The eighth generation of the Civic hatchback received a Type R version in 2006, and it wasn’t exactly what the brand’s fan waited.
Honda Civic Type R always was a car designed for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts. Still, the European version of the Type R, the FN2, was available only as a three-door hatchback with the same torsion-beam in the back. While that was useful to increase the trunk space for a family vehicle, it was worse than the independent-type suspension installed on its predecessor, the EP3.

It was a car like no other on the market. Its sharp front end with the narrow grille and slim headlights were features that couldn’t be found elsewhere on the car market. Unlike its regular siblings, the Type R featured a mesh-grille instead of the glass-covered area between the headlights. Its profile was similar to the three-door version, the Type S, but the rear spoiler was specific for the Type R.

The carmaker installed red and black sport bucket seats at the front, with high bolstering to hold the occupants in place during hard cornering. It featured a specific instrument cluster with red background lights instead of the blue ones on the rest of the range. A hidden menu could reveal the shift-lights installed on top of the speedometer, which was in a separate, upper cluster. Yes, the rear seats were folding and could increase the luggage area, but there were just a few who bought a Type R for its trunk space.

Under the hood, Honda installed an 8.000 rpm screaming engine, which provided an extra horsepower (1 hp) than its predecessor. At least it was a Euro 5 compliant engine. As usual, the Type R was available exclusively with a manual gearbox.