No hybrid, all-wheel-drive or fancy paddle shifts for the latest Type R …

ONE last tyre-scrabbling, high revving run around the block is the development and design ethos for the latest Honda Civic Type R.

Revealed in Japan yesterday and touted as the most powerful variant yet, the new, sixth-generation model also draws a huge lot from its predecessor.

Honda New Zealand has not yet revealed pricing for the model and though Japan has said it will go on sale in 2023, with deliveries to some markets set to begin early in the year, where our market places on that schedule is also not clear.

What’ll we get? As expected, plenty of same-as under a new skin, essentially; it’s a recipe that won’t surprise but is unlikely to disappoint, either.

Redesigned bodywork concurrent with the latest, 11th-generation mainstream Civic here already shrouds an “evolved” version of the 2.0-litre turbocharged 17YM engine seen in the previous car, mated to an improved six-speed manual transmission.

With Honda having begun a global switch to hybrid and, eventually, electric power for its other models, this will likely to be the last pure-combustion car the brand ever launches.

Honda says the uprated engine, which gains a revised turbocharger and new compact housing, is the strongest VTEC turbo yet and that it helps to “deliver the fastest, most addictive yet secure and rewarding drive” in Type R history. Specific outputs have yet to be disclosed but the previous car ran with 228kW/400Nm.

 There are no detailed performance stats yet, but Honda says the racer will have an improved power-to-weight ratio, torque and top speed over the previous model.

Dynamic aptitude arrives from it having gone to the stiffer new platform beneath the latest Civic hatchback. In standard models, this offers a 19 percent increase in torsional rigidity.

The brakes have also been upgraded, this time with “enhanced temperature control and air cooling”. 

The interior displays similar upgrades to the standard Civic, but the sporty character comes through with a 10.2in touchscreen, a bespoke digital cockpit, red Type R trim and sports seats in suede-effect upholstery. 

While the old Type R sported a particularly dramatic exterior design, this new version is rather more understated in profile, though the large rear wing makes a return. It rides on lightweight 19in alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. 

Other design features include a larger lower grille, added front bumper air vents and a revised bonnet to improve airflow to the engine. 

Honda has emphasised the improved performance of the Type in today’s video. The car has rounded Japan's 3.5 kilometre Suzuka circuit in two minutes and 23.12 seconds, a new lap record for front-wheel-drive cars. The previous holder, trounced by 0.873s, was the Type R GT Limited Edition, based on the previous FK8-generation car. 

The new car is also said to be “ready for Nürburgring testing”, suggesting the Type R could be set to challenge the front-wheel-drive record at the Nordschleife, too.