One-make race version of Civic Type-R available (in Japan)
Japan has its fair share of one-make race series. For well under $20,000 you can buy a stripped out Vitz (Yaris) from Toyota, a March (Micra) from Nissan, a Swift (Ignis) from Suzuki or a Roadster (MX-5, Miata, whatever...) from Mazda specifically prepared to do battle with identical machinery six or so times a year around Tsukuba, Fuji and Suzuka. But the undisputed leading feeder race into Japanese formula racing is Honda's Type R series.
Wannabe Honda F1 drivers have been contesting Integras for the past seven years, but next year's championship sees a return of the Civic Type R to Japan's tracks. The race going version sports the standard R's 225PS KA20 motor and six speed 'box, but has no need for the road-going car's helical LSD, aircon, seats, interior trim, underseal and expensive HID lights, which knocks off not only several kilos its curb weight, but a whopping 40% off the road car's sticker price, bringing it under $15,000 at 1,690,500Yen.
Pity that the entry fee, roll cage, racing seat and harness plus a season's worth of tires and parts will come to at least as much again.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Barney 6:16PM (9/16/2007)
It sounds like fun. Few Japanese can buy homes anymore and this is one way of having affordable fun.
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Shadyman 7:16PM (9/16/2007)
The scary thing is, Few japanese can afford to buy homes anymore, because they take out mortgages for their cars.
Barney 9:16PM (9/16/2007)
They high cost of housing discourages new buyers. Even in Canada the home prices are beyond most incomes even with fourty year mortgages. I predict that car sales will take the place. People can afford cars.
In Japan, the cars have only a five year lifespan and parking takes up a large portion of the income as well.
chris 7:04PM (9/16/2007)
This thing was driven in Best Motoring a few months ago and is about as fast as a Gallardo on a small track and within a couple seconds on a long track before any idiot comes in and says "lol why wuld u raec such slow rice liek dat roflolo".
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graviton 10:04PM (9/16/2007)
lol why wuld u raec such slow rice like dat roflol!
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Preston M 7:48PM (9/16/2007)
Wow, thats a bargain. Especially considering that the target market would just end up taking out most of that stuff anyway.
I'd jump on this in a heartbeat. How about an s2k?
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Derek Kreindler 10:21PM (9/16/2007)
The biggest idiots are Honda, for depriving us of such a wonderful machine. EVO magazine reviewed it and couldn't stop heaping praise on it, basically calling it a "mini-NSX"
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Kevin C 11:57PM (9/16/2007)
wait why did they drop the LSD?
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R 2:05AM (9/17/2007)
I'm going to guess because people who buy these cars would probably end up replacing a helical lsd with a clutch-based lsd.
john.paulsson 3:18AM (9/17/2007)
Funny it's the sedan version. In Sweden, we only get hatchback Civics except for the hybrid which is the sedan. But I think the hatch is much hotter.
http://www.civinfo.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
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Bob-o 4:37AM (9/17/2007)
What's this, an race edition that's CHEAPER than the road edition? I thought that never happens.
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nagmashot 5:42AM (9/17/2007)
The Porsche 997 GT3 RS street version cost exactly the same as the Porsche 997 GT3 RSR for clubsport and endurance racing not street legal race version... and you don´t need to pay tax for the race car what makes it cheaper as the road version
common sense 11:24PM (9/17/2007)
yawn.....let me know when this makes over 100hp.....and to whoever thinks this is as fast as gallardo on a small track is on crack.
maybe they are testing on a go-kart track.
my expedition would roll over the top of this like a speedbump.
ricers............LOL !!!!
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