The power of design: 25 years of the Honda Type R

In the quarter century since Honda’s Type R series arrived on the scene, it’s become renowned for its speed, eye-catching style and leading-edge engineering.

The 2017 Civic Type R raises the bar even further. It recently set a record at the legendary Nurburgring circuit – beating its nearest competitor by more than three seconds – officially making it the fastest front-wheel drive.

Great power, of course, requires great control. And the Civic Type R has it in buckets, with a host of latest-generation, intelligent electronics designed to improve the driving experience.

Take, for example, its three driving modes: Sport, Comfort and +R. The car starts in Sport mode by default, but on each side of it is Comfort and +R, in which the aggression of the dampers, throttle response and steering weight are ramped up (+R) or down (Comfort).

Then there’s the aerodynamics. The Civic Type R’s front splitter manages airflow and creates downforce on the front axle, improving road holding.

We caught up with a Honda expert to find out more about the engineering that went into creating this icon of road and track. 

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