America missed out on the best Civic Type R ever, the FK2
You might have the FK8, but that's for your Gran
Whilst everyone in the US is whooping and hollering about finally receiving the fabled Civic Type R, y’all missed out on the best one yet.
You see, late on in the FK2’s life Honda finally decided it was about time to give it the Type R treatment. By late, I mean really late, there were only two years left before the model would be culled.
I have no idea why they waited so long to bring it out, maybe they were burned by the FN2. ..
Back in the day, when I’d just started to drive the EP3 was THE hot hatch of choice. Blistering acceleration from a super high revving VTEC engine, combined in a lightweight, playful chassis. At one stage two out of my three ‘car mates’ had one.
But when the EP3 was superseded Honda stuffed that highly strung 2.0 litre engine into the body of a fat man. The new FN2 Civic Type R weighed nearly 16 stone/224 lbs more than its predecessor, with next to no gains in power. It wasn’t much loved by the press and just felt somewhat asthmatic compared to the EP3.
Fast forward a good few years and Honda finally unveiled the Type R Concept in 2014 at the Geneva Motor Show. It looked stunning - huge air vents on the bonnet, wide flared arches and that devil horn rear spoiler. This was the FK2 Civic Type R.
I was lucky enough to attend the launch of the FK2, flying out to Slovakia I tested it on normal roads and on track. It was an impressive bit of kit. But at the time I didn’t quite realise just how special it was.
It’s like looking back on an Ex and thinking ‘Damn, things were so good back then’. And that realisation happened when I drove the new FK8 last year.
It’s like looking back on an Ex
The FK8 is the ‘Global’ Civic. Instead of offering different versions by region (no idea how they ever thought that was a good idea) Honda now pump out the same Civic across the world. The FK8.
Our ‘UK’ Civic has gone from a fairly upright hatchback to what I can only describe as a saloon. Looks aside it’s what they’ve done to the Type R that matters most.
Last Drive Of The FK2.
I’d booked in a loan of an FK2 Type R months previously but due to someone thrashing it around a track and numerous other things, my loan was bumped back and back. So far back in fact that I ended up with it about a month after the FK8 launch.
I was THE last journalist to have one on loan in the UK. After me this car was being taken off the press fleet and sold.
Being cheeky I asked if I could extend the loan a bit. I had it for two weeks in total.
It's purebred.
My copilot also hitting 270 KPH on the 'bahn.
Rewinding back to the German launch of the FK8 Type R. I’m sitting on the Autobhan cruising at 170 MPH, slowing to 150 for the bends – that alone in a Civic is insane. In terms of performance it’s got it, but everything else is just a bit watered down.
In my eyes a hot hatch should basically be a race car for the road.
It needs to have a certain specialness surrounding it. I’m not just on about looks here, I’m talking about how it actually feels.
Ride needs to be hard.
Seats should feel like a big burley bouncer has you in his arms.
Hitting the redline should be a climax of revs and endurance.
I’m not interested in a hot hatch without compromises. I chose to own that car because of what it can do, its performance. If that comes at the cost of refinement, ride and comfort then so be it.
That’s exactly what the FK2 was like.
From the start the ride is hard. Turn it up to 11 by switching to +R Mode and you’d be fooled for thinking the springs had been swapped for concrete blocks. You’re jilted and jostled at every opportunity, if you run over an ant with the front right, you’d feel it.
Those huge seats have metal framed wings. Entering and exiting is like threading a needle as you negotiate yourself between them and the steering wheel. One wrong move and you end up sitting on the edge, with a posterior feeling how I imagine a first night in prison does.
Christ do they hold you though. It’s as though Big Dave (the doorman from your favourite club) is sitting behind you, holding you as tight as he can through every corner.
That sound. You hear it as soon as the second cam kicks in and the turbo starts to spin, it’s like you’ve unleashed a beehive on your most feared adversary.
As you go past five, heading to six thousand RPM a fizzing excitement builds. You feel a vibration through the steering wheel and another coming up your right metatarsal.
It’s like the engine is right in front of you, trying to claw its way out of the dash and onto your lap, it roars all the way until 6,500.
In front of your eyes the gear change lights meet in the middle, gathering pace along with your speed. Suddenly they turn red. Pressing the clutch you grab at the stunningly svelte aluminium ball to your left and bang it into fourth, there you wait a few seconds for the noise and vibration once more.
God it’s addictive.
And all of that, that theatre, that connected feel is what’s missing from the FK8.
It rides well, the seats are all flabby and wobbly without any proper support, you don’t get the pebbledash noise from the front arches when you pick up some gravel, and there’s just a lack of raw drama about it.
The FK8 Civic Type R is a car for your Gran.
I normally prefer a non turbo, lightweight hot hatch, which is why I was surprised that after two weeks with this Black Edition FN2 I wanted one.
I can’t afford one. But I want one.
It puts down 400 Nm of torque through the front wheels only, yet remains superbly well balanced. You can head into a corner far too quickly, the back end will unhook itself and slowly start to drift round before you catch it. This Honda is a tour de force when it comes to car setup.
Sadly it’s always going to be a rare beast. Only 2,500 were ever sold here in the UK, with just 100 of those being the runout Black Edition model. Prices look to be holding fairly steady, so it’s got investment potential to boot.
And I’m not some sort of fan boy either. I’ve driven every hot hatch on the market, and you can keep your Golf R and Focus RS. They’re both utterly crap compared to this.
If you’re a moron after paper facts and numbers then be my guest, buy either one of those. But if you’re a driver who loves feeling, emotion and a superbly well balance car, you need to sample an FK2.
Which leaves you Yanks bang out of luck.
Was the FK2 the defining moment for the Type R that America missed out on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Comments (7)
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amazing cars , pictures dont make them justice as they look small when in real time they are not , i just got mine 2 months ago and i can tell you its amazing , tha fk8 is nice too but this one with its rawness is amzing and just light tuning take them to over 400bhp !
I’m confused,most of the motoring press slagged it off,the FK 2 wasn’t meant to be.it was only made as a last minute thing,the FK8 was designed for a Type R model from the start,i’m not a Type R fan but the latest car is the best car.shame about the looks though.
I love the way it looks matey, each to their own but its purposeful and actually produces negative lift. Love my fk2 too!
Paul wilson, I'm a bit late with the reply. But I'm doing research on the FK2 before I buy one & saw your comment and had to correct you. The FK2 was designed from 2011 until it's prototype unveiling at the geneva motor show in 2014 & then it went...
Read moreI think we missed out on all the type r hah
I don't like them. I think they are riced and ugly but brilliant cars.