Honda Civic Type R Concept world debut
February 28, 2006
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 28, 2006 - At this year's Geneva Auto Salon Honda is displaying a range of vehicles that perfectly encapsulate the company's bold approach to the challenges confronting today's vehicle designers.
The line-up that includes the world-unveiling of the Civic Type R Concept with its promise of fun and exhilarating performance. The quickening progress towards a hydrogen-fuelled future is amply demonstrated by the FCX Concept, a futuristic, stylish, but highly practical fuel cell car that points the way to a potential production model in three to four years' time. Then there is the debut of the European-specification Legend which bristles with innovative technology and raises the bar in terms of all-round safety features. And just to illustrate the company's breadth of expertise and now extensive motorsport heritage is a trio of Formula One machines, from the past to the present.
Civic Type R Concept: dynamic styling, exciting performance
With a level of success way beyond Honda's initial expectations, the Civic Type R which ended production last year proved a smash hit among those seeking the thrills of a sporty, high performance car, yet still delivering a strong dose of practicality, and all at an affordable price.
The bold styling and 200 PS DOHC i-VTEC engine of the Civic Type R Concept provides a clear indication of how the final production car will appear; driving enthusiasts are unlikely to be disappointed.
THE CIVIC TYPE R CONCEPT
The practical nature of the current Civic Type R made it a car for everyday driving, yet one that just as equally delivers instant performance, plus fun handling, on demand. That dual personality thrilled over 35,000 customers, far exceeding initial sales forecasts during its relatively short production run.
Last year Honda announced it is to build a successor, and while the previous model is a tough act to follow, the credentials of the Civic Type R Concept which makes its world debut at Geneva, suggests that the new car will attract a whole new wave of enthusiasts.
Bold and emotional styling is teamed up with a development of the previous Type R's race-proven, high-revving pedigree DOHC i-VTEC engine. 200 PS delivered from a capacity of 2.0 liters without resorting to a turbocharger defined the character of the old model and will equally define the character of its spiritual successor. The promise then is of a performance hatchback that will be as exciting to drive as it will be to look at when it goes on sale at the beginning of 2007.
A new 3-door version of the Civic, which shares DNA with this Type R Concept model, will go on sale in Europe later this year. It makes use of many of the styling themes that have brought such wide praise for the recently introduced Civic 5-door.
Civic Type R and the rest of the Civic 3-door range, will be exclusively built alongside the Civic 5-door range at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) plant in Swindon.
I prefer the cleaner look of the 2006 Civic Si coupé. 
The side profile looks like it has been fitted with oversized tyres.
The EU civic sales are displacing NA Fit production
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