The 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition Proves How Good It Is

The Type R Limited Edition set a FWD record of the Suzuka Circuit, Honda’s Formula 1 racetrack in Japan.
600 will be available in the US later this year.
Only 100 were up for grabs in Canada and they sold out in only four minutes.

There’s simply no arguing the fact that the Honda Civic Type R is the best FWD performance car in the world. In fact, it’s so good that many think it’s better than many RWD and AWD sports cars costing far more money. In order to support these claims, an unmodified production specs 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition set a new lap record of 2 minutes 23.993 seconds of the Suzuka Circuit.

2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition at Suzuka Circuit | Photo: Honda

If for some reason, you’ve been on the fence about buying a new Honda Civic Type R, Honda has done its best to convince that you really should with the new Type R Limited Edition. As the ultimate street-legal, track-focused variant of the legendary Type R, the Limited Edition is Phoenix Yellow. Actually, that should be enough for most fans…

But seriously, the Limited Edition gets lightweight, forged BBS wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The dampers have been optimized for the new wheel/tire package while steering is recalibrated for finer control and feedback (which was already in a class of its own). The car is a combined 46 lbs. lighter (18 lbs for the wheels + 28 lbs of sound-deadening materials) than the regular Type R.

The Type R Limited Edition still relies on the superb VTEC turbocharged 2.0-litre good for 306 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. The only transmission offered is a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission and it houses a limited-slip differential.

“The Type R Limited Edition reflects Honda’s dedication to refining the essence and driving pleasure of Type R as a sports car and exceeding the expectations of our customers,” said Civic Type R Project Leader Hideki Kakinuma. “The engineering team and I embraced a racing spirit that has been passed down for generations, and it’s this strong passion that’s driving the evolution of the Civic Type R towards becoming the ideal sports car. Now the “advanced” Type R that I envisioned at the beginning of this development is a reality and I am overwhelmed by the result and how our efforts have been rewarded.”