10th Jun 2004, 12:55
I'm the original poster. Both valid comments, cheers. However, I'd had just about enough of the sturdy old Type-R. I've now let my heart rule my head. Hence there's a not-so-sturdy, but pant-wettingly fun Lotus Elise on my drive! Let's hope I've made the right decision...
28th Mar 2008, 07:28
Buy a used Civic Type R, and spend a mere £3000 for a Rotrex or Jackson Racing supercharger. 300hp and much more torque right from 1500rpm. Still cheaper than a lot of other hot hatches out there and will blow the doors off most 'proper' high performance vehicles without sacrificing reliability.
28th Mar 2008, 11:05
I think it will sacrifice reliability; Honda didn't make this engine to withstand such torque. It wasn't made with forced induction in mind. If it were that simple and reliable, there would be hundreds of them out there.
2nd Sep 2012, 18:14
I think all this lack of torque talk is a load of B******S. I currently own an 02 MG ZS V6 and a 04 Civic Type R, and in gear there is nothing between them... The V6 MG has more torque, yes, but the Civic has the correct gearing for its engine torque, and does it hell lack it!!
I really do think some people have been driving big V8's, going off half the comments on here... Trust me potential CTR owners, they have plenty of torque and go like stink in VTEC... buy one before they all get written off ;)
24th Dec 2023, 13:00
Bit late to the party, bought one brand new in 2002 first off the production line..
Biggest lemon ever...
Paint defect needed respraying N/S.
Alarm kept going off.
Steering wheel out of alignment.
Gearbox fault crunching 1-2nd from cold and balking 4-5th gear, had a new gearbox fitted and left mountings loose (nearly fell out) and had transmission shunt even on light throttle from there on as well as the original problem...
Honda said nobody else has complained in the country...
How strange: https://civictype-r.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=43317
Got rid after 12 months.
10th Jun 2004, 02:29
The Type R is a great car, I have owned one for 6 months now...but! I agree about the lack of grunt, the torque figure Honda quote is OK, but the point at which its being produced (6000 ish rpm) is useless. My previous car a Clio 172 felt like it had a big V8 under the bonnet after a test drive in the Type R. But I fell for the old Type R sales pitch, just rev a little harder, keep your foot down longer, use a lower gear (no hardship with such an excellent box) blah blah blah. OK go on the average B road and try finding a stretch of road where you can drive around safely at speed in 1st and 2nd sometimes 3rd gear. Now using the Type R like this is GREAT, like a race car, but now try this in the 172 and WOW I can go just as fast and use 3rd and 4th gear! that's the difference, get wrong geared in the Type R and it feels slow, where's the 172 will just go and go and go. Also the 172 would rev and pull hard right up to the 7000 rpm red line, now the Honda will rev to 8200rpm, but 1200rpm more is not that great, and the lack of low down torque is VERY ANNOYING.