Honda Cars : 2012 Honda Civic Hatchback on the Road | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda Cars : Burlapp Fine; 2012 Euro Honda Civic? | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Not too sure what to think about this one, the front doesn't go with the body in my opinion....
Source;
http://www.burlappcars.com/2011/06/2012-euro-honda-civic.html

Honda Cars : 2011/2012 Honda Civic Rendering | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Thought I'd post this for what it's worth, 2011/2012 Honda Civic, I would strongly suggest this to be a rendering of the Euro Civic if anything....
Source;
http://visions-autos.sport24.com/589386/Future-Honda-Civic-2011-2012/

Honda Cars : 2012 Euro Honda Civic Spied! | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Well, look at what we have here. Back in May, our intrepid spy shooters managed to snap off a series of images showing the next-gen European Honda Civic hiding in plain sight under an amalgam of ill-fitting current-gen bodywork. The latest set of spy photos seen here prove that Honda's little compact hatchback is progressing along rather nicely.

Unlike previous spy photos, it's clear that the car being tested is wearing its new bodywork... though it's obviously obscured as much as possible with funky matte black panels with strategically placed cutouts for doors, lights and glass. In any case, we can see a clear hatchback body design, as you would expect for the European market, along with an overtly wedge-like profile.

We have no way of knowing what's powering this vehicle at the moment, but previous reports suggest our European friends will get a typical choice of gasoline and diesel four cylinder engines along with a possible hybrid.

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/21/spy-shots-2012-honda-civic-struts-its-stuff-in-europe/

Honda Cars : On the road: Honda Civic Type R 2.0 i-VTec | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This hot hatch is so bright, you've got to wear shades

Why do they always come in white, these hot hatches? Ouch! Even the wheel rims are white. And so white. Whiter not just than snow. Whiter not just than white. But whiter than a soap star's teeth. Normally, a pair of sunglasses are a standard accessory when dealing with a revved-up boy-mobile. But in the case of the ultra-white Honda Civic Type R, they're more a health and safety necessity. Tinted windows don't really do the trick – the dazzle from the bonnet on a sunny day could easily laser your eyeballs. A full crack dealer's blackout appears a more sensible option.

Sometimes it does seem as if the highways are jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive. There they are in their Golf GTIs and Ford Focus RSs and Toyota Priuses (OK, just kidding about the last one), full of an aching desire to floor the accelerator and break free from… what? Suburban convention? Come on. Is there anything, aside from multiplex cinemas and DIY warehouse centres, more conventionally suburban than a hot hatch?

And now Honda is squeezing in on all those clogged arteries of the urban sprawl with its very own fat slice of road cholesterol. The Honda Civic Type R 2.0 i-VTec lacks the iconic frame of the GTI and the noisy styling of the RS. It also lacks their handling. But, as these sorts of cars go, it's not unattractive. Because, let's face it, ugliness is seen as an aesthetic virtue in this area of the car market, a mark of seriousness and authentic sense of purpose.

The Type R doesn't convince on this front. The rear spoiler hardly spoils the line of the boot. The front spoiler can barely muster a stroppy pout. Nothing really says, "Get out of the way or I'm going to ruin your life and terrorise your family" the way we've come to expect from a hot hatch. But there you go, times change and new fashions emerge, and we shouldn't necessarily assume that psychopathology should be the only suitable visual language for fast-accelerating hatchbacks.

Indeed, I found the brothel-red interior of the Type R almost cosy, as though Cynthia Payne had brought her distinctive eye to the seats and floor carpet. But it's the predominance of the rev counter on the dash that most boldly states the car's, or its notional owner's, true ambitions. It sits centre stage, all but daring the driver to see how far the indicator will swivel round the dial.
To what end, though? Where is it leading, this obsession with ordinary small cars being transformed into monsters of the suburban id? I mean, this town rips the bones from your back. It's a death trap, a suicide rap. We've got to get out while we're young. That said, the Type R is a joyride to drive, if a tad stiff in the suspension.

Source;
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/09/honda-civic-type-r-review

Honda Cars : Euro Honda Civic Mugen Type R Pricing Revealed | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

That's a nice looking car....
TDI plc launches full Mugen aftermarket product range for Honda Civic Type R FN2; Visual enhancements first release

Principal Mugen stockist and leading Japanese tuning house Torque Developments International Plc is pleased to announce that the full range of Honda Civic Type R FN2 upgrades are now available for the performance aftermarket.

Covering engine, chassis, braking and visual enhancements, the Mugen Civic Type R FN2 product range has been subject OEM style levels of arduous design, testing and quality control tests, ensuring that the Mugen FN2 product portfolio offers enthusiasts the ultimate in performance and reliability.

First launch from the Mugen range are FN2 the front and visual enhancements seen adorning the critically acclaimed Civic Type R Mugen concept. Lightweight, high quality and distinctive, the Mugen FN2 body styling provides a unique look, designed for the Honda connoisseur.

Mugen’s FN2 Honda Civic Type R visual enhancements include:

Front aero bumper – Part no: 62511-XLR-K0S0 – RRP £1150.60 – This incorporates large brake duct intakes, an aerodynamically shaped profile and a smooth undertray to decrease wind resistance while improving high speed stability.
Air intake garnish – Part no: 71140-XLR-K0S0 – RRP £234.38 – These triangular trims are installed into the front of the Mugen aero bumper to provide additional air channelling and improved visual appeal.
Front Sports grille – Part no: 75100-XLR-K0S0 – RRP £372.88 – A signature Mugen visual styling enhancement, the Sports grille combines great looks with a wind resistance reducing design.
Front Aero Fenders (pair) – Part no: 60200-XLR-K0S0 – RRP £852.29 – An aggressive frontal profile and rear hot air outlet help reduce underbonnet and front brake temperatures. A unique Mugen design in high strength, lightweight FRP.
Aero bonnet – Part no: 60100-XLR-K0S0 – RRP £1257.14 – Designed to perform, the Mugen Honda Civic Type R FN2 aero bonnet is equipped with large, functioning air outlets with a detachable air outlet inner cover. When open, the apertures allow more cool air through the engine bay, helping to lower underbonnet temperatures. Produced in high quality, weight saving FRP.
Rear Bumper – Part no: 84111-XLR-K0S0 – RRP £1044.07 – Muscular looks combine with the Type R’s twin exhaust outlets to create a distinctive rear look.
Rear Wing – Part no: 84112-XLR-K0S0 – RRP £1150.60 – Unmistakably Mugen, the FN2 Civic Type R rear wing provides a stunning look for Honda’s hottest hatchback. Adjustable in two places to suit driving conditions, the Mugen rear wing is made from ABS plastic, with an FRP base. Installation requires the removal of the original factory Civic Type R rear wing.

Source (via Autospies);
http://click2cars.com/2009/09/mugen-honda-civic-type-r-pricing-announced/

Honda Cars : Piston Heads: HONDA CIVIC TYPE R MUGEN DRIVEN | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Here's a UK car that I thought could have been ported over under a Acura badge, or even a SiR under the Honda badge, never did, and probably never will. Amazing car though.
PH gets a world-first spin behind the wheel of the Super-Civic

Poring over these pictures of the Honda Civic Type R Mugen Concept, it is possible to draw several conclusions, depending upon your preconceptions of Honda, and of hot hatches in general.

You might think that, however good Mugen's reputation as a tuner of Honda cars, the latest Euro-spec Honda Civic Type R, with its unyielding twist-beam rear suspension, is never going to be able to mix it with a properly sorted rival with independent rear suspension. You might also think that, despite the undoubted allure of Honda's high-revving VTEC engines, even a tuned version won't be able to compete with the turbocharged European hardcore hatch competition. If you're feeling particularly ungenerous, you might feel that a chap with some time on his hands and some spare parts from Halfords would have done a better job with the body kit.

All these things crossed my mind as myself and lucky PH competition winner Nick (check out the video of Nick's Japanese experience on PH soon) arrived at the Twin-Ring Motegi race track to try out the prototype of Mugen's super-Civic Type R - the first westerners to do so. The rather humble makeshift pit garage - actually nothing more than a couple of shabby-ish hospitality-style tents and awnings - made me still more nervous that this really would be a bit of a Heath Robinson project.

I needn't have worried. There are two things that strike you about the way the Japanese go about their business. The first is that they tend to be very modest about their achievements - hence the shabby gazebo and the generally unglamorous surroundings. The second is that, when they do a job, they do it properly - hence the very serious-looking machine sitting underneath the grubby awnings.

Okay, so some of the body panels are a slightly different shade of red, but that's because a) this is still a development hack and not a series production model and b) the front and rear bumpers and the front wings are all made of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP). This is part of a weight-saving programme that shaves a significant 105kg off the Civic's kerb weight and also involves the removal of the rear seats.

The engine has also received a similarly extensive going-over. This version of Honda's K20A motor is essentially the same as the one used in the 2007 Mugen RR, a limited run of 300 very hardcore versions of the Japanese domestic market four-door Civic Type R. This means that power is up 39bhp, from 198bhp to 237bhp, while torque is up 14lb ft to a respectable (for a VTEC unit) 162lb ft, thanks to extensive internal changes to the cams, inlet and exhaust systems.

Tweaks to the chassis are pretty involved, too, with uprated springs and shocks, while nestling behind the lightweight alloys are 17-inch diameter brakes with bespoke four-piston monoblock callipers (standard CTRs get a single-piston set-up). Partly to accommodate the chunkier brake callipers, the Civic's track has been widened by 10mm. Like the latest Championship White UK-spec Civic Type R, the Mugen concept also has a limited-slip diff, which could prove a crucial point for track day fans.

But now to the truly important part - driving. Stepping into the Civic Type R Mugen, it’s immediately clear that this is a car that means business. Despite the absence of a roll cage the empty space where the rear seats would be, the hip-crunching racing buckets and the extra stack of gauges to the right of the steering wheel telegraph a clear message: “drive me hard” this car is saying.

This car also has a data-logging device that monitors various pressures and temperatures within the car, into which you can pre-programme certain parameters. When your chosen indicator - oil temperature, say - reaches your pre-determined limit a buzzer will sound, telling you it’s time to cool the car down. If you do a lot of track days, that has got to be one hell of a useful tool.

Once we thumb the starter motor, however, and head out onto the test track, we’re in for a bit of a surprise - several, actually. The first shock is how sophisticated the whole thing feels. Looking at the Civic Type R Mugen you’d expect it to feel edgy, raw, nervy and unyielding, but in reality it feels quite the opposite. This might be a ‘hardcore’ hot hatch, but its sophisticated damping and more linear power delivery (Mugen has designed this engine to deliver seamless torque and power, so there’s less of a trademark VTEC ‘kick’) make it feel more refined than the standard car.

That’s not to say the Mugen Civic is dull, though. The K20A still wails like a touring car engine as you push it beyond 8000rpm, the (shorter-throw) gearchange is still one of the sweetest of any front-drive car I’ve driven and the new-found mid-range torque gives the motor the sort of punch that might - just might - see it keep up with turbocharged European hot-hatchery, as long as you work that engine hard enough.

Surprise number two arrives with the first few corners and the realisation that, on track at least, the torsion beam rear is no hindrance to the Mugen Type R’s handling. Mugen has kindly provided us with a Japanese-spec four-door Civic Type R equipped with a smattering of Mugen handling extras by way of comparison, and the difference between the two cars is startling.

Between you, me and this computer screen, I expected the UK-shape Civic, with its less sophisticated rear suspension and shorter wheelbase, to feel twitchy and snappish in its cornering behaviour, while the Japanese-spec car’s longer wheelbase and independently sprung rear end would make it the more predictable and approachable of the two.

Driving the four-door Civic round an off-camber right-hander with a bump in the middle and a heavy braking zone just the other side, I realise just how wrong I am. In the Type R Mugen prototype this is a simple corner, where you simply hold on to the steering wheel a bit tighter as your front right wheel skips over the bump, and you brake for the next bend while still turning. It is a bend you think nothing of.

In the Type R saloon, things are a little different. I approach the same bend in exactly the same way, but as the four-door crests the bump things begin to go wrong. First, the front suspension is flustered, throwing the steering off kilter. Then I start to brake for the next corner and the back end steps wide on the damp tarmac. There follows a rather ungainly series of fishtails before I manage to gather the car together - fortunately before the tyre wall does it for me. Torsion beam 1, independent rear suspension, nil.

The third surprise is the brakes. Actually, with that clever - and powerful - calliper set-up the stopping ability of the Civic Type R Mugen should come as no surprise, but the car’s ability to resist fade, even after half an hour of heavy use, is deeply impressive.

It’s clearly a car with promise, the Civic Type R Mugen. It’s quick, surprisingly sophisticated and something a bit different from your average super-hatch. It’s also coming to Britain for final development testing, so it just might cope with the scarred, rutted piece of tarmac that is the average British B-road.

Mugen is keen to point out that this car is still very much a concept - it doesn’t even have a proper name yet. But if it does get the go ahead for a limited production run, rumour has it that it could cost more than £30k. And that’s about £5k too much, I reckon. So come on, Mugen, give us a fourth surprise and make it cheap enough to compete head-on with the likes of the Ford Focus RS.

Source;

http://www.pistonheads.com/roadtests/doc.asp?c=120&i=20408

Honda Cars : MUGEN Euro confirms Type R prototype development | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This won't be coming to North America, so don't get too excited. (Although there were rumours at one point of the UK Civic coming here with an Acura badge....)
"In standard trim, the Civic Type R is a thrilling machine to drive," said Hiro Toyoda, Vice President of MUGEN EURO. "It is a fantastic base model from which we hope to develop one of the quickest point to point front-wheel-drive road cars in the country."

Toyoda san is referring to a prototype of a MUGEN EURO-developed Type R which is still in concept stage. MUGEN EURO is a subsidiary of the tuner with the same name but is based in Northampton, UK.

The car is being run on the same powertrain as the 2007 Civic MUGEN RR from Japan but will have its power and torque increased. That model had 240hp (177kW), was 10kg lighter than the standard model and was limited to only 300 units.

The brakes, the exhaust and suspension system are also being improved. Looks have been enhanced with a more purposeful aerodynamic kit that includes a larger rear boot spoiler.
No confirmation as to whether MUGEN EURO will eventually produce a customer car out of this prototype or not. For the moment UK fans will have to be content with the Civic Type-R (FN2R).

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/109070320279/mugen-euro-confirms-type-r-prototype-development

Honda Cars : Honda UK; New Honda Civic coming in 2011 | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

According to the latest reports, the next-generation of the Honda Civic will be officially unveiled in 2010 and expected by the dealers in 2011. Like the current version, the new vehicle will be available in two versions, with 3 or 5 doors. The new generation will use petrol and diesel engines but will also offer a hybrid version, powered by a 1.5-liter petrol engine with 150 hp. Later, the Type-R version will come showing more than 200 hp.

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/new-honda-civic-coming-in-2011/

Honda Cars : 2010 Honda Civic Hatchback for UK Rendering | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Bold Honda takes cues from ExCeL star and there's a Hybrid model and Type R on the way, too

The new Honda Civic is here – and yet again it’s set to break the mould in the family hatchback sector! These exclusive shots show how the next car will look when it hits the showroom in 2010, and as you can see, the Japanese maker has opted for a shape that is even bolder and more individual than the current model.

With Vauxhall set to launch a stylish new Astra, and the next, sleek Ford Focus due in 2010, competition is fierce – but Honda has pulled out the stops to create a real stunner. As revealed in Issue 1,023, the OSM concept seen at the British Motor Show was more than simply an ‘Open Study Model’ – as the face of the new Civic is almost identical.

There are hints of VW’s IROC concept, which was toned down to become the Scirocco, in the gaping front grille. The new hatchback adds elements carried over from the current Civic, too, most notably the trademark single strip light cluster at the rear. But Honda fans will note that the split rear screen has been dropped to improve visibility. Shallow glass areas, broad shoulders and a nose-down stance give this three-door model a sporty and purposeful look.

The hatchback ‘coupé’ pictured here will be aimed at younger buyers, who want style and image more than outright practicality. So, as well as big alloys and a contrasting black bodykit, the three-door gets lowered suspension and a dark interior with deeply sculpted seats.

The three-door will be distinct from the five, as Honda adopts an approach similar to the Renault Mégane by pitching the two cars at different buyers. So, the five-door will be more for the family, with a taller roofline offering plenty of space, a bigger boot, plus a softer ride and handling balance.

Here's the rest of the article;

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/226578/new_civic_revealed.html