The impending demise of the FD2 Civic Type R is confirmed; Honda has announced that it will discontinue production of that manic machine after August 2010. However, Honda is out to sooth broken hearted Japanese enthusiasts with the 2010 model year Civic Type R Euro, which comes with mild exterior revisions and a “limited edition” tag.
The sharply styled three-door hatchback rolls off from Honda’s Swindon plant in the UK, which is the only factory in the world to build the car. The first FN Type R units boarded ships from Southampton in October 2009 to make the long trip to Japan. Since it went on sale in November last year, Honda has shifted over 1,850 units.
The company says that the CTR Euro has been “especially well-received by buyers in their thirties to forties, who value a sports car as part of an upscale lifestyle.” We can only presume that the buyer profile for the FD2R is younger and more “hardcore”, which can also be used to describe its uncompromising ride quality.
While similar in basic concept (howling high revving i-VTEC engine, slick six-speed manual, super grip), the European Civic Type R is not the car we know with a different skin. The 2.0-litre engine makes 198 bhp/193 Nm, less than the FD2R’s 221 bhp/215 Nm and the rear suspension is a torsion beam as opposed to double wishbones.
Local FD2R owners might want to hang on to their cars, which will very soon be “collector’s items”. The hatchback would be very expensive for Honda Malaysia to import, so this should be the last we’ll see of official Type Rs in Malaysia. It was fun while it lasted.