FL5 Honda Civic Type R Review: The Ultimate Swansong?
FL5 Honda Civic Type R Review: The Ultimate Swansong?
Hello guys, and welcome back to Car Obsession!
Japanese Witchcraft. That’s how I described the FK8 Civic Type R when I first drove it, all the way back in 2017. Not only is it one of the best hot hatches I’ve ever driven, but one of the best cars, full stop. As they say, though, all good things come to an end. The FK8 has bowed out, making way for a new model.
It’s called the FL5, if you’re nerdy like me and like to talk in model codes (yes, you’re right - I’m a hoot at dinner parties), but if you’re a keen petrolhead like me, you’ll already know that. The recipe for this car isn’t far removed from the old car, and that’s by no means a bad thing. Think of it as a family recipe for the perfect apple crumble, you’re not going to muck about with it, are you?
Having said that, Honda has been making tweaks to perfect what I would say was borderline perfection with the FK8. There’s a Japanese word for this, though, ‘Kaizen’, which is all about continuous improvement. Think of it as Honda throwing in a bit of extra cinnamon in the apple crumble.
In this video, I’ll be going through what that means for the FL5, whilst navigating the wonderous Buttertubs Pass, dubbed ‘England’s only spectacular road’ by none other than Jeremy Clarkson. Now before I hit the road, I need to address the exterior.
It's no secret that the FK8 was as divisive as Marmite, but I’m sure many of you will agree, the FL5 is a lot easier to take in. Thankfully the Type R heritage is still here, meaning you have red badges, a sporty bodykit and of course, a big spoiler.
It’s more grown-up this time, and it’s more cohesive, meaning it should give a broader audience to the car, although you’ll need deep pockets for this one as it’s over £49,000.
Under the bonnet is the same 2.0 litre turbocharged four put as seen in the FK8, only is has more power and torque - 329hp and 420Nm of torque. The extra power in the new Honda Civic Type R is thanks to ultra-geeky tweaks to the turbo as well as the exhaust.
0-62 is dealt with in 5.4 seconds, and the top speed, if you can believe it, is 171mph! The power department isn't the only place that Honda's engineering wizards have been busy; the FL5 is stiffer and more rigid than before and there's a new 'Individual' drive mode as well.
The gearchange has been tweaked and the alloys have actually been made SMALLER - hard to believe in this day and age. The alloys are now 19" but have fatter rubber fitted to them 265s courtesy of Michelin. A lot of work has gone in to this new model, but can it better the FK8?
Big shoutout to @PocketRockets and @DrivingwithNico for their assistance with this video!
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Chapters:
0:00 Channel Intro
0:17 Video Intro
0:58 All About The Kaizen
1:24 Let's Talk Exterior...
2:03 Time To Hit The Road
2:27 Engine Chat
3:27 New Tech, But Old School Hot Hatch
4:01 Has Honda Ruined The Gearbox?
4:47 Performance Stats
5:08 More Nerdy Details...
5:55 Is The Ride TOO Firm?
7:26 Soundcheck
9:03 Brakes/Handling
10:02 Putting The Car Through Its Paces
12:21 Jeremy Was Right, But...
13:40 More Nerdiness
15:34 Talking About The Seats
16:22 It's Not All Perfect...
17:29 Conclusion
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Like the effects in my video? Some of them are produced by Ryan Nangle, check out his work here: https://sellfy.com/10154417130356796
Music Credit:
Music by MeccaGodZilla - Blissed 29 - https://thmatc.co/?l=2F20D1C3
Music by MeccaGodZilla - Give Me A Reason - https://thmatc.co/?l=5D2849AC
#HondaCivicTypeR #FL5CivicTypeR #FL5HondaCivicTypeR