Honda Civic Type R Turbo?
The internet is a wonderful place, full of rumours and totally unconfirmed reports. The latest one that has been doing the rounds for the last 24 hours is the Honda Civic Type R Turbo.
Britan's AutoExpress claims that the next generation Civic Type R (which as we previously reported is already in consideration) will become the first Honda road car to use a turbocharger.
Honda Civic Type R Turbo - as it may be called - is rumoured to make use of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine in order to compete with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and to produce more power with lower emissions (thanks to forced induction).
If the rumour is true, given Honda's philosophy of making great handling Type-Rs, power to the front wheels should not be much higher than that of the Golf GTI (155kW) to limit torque steer and provide an enjoyable drive. That's unless the Japanese company has enlisted the help of a RevoKnuckle style front setup like that of the Ford Focus RS.
When we saw the new Honda Civic hatch at the Frankfurt motorshow last month, we were hoping Honda gets back to its roots and designs a proper Type R with enough power to take on its growing list of rivals. Who knows, along with news of the next-generation Honda NSX today, perhaps our prayers have been answered.