That red Honda badge means a license to drift. So we had to try that out, right? Ever tried wasabi sauce? Well, you need to be careful with the stuff – it is usually hidden beneath a harmless looking, recently dead piece of fish. It is so pungent that unsuspecting souls who are new to the concept of sushi end up tasting the sauce through newly discovered taste-buds in their nostrils. Yes, nostrils. The red background in the Honda badge is similar in concept – it is an acquired taste, but I can tell you that it is better than raw fish.
Back in 1992, Honda decided that their mid-engined supercar was not selling like wasabi and decided to give its engine and suspension a dose of ‘works’ magic. And someone did a bit of research and found out that a red background for the bread-and-butter Honda ‘H’ can give it a bit more character – the Type-R was born. Fifteen years of tinkering meant those spicy Integras and hot Civics entertained a whole bunch of enthusiasts and ensured that some of them lost their driving licenses.
In the heart of the Civic Type-R you see in these pages lies the K20A 2000cc four-pot i-VTEC that has been put through a severe steroid programme to develop a whopping 225 bhp at a screaming 8000 rpm and 21.9 kgm of drifting force at 6100 rpm. Lessons learnt from NSX engine mods like smoother port surfacing and improved intake/exhaust flow helped matters here. Add to that drive-by-wire, fine-tuned throttle response and a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with aluminium casing (and a baffle plate to help mitigate oil starvation at high cornering speeds, says the press release, hinting at its drift capability) and you get a battle-ready powertrain.
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