Honda has confirmed it’ll reveal its much-anticipated Civic Type R hot hatch on July 21.
It announced the date with a short teaser video and a shadowy teaser image showing off the Civic Type R without its signature red, white and black camouflage wrap for the first time.
The teased Honda Civic Type R is finished in a white paint, most likely Championship White, and it also appears to have red seats.
The Civic Type R will compete against the upcoming Toyota GR Corolla, as well as the Cupra Leon VZx, Volkswagen Golf R, Hyundai i30 N, Renault Megane R.S. Trophy and Audi S3, among others.
Honda is expected to use an evolution of the outgoing car’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produced 228kW of power and 400Nm of torque.
Up front, it looks like the fussy, low-set air intakes of the outgoing model will be replaced with a simpler bumper with a cleaner central intake.
There’s an ankle-breaking splitter and swollen guards, complete with a vent on the back of the front arches to lessen pressure at high speeds. Honda made a big deal of the fact the last Civic created real downforce, so expect this one to be no different.
A recent teaser video confirmed the Civic Type R will feature Brembo brakes.
Down back, the biggest news is the new rear wing. Unlike the current unit, it’s mounted on slim, motorsports-inspired struts and sits higher on the boot lid. It’s not quite the swan-neck spoiler of the new Porsche 911 GT3, but it’s the hot-hatch equivalent.
As before, there are three exhaust pipes down back. They’re surrounded by a diffuser that looks like it could actually contribute to the overall downforce of the car, rather than just sitting there and looking pretty.
In addition to this latest video and image, the Japanese automaker recently teased the hot hatch zooming around the Nurburgring.
Its predecessor, the FK8 Type R, at one point held the lap record front-wheel drive cars around the Nurburgring, and Honda is expected to go chasing a record with the new model after being usurped by the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy-R in 2019.
A development prototype of the new Civic Type R has already set a front-wheel drive car lap record at Suzuka International Racing Course (Suzuka Circuit) with a 2:23:12 lap time.
When the latest Civic Type R arrives, it’ll sit alongside the all-new Civic hatch, HR-V SUV, and a third SUV, expected to be called the ZR-V, in a revitalised Honda range.
Honda will also reveal a new CR-V this week.
MORE: Everything Honda Civic
