The New Honda Civic Type R's Engine Sounds Amazingly Like A Beautiful Five-Cylinder

What intrigued us most about the new Honda Civic Type R when we examined it at the Geneva Motor Show was its exhaust. That third, smaller pipe isn’t there for show: Type R Assistant Project Lead Hideki Kakinuma told us it “creates a certain negative pressure” at mid and high RPM, with the aim of reducing booming noise in the cabin while increasing overall volume.

It seems what the new trick exhaust also does is give the Type R a delicious, almost five-cylinder-like burble, as showcased in this new video from Honda. It seems highly unlikely that it’s the result of sound editing trickery, although we are eager to hear the exhaust note of the turbo four-pot Type R ‘in person’ with our own ears.

The old car wasn’t brilliant in the sound department, with a dull boom resonating through the cabin at certain engine speeds. It wasn’t particularly characterful from the outside either. This time around, Honda look to have rectified the uninspiring noise of the 2.0-litre turbo, and then some.

What do you think of the new Type R’s exhaust note?