Honda Civic Type R “Best Lap” Edition: The Track-Built Farewell You Did Not See Coming

Honda built the sixth generation Type R to feel alive in your hands. It takes the human-centric bones of the eleventh generation Civic and turns every dial toward involvement. The body is lower and wider than a standard Civic, the hood scoop and rear diffuser are functional, and the new rear spoiler sits on die-cast aluminum supports to clean the airflow and add real downforce. Nothing here is for show.

Under the hood is a 2.0 liter four cylinder turbocharged engine using Honda’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control technology. It delivers 329 metric horsepower (250 kilowatts) at 6,500 revolutions per minute and 420 newton meters (300 pound feet) from just 2,200 through 4,000 revolutions per minute, pulling cleanly to 7,000 revolutions per minute. The numbers back up the feel: 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 275 kilometers per hour. A straight-through exhaust increases flow by 13 percent and a triple-exit back box with an active valve sharpens sound and response. Cooling is upgraded with a high-capacity intercooler and a radiator that breathes through a grille opening that is 48 percent larger than before.

The six speed manual transmission is the heart of the experience. A lighter flywheel is 18 percent lighter and cuts inertia by 25 percent for crisper revs. The revised rev-match system with auto-blip makes every downshift feel natural, and the new high-rigidity shift linkage tightens the gate so your right hand always knows where to go.

Chassis tuning focuses on precision and stability. The wheelbase grows by 35 millimeters, the rear track is significantly wider, and the twin-axis front suspension trims torque steer while adding 16 percent stiffer camber. Body rigidity steps up by 15 percent, helped by structural adhesive applied to key zones that is increased by 3.8 times. Adaptive dampers keep roll and pitch in check with updated control logic. Braking is handled by Brembo hardware with two piece floating discs and improved lines and master cylinder feel.

Aero is not an afterthought. Honda’s engineers leaned on computational fluid dynamics and lessons from partners in world touring car racing and Super GT to reduce drag and stabilize pressure over the body. Ventilated front fenders pull pressure out of the wheel wells, side skirts guide flow cleanly to the rear, and the diffuser and spoiler work together to add downforce while minimizing resistance. Exclusive 19 inch inverted-edge alloy wheels wear specially compounded 265/30 R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires, developed to handle heavy front axle loads and keep grip consistent at the limit.

Inside, it is all about the driver. You sit 8 millimeters lower in light, suede-trimmed buckets that lock in your hips without beating up your back on long trips. Sightlines are clean, reflections are reduced, and the main info cluster places a full-width tachometer and track-ready data front and center in +R mode. Comfort and Sport modes keep things calmer for daily driving, while the new Individual mode lets you tailor throttle, steering, suspension, sound, rev matching, and the performance meter to your taste.

Honda’s Log R 2.0 system turns the car into a coach. It shows real-time temperatures, steering angle, brake pressure, throttle position, yaw rate, G forces, and even a digital tire grip circle. Performance Tracking and the Score function analyze your laps and everyday drives, highlight where to improve, and let you review sessions with GPS-mapped overlays. You can capture onboard video on your phone and sync live data to it for easy sharing.

Safety tech is comprehensive. The latest Honda Sensing suite brings a wide-angle front camera, eight sonar sensors, and faster processing for earlier, more accurate detection of lane markings, road edges, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Features include Forward Collision Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist System, Road Departure Mitigation System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross Traffic Monitoring, Traffic Jam Assist, and automatic headlight control. The structure integrates ring-shaped frames front and rear, more rigid floor bracing, and ten airbags including front knee and rear side units.

To mark the end of Civic Type R sales in Europe, Honda is building the Best Lap special edition, limited to 99 units for Italy. It adds real carbon fiber parts by HACE for the rear spoiler, center console panel, and door sills, plus a “Best Lap” emblem under the rear logo. Each buyer gets a premium gift box with a numbered steel plaque from 1 to 99 and a carbon fiber Honda key ring. It is a final salute to a car that is not just driven but experienced, corner after corner.