal Black Pearl, and Sonic Grey Pearl round out the menu.


Soon enough, we'll have specs, pricing, and an on-sale date. For now, though, you can gawk.

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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  • John S. John S. on Jul 22, 2022

    Looks great. Too bad I would have to wait a year or two to consider it before the 'market adjustment' comes off. I can be foolish with my money, but I have my limits.

  • MaintenanceCosts MaintenanceCosts on Jul 25, 2022

    Bolt in a hatch from a standard Civic and it would be perfect. Feeling a lot more want than I did for the last generation. Though as John S. says actually buying one will be a challenge.

  • Redapple2 jeffbut they dont want to ... their pick up is 4th behind ford/ram, Toyota. GM has the Best engineers in the world. More truck profit than the other 3. Silverado + Sierra+ Tahoe + Yukon sales = 2x ford total @ $15,000 profit per. Tons o $ to invest in the BEST truck. No. They make crap. Garbage. Evil gm Vampire
  • Rishabh Ive actually seen the one unit you mentioned, driving around in gurugram once. And thats why i got curious to know more about how many they sold. Seems like i saw the only one!
  • Amy I owned this exact car from 16 until 19 (1990 to 1993) I miss this car immensely and am on the search to own it again, although it looks like my search may be in vane. It was affectionatly dubbed, " The Dragon Wagon," and hauled many a teenager around the city of Charlotte, NC. For me, it was dependable and trustworthy. I was able to do much of the maintenance myself until I was struck by lightning and a month later the battery exploded. My parents did have the entire electrical system redone and he was back to new. I hope to find one in the near future and make it my every day driver. I'm a dreamer.
  • Jeff Overall I prefer the 59 GM cars to the 58s because of less chrome but I have a new appreciation of the 58 Cadillac Eldorados after reading this series. I use to not like the 58 Eldorados but I now don't mind them. Overall I prefer the 55-57s GMs over most of the 58-60s GMs. For the most part I like the 61 GMs. Chryslers I like the 57 and 58s. Fords I liked the 55 thru 57s but the 58s and 59s not as much with the exception of Mercury which I for the most part like all those. As the 60s progressed the tail fins started to go away and the amount of chrome was reduced. More understated.
  • Theflyersfan Nissan could have the best auto lineup of any carmaker (they don't), but until they improve one major issue, the best cars out there won't matter. That is the dealership experience. Year after year in multiple customer service surveys from groups like JD Power and CR, Nissan frequency scrapes the bottom. Personally, I really like the never seen new Z, but after having several truly awful Nissan dealer experiences, my shadow will never darken a Nissan showroom. I'm painting with broad strokes here, but maybe it is so ingrained in their culture to try to take advantage of people who might not be savvy enough in the buying experience that they by default treat everyone like idiots and saps. All of this has to be frustrating to Nissan HQ as they are improving their lineup but their dealers drag them down.
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