Honda Civic Type R: FL5 vs FK8

Regardless of the conditions, we were keen to make the most of this opportunity to drive the FL5 Type R in a direct comparison with the previous-generation FK8 – a chance to get the truest possible indication of the progress Honda has made with its latest hot hatch.

At first glance, the list of tweaks and adjustments on the new Civic Type R is long, but many of them are incremental at most and nothing particularly stands out as being a substantial leap of progress. Power in the new model is up from 320PS to 329PS (242kW), while torque jumps from 400Nm to 420Nm (310 lb-ft). A more efficient turbocharger, an upgraded air intake and refined exhaust have all gone some way to improving the throttle response, and overall the difference is noticeable.

Elsewhere, Honda says it has worked to slicken up the gearbox and improve the chassis rigidity alongside a substantial weight loss programme. The majority of work here has been labelled as ‘optimisation’ rather than anything revolutionary.

We went into this test wondering just how much we should expect from the new Type R, the quality of the engineering would of course be at the level we’ve come to expect from Honda, but just how much better would it be around the track?

Substantially better it turns out. We’ll stress again that the weather was far from ideal, and the limit of grip was changing lap by lap, but even in the face of such a startling variable, the FL5 was able to show us its many, many talents.

The most striking improvements can be found in that upgraded chassis. The need for caution around what is Britain’s fastest race track was obvious, but the feeling of confidence from behind the wheel of the new Civic was far superior to what we felt behind what is still an incredibly capable FK8. It just sticks and stays stuck. There’s an innate simplicity to keeping the car settled under braking, which allows for assured turn-in that again highlights the strength of this new model. 

Changes of direction are, admittedly, sublime in both, but there is a notable increase in stability during more extreme changes of direction in the newer car. The steering feel is spot on, it’s well-weighted and so intuitive that it provides an instant understanding of how the car is reacting to your inputs. It allows for an almost hands-off approach to driving, you don’t need to wrestle with the wheel, but rather coax it with finesse and patience.

Even when you are caught out (or not as the case may be, who doesn’t love a healthy dose of oppo) by a snap of lift-off oversteer, the balance never ticks beyond the unsavable, which of course provides a satisfying prod of the ego, but also speaks to the level of effort that has gone into making this car such a brilliant one to drive at speed.

And talking of speed, there’s plenty of that to be had, too. We mentioned the fettling of the engine, and while the differential from FK8 to FL5 is not massive, the extra 20Nm of torque made themselves known fairly instantly on the wet track. Where you could fairly confidently feed the power in with the FK8, a similar squeeze of the throttle in the FL5 garnered an alarming level of slip that we simply didn’t experience in the older model. We were willing to blame this on the weather rather than weigh in too heavily on the car, but the difference was stark all the same. Needless to say, we’ll be interested to get this car in the dry to see just how it stacks up.

Now, it would be impossible to talk about the Civic Type R without referencing the gearbox. It’s just sublime. Accurate, smooth, quick, and almost perfect. There are some issues, mainly regarding the continuation of the rev-hang problem found in the FK8, which has been carried over into the FL5. Pushing all the way to the red-line will almost always see you hit the limiter as you shift, but being aware of lifting slightly earlier is all you need to avoid the annoyance.

Do we have anything else to add? Well, that VTEC engine continues to howl as it always has, but we detected a new level of shrillness to this latest version that once again just slightly lifts the new Civic above the outgoing model. It absolutely roars through the revs, and we wonder yet again if there’s another engine that can come close to matching it in this price range.

A lot of work has clearly gone into this new FL5 Civic Type R, and we’re pleased to say that across the board the effort has been entirely worth it. As an upgraded package of goodies, it’s quite incredible, and while it’s true the rate of improvement is definitely beginning to reach a plateau, we figure there’s enough here to justify the new car’s arrival.