The most compelling Asian sports car news arguably came from Japanese manufacturer Honda, which chose the 2016 Paris Motor Show to unveil a prototype of the next Honda Civic Type R, the fifth generation.
The prototype’s aggressive and detailed design shows many similarities to its predecessor, with the bespoke ‘brushed aluminum’ wrap giving the hot hatch an eye-catching finish. The prototype looks like a near-production car showing off what we can expect from a design-perspective until Honda takes the wraps off the real deal in 2017.
The aggressive front-end of the Civic R is highlighted by a winged carbon fiber splitter and red accents. Additional slatted ducts make the bumper wider and diamond-mesh inserts are used to fill the car’s air intakes. Honda’s ‘H’ badge has been slightly relocated, now finding itself above a new air vent at the nose of the car. For cooling purposes, a new intake has been placed on the Civic’s bonnet.
The Honda Civic Type R Prototype’s aggressive design lines continue on the side with carbon fiber sideskirts running at the length of the car’s wheelbase. The side of the car is given even more flair by the large 20-inch piano black alloy wheels with red accents.
At the rear of the prototype, a large carbon fiber diffusor entails the car’s three exhaust pipes with a pair of directional strakes at each side. What has been an interesting design choice is the middle tailpipe, which is smaller in diameter and is finished in red to put the emphasis on both outer tailpipes. Finishing off the car’s sculptural rear is the massive rear wing, a feature that we know the Japanese brand loves in all its proportions and glory.
The next generation Civic Type R will be produced at Honda’s U.K. plant in Swindon, the global manufacturing hub for the five-door hatchback. The new Japanese hot hatch is expected to appear in European dealerships during the second half of 2017. The launch of the new generation Civic Type R will also see the car make an entry in the U.S. market, which will mark the first time a Type R will officially be sold on the North-American continent.
