All Generations Of Honda Civic Type R Driven And Compared

The Honda Civic Type R is arguably the hottest of the hot hatches in the world today. Its red Honda badge has been a symbol of performance for the Japanese marque – one that has been a forbidden fruit for the Americans ever since its introduction in 1997. But alas, the U.S. has finally got its hands of the latest Civic Type R and the world can be at peace now.

With the iconic hot hatch's almost 22 years of history, it's inevitable that each of the five generations would be compared to each other. Considering that several MK1 Civic Type Rs are still on the road today, it isn't hard to get them all together. Such as this video from Youtube's Lovecars at the top of this page. For a brief history of the coveted red badge, read along.

It all started with the Civic Type R EK9, which was introduced in August 1997. This first-generation model was a JDM classic and was based on the three-door hatchback Civic. With weight reduction measures and the use of the hand-ported B16B engine, the Civic Type R EK9 has one of the highest output per liter – 182 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque coming out of a 1.6-liter engine.

Next is the Civic Type R EP3, which was based on the seventh-generation Civic. It's the first Civic Type R to be produced in the U.K., particularly in the Swindon plant, which is then shipped to Japan. The second-generation Civic Type R's defining characteristic is its almost-minivan styling and its 212-hp i-VTEC engine.

The third-generation Civic Type R is probably the most intriguing, as Honda opted to build two types of it. While both types of the MK3 were based on the eighth-generation Civic, the Asia-exclusive model is a four-door sedan (FD2 chassis) and has a higher output than its European counterpart at 222 hp and 159 lb-ft torque. In comparison, the Euro-version FN2 has an output of 198 hp and 142 lb-ft torque, and still a three-door hatchback.

The Civic Type R FK2 is the first of the red badge to bear a turbocharged power plant. It's also the one that lived the shortest, only hitting showrooms from 2015 to 2017. Regardless, its engine output has been raised to an outstanding 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The latest Civic Type R, the FK8, need not any introduction at this point. Watch the video for the comparison of all generations of all generations of the Honda Civic Type R.