The 11th-gen Honda Civic made its debut not too long ago. Although it was a pretty big deal and became the talk of the town because of its dialed-down, subtle, overall design, what mattered to us enthusiasts the most was the arrival of the Type R model. A new Civic meant a new Type R, and we couldn’t be any more excited for it to come out. The new 2023 Honda Civic Type R is on the horizon and will be making its debut soon, but here’s all we know about the hot hatch so far:

The 2023 Honda Civic Type-R will continue to be powered by the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-pot engine, but will make more power than the current model. In the current iteration, the engine dishes out 306 horses at 6,500 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm. For the 2023 model, however, it is likely to make around 330 horses and over 300 pound-feet of torque. Not a big difference, but it could still put it on par with two of its chief rivals, the Volkswagen Golf R and the Toyota GR Corolla

The 2022 Golf R comes with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 315 horses and 310 pound-feet of torque. This is up from 288 horses and 280 pound-feet of torque from the previous model. The GR Corolla is a revelation with its three-pot, turbocharged mill displacing 1.6 liters that makes 300 horses and 273 pound-feet of torque. Even in its current iteration, the Civic Type R makes more power than the GR Corolla, but Honda will try to one-up the 2022 Volkswagen here as well.

The new Type R will continue to come with a six-speed manual gearbox that powers the front wheels, but there are hushed talks about a two-pedal setup being offered as well. If true, this would be a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. There’s honestly no need for it, but it could be offered to swoop in some customers from the Hyundai Veloster N and the Volkswagen Golf R, both of which also come with a dual-clutch automatic. But, we’ll have to wait to get an official confirmation on this. As for the manual gearbox, limited-slip differential and rev-matching will be offered as standard.

The 2023 Civic Type will not move to a new architecture, but will be based on the reworked version of the outgoing chassis. It could be slightly stiffer and tighter for a better overall driving experience. It will also most likely continue to feature the dual-axis strut front suspension instead of the control arm that’s present on the Acura TLX. Since the Type R is a front-wheel-drive model, the dual-axis strut front suspension helps reduce the torque steer very well.

Honda has further hyped the 2023 Civic Type R by setting a new record. The automaker lapped the Civic Type R at the Suzuka Circuit and set a new record for a front-wheel-drive car. In April 2022, Honda set a new record by lapping the 3.6-mile Suzuka Circuit in 2:23.120 minutes. It narrowly beat the previous record of 2:23.993 minutes, set by the 2021 Civic Type R Limited Edition.

The exterior design has been a talking point of the 11th gen Civic. It looks a lot subtler and more mature than before. Although it’s a very neutral design that should offend none and age gracefully, it has drawn polarizing opinions. Some folks liked the non-screaming, minimalistic approach this time around, but some found it too bland and plain-Jane. Whether you like it or not, the 2023 Civic Type R will also share the same design, but with its own unique traits.

We can’t pinpoint every minute detail since the prototype that was spotted had a red camouflage on. However, there’s enough for us to decipher what’s going on here. Up front, you can see honeycomb mesh detailing in the grille and a large air dam. Observe carefully and you’ll even spot the vents on the hood.

There are side air intakes, too, but they are wrapped. The prototype was seen riding on 20-inch, 10-spoke black wheels wrapped in low-profile, performance tires that we saw in the official teaser images. You can also see rocker trims with winglets present in front of the rear wheels. At the rear, the taillights are connected via a horizontal strip. The rear wing, is, of course, the highlight. Honda has opted for a three-tip exhaust setup with the center one being larger than the ones on the sides; an inverted setup compared to the previous Type R.

The basic layout of the interior is obviously the same as the standard 11th gen Civic’s. But, there are a few differentiating elements. For starters, the cabin follows a red and black theme. No two other colors scream ‘Sporty’ than red and black. It comes with sports seats with red suede/Alcantara and ‘Type-R’ branding on the headrests. The dash and the center console are black, but the red on the seatbacks and the red seatbelts break the monotony. The steering wheel doesn’t seem to have a leather wrap; it looks more like suede or Alcantara.

The knobs, switches, and air vents are a straight lift from the standard Civic, and so is the floating touchscreen. We even spotted the manual gear shifter and the electric handbrake switch. One surprising thing here, however, is the missing cup holders. We can’t say for sure if they’ll be skipped on the production-spec model or not, but it’s a strange omission. On one hand, it makes sense because you don’t want hot coffee scalding your thighs and arms when you swerve this corner carver hard...

... but, on the other hand, if a hypercar like the Koenigsegg Gemera can get them, – not one, but eight cup holders! – then why can’t a budget sports car?

The hot hatch was reportedly supposed to debut sometime in June 2022, but it looks like it is still some time away. The automaker announced that the 2023 Civic Type R prototype will make its U.S. debut during the July 1-3 Honda Indy 200 NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. However, it will appear in a special camouflaged livery, and there’s no word if we’ll get any information or details about the production-spec model.

As for the price, it will be a smidge over the last model’s starting price of $37,895. But, we still don’t expect it to go north of $40,000.

There will be a new Civic Type R coming out in 2022 as a 2023 model. It will be based on the 11th gen Civic.

Yes, there will be an 11th Gen Type R debuting in 2022 as a 2023 model.

The 2023 Civic Type R is based on the 11th gen Civic and will be toned down compared to the model it replaces. It will come with 20-inch black wheels, taillights with horizontal strips, a huge rear wing, a vented hood, and winglets that are different from the model it replaces.

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