The new Honda Civic Type R is certainly a rabid machine, what with all three hundred horses from a 2.0 litre VTEC Turbo engine being sent to the front wheels. So what happens when it’s in the hands of a rabid driver? Enter one Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya, as he takes the Japanese hot hatch for a spin around the Nikko Circuit as part of the iconic Best Motoring TV series.
Unfortunately, the video has full Japanese audio with no English subtitles, so we can’t understand what Tsuchiya is saying (perhaps Japanese speakers could tune us in to what’s going on). However, he appears to be struggling with the car, with the Civic quite obviously pushing with understeer in the corners.
Of course, that might be due to the tight layout of the circuit itself, as well as low grip on the cold tarmac (snow does appear to be collecting on the track’s periphery). The Type R certainly looked to be much happier attacking the punishing Nürburgring Nordschleife in an earlier video – in fact, it clocked a blistering 7 minute 50.63 second lap time – so we’re pretty sure there’s more talent hidden underneath that chassis.
There better be, given the ferocity of what’s under the bonnet – that highly-tuned four-pot produces 310 PS at 6,500 rpm and 400 Nm from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. A six-speed manual and a limited-slip differential is standard fit, enabling the Civic Type R to rocket to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 269 km/h.
GALLERY: Honda Civic Type R at Tokyo 2015
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That’s almost painful to watch. Big HP FWD trying to scamper around a tight track.
I thought the car had some form of trick LSD in front..why is it smoking up the inside tyre?
Disappointed. Excess HP but cannot handle sharp corners
use GPS in the circuit, a Schumacher fan…
What’s the drift king doing with a FWD car? Give him a proper RWD car. A BMW M2 would be good.
STFU and watch!
is his own ae86 from toyota
Spit milk when he said the FK2R is 300kg heavier than 1st gen (EK9R) and 100kg heavier than 3rd gen (FD2/FN2)
Hair salon will have a booming business with this Type R Beng. Yellow and Purple will be the hit colour. Jinjang & balakong properties will have many new Type R Beng.
He definitely looks like struggling big time with the under steer and at times look so clumsy.
Snow. Ice. Not ideal condition.
Looks front heavy and designed to understeer, hopefully honda will retune the suspension in the future.
Really painful to watch as he struggles through corners. Could it be something to do with gear ratio not playing well with power and the said trick lsd? Even the master seem to struggle not too sure which gear gives proper power and torque. Noob here.
he commented that the car understeered through the tight bends ..but praised the powerful engine..
Not so user friendly IMO.
that interior looks like shit.
The meter cluster design especially looks very cheapskate. Hideous dials and gauges. The Honda design team must be too stupid or plain lazy when designing their current crop of Honda Branded cars.
Even Mazda has outclassed Honda’s design language.
That i know he say just… vtec turbo… ahhahahahha
Very powerful car in its class. For diehard Honda fans its a must have experience behind the wheel.