![]() ![]() Your author isn’t a professional race car driver, so even on a closed course, extracting every ounce of capability from the Civic Type R is a Sisyphean task. We noticed we were carrying more speed at the end of each straight, portending good things for the Type R Limited Edition’s performance credentials. The stickier tires and firmer dampers yielded palpably higher speeds in corners, while the 22-pound unsprung weight reduction meant faster acceleration on exit – amazingly, we could feel that difference on the track. But after crossing the start-finish line a few times, the Phoenix Yellow LE started to make more sense. At lower speeds, the changes relative to the base Type R aren’t obvious. A carryover model, the 2021 Touring nonetheless handled South Palm with plenty of grip and accelerative force, thanks in part to updates for the 2020 model year that includes improved engine cooling and a retuned Active Damper System that samples inputs more frequently.Īfter several laps in the Touring, it was time to slip behind the wheel of the Limited Edition. ![]() Our first outing was in a 2021 Type R Touring, which starts at $37,495. The South Palm course at the Thermal Club was our home for the day, allowing us ample time to learn the track and become familiar with the Civic Type R family. With that in mind, we hit the track to see if we could plunk out a swan song that befits the Civic Type R Limited Edition. And to be honest, the lighter wheels, stickier tires, and retuned suspension don’t really make their presence known on the road, where speed limits and common sense suggest keeping things below seven-tenths. A turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four appears under the hood, pushing 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Those all sound like relatively minor changes, particularly since the Limited Edition gets the exact same running gear as the Type R Touring. Keen to take advantage of those cuts (and the stickier tires), Honda retuned the dampers and steering slightly, reducing body roll and improving response. More importantly, the wheels and new-to-Type R Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tires eliminate 22 pounds of unsprung mass. BBS forged aluminum wheels save 4.5 pounds per corner over the normal rollers, and Honda removed the rear window wiper, cargo shade, and some interior sound deadening for a total of 50 pounds of weight savings. ![]() The LE comes exclusively in Phoenix Yellow, with gloss black accents on the roof, spoiler, mirror caps, and hood scoop. Alterations from the standard Type R are minimal. ![]()
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