The Last of the NA Honda Type Rs

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Honda may have a reputation for middle of the road cars for retirees but they also have a fast side and some of these fast models are destined for greatness. There’s the NSX, the S2000 and, of course, the Civic and Integra Type Rs. This Civic Type R FN2 was a bit unloved in its day, but it was the last normally aspirated Type R and it’s still the cheapest to buy today. Read on...

The Euro spec Civic Type R was built in England for the British market with a few exported to Japan and Australia. Unfortunately new European emission laws killed off this formidable hot Honda and that sweet, high revving, normally aspirated two litre engine was consigned to history and replaced with turbo charging.

The Euro version of the 3^rd generation Civic Type R was available only as a three door hatch whereas the Japanese version was only available as a 4 door sedan. And while the UK built cars had slightly less horsepower than the JDM cars it is surely the better looking car. And it’s not like 200hp is not enough to provide huge fun in a car that weighs just 1300kg.

One of the complaints at the time was the FN2 lost the independent rear suspension of previous models and the ride and handling suffered as a result. This car has been lowered on larger wheels with low profile tyres that suggest this won’t have improved things. But these are things you can improve to your taste.

It’s no stripped out racer, either. You get a six speed manual transmission, body hugging seats and plenty of fruity bits to keep you comfortable. It’s a belter of a car and something just a bit different for $20k. More info here