2023 Honda Civic Type R Breaks Cover in Official ‘Spy Photos’

Honda revealed two images of its upcoming next-generation 2023 Civic Type R set to be released in 2022. The images are our first official look at the highest-performance Civic, as Honda says the Civic is “ready for Nurburgring testing.” While covered in camouflage, there’s still a lot to glean from the images. It appears that whatever growing up the redesigned Civic has done, the Type R has decided it’s not quite ready for maturity.

Related: 2022 Honda Civic First Drive Review: Honda’s Boy Racer Grows Up

As with the current Type R, the new one will be based on the Civic Hatchback, and while not as angular as the previous model, the new Type R retains many of its usual wild “boy racer” looks. There’s the obligatory gigantic rear wing sitting on some very lightweight- and cool-looking struts. In front, it wears larger grille openings to feed air to the more powerful motor, and it looks like there’s a chance there are extra front vents to help with airflow and brake cooling.

The new Type R will also feature flared fenders to accommodate wider and higher-performance tires than what you’ll find on a standard Civic hatch, and there are side skirts with winglets just ahead of the rear wheels in a bid for improved aerodynamic performance. Out back, the Type R retains its signature triple exhaust, though this time the center tip is larger than the two outboard ones. It also appears the Civic has a rear diffuser, though whether that’s more for show than function is unclear.

We still don’t know about powertrain details for the new Civic Type R, but expect a high-output, turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired to a manual transmission, lots of performance-related suspension tuning, bigger brakes than a regular Civic and much, much more in the way of go-fast goodies.

If the new Type R is “ready for Nurburgring testing,” that almost certainly means Honda is chasing a new front-wheel drive lap record, and will likely embarrass some more prestigious and higher-priced rear- or all-wheel drive cars along the way.

Honda says the new Type R will be officially introduced sometime in 2022 — which is somehow only three months away — so stay tuned for all the details closer to its official debut next year.

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• Life With the Honda Civic: What Do Owners Really Think?
• 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition Review: A Little Bit Lighter, a Little Bit Louder
• How the 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Differs From the Sedan, 2021 Hatchback
• 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Priced From $23,915, Slightly More Than Civic Sedan
• Is the 2022 Honda Civic a Good Car? 6 Pros and 2 Cons

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