Civic Type R Hatchback For JDM Market

As a fan of all things turbocharged and torquey, I spend a lot of time making fun of Hondas. After all, everyone knows that VTec is like having all of the lag but none of the boost.  Still, they've got a pretty convincing thing going as far as their performance cars, even if they're slowly falling behind the horsepower curve compared to their torquey, turbocharged competitors these days.

There are some people for which there's no replacement for a high-strung Honda 4 cylinder with an astronomical redline, violent variable valve timing (that's trademarked, thank you) and a snick-snick rifle bolt short shifter.  I can see where they're coming from, even if I prefer my torque peak to be considerable and closer to idle than redline.  For these Hondaphiles living in Japan, there's a new flavor of banzai to enjoy: a brand-new Civic Type R, and this time with a hatch on the back like God intended.

Previously, the current-generation Civic Type R was only available as a 4-door sedan in the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM), but Honda's finally decided to sell the 3-door hatchback version in their home market.  Oddly enough, there'll be nothing JDM at all about this most-JDM of cars.  The 3-door hatchback Civic is only assembled in Honda's plant in Swindon, England - so they'll be imported to Japan from there.

Power comes from Honda's butter-smooth K20, a 2.0L 16v high-revver that makes 201bhp at 7,800(!)rpm, mated to a six-speed manual transmission.  0-60mph comes up in 6.4 seconds, with a maximum speed of 146mph.  This is essentially the same powertrain as seen in the US-market Civic Si coupe and sedan, not the hot-rod 237bhp K20 we've discussed previously.

Goodies include a subtle (at least by Honda standards!) bodykit, fantastic Alcantara-clad bucket seats, and a numbered plaque on the dashboard to remind you you're behind the wheel of something special.  Meanwhile, the European market Civic hatch continues to have a much cooler interior than it's American market counterpart; what gives, Honda?

Now what'll it take to get Honda to start shipping over 3-door Civic Type R's fitted with the Mugen motor?  What do they need, a certain shade of green?  Sales of the 201bhp Civic Type R hatch are expected to begin in Japan some time in 2010.