2007 J.A.S. Honda Civic Type R Rally Car

[Racing Rice]

First Drive: 2007 J.A.S. Honda Civic Type R Rally Car
Think of It as the Honda Civic Type RR

By Alistair Weaver, Contributor
Date posted: 08-14-2007

We get back on the power as the narrow road to the top of the hill climb sweeps in front of Goodwood House. This 2007 J.A.S. Honda Civic Type R Rally Car is not an intimidating car to drive quickly. On first acquaintance, it seems more like a nicely sorted, highly tuned Honda Civic than an out-and-out competition tool. It feels rather like you might imagine a Civic Type RR would feel — a double-distilled high-performance Civic.

The 2007 J.A.S. Honda Civic Type R rally car is taut, controlled, responsive and entertaining in a very high-strung Honda way. We're not saying that this is a pretty exclusive piece, but there were two drivers for it at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed — Christian Klien, official test driver for the Honda Formula 1 team, and us.

Not a Factory-Built Rally Car for the Street?
Honda's line of high-performance street motorcycles follows a simple formula. The CBR600F is racy, while the CBR600RR is a very racy "race replica." One is a rapid but versatile all-rounder, the other a hard-core machine for the truly committed. No one is left in any doubt about the intention of either.

Ever since Honda started using the "Type R" moniker for its road cars in Europe, there have been rumors of a "Type RR." Will Honda, a company more committed to engineering purity than most, finally seek to capitalize on its Formula 1 effort and build a stripped-out, hard-core road racer? Would it build a nutter car to sit alongside its nutter bikes?

Officially, the factory remains mute on the subject, but this rally car version of the Civic Type R from Italian specialists J.A.S. Motorsport is a Civic Type RR in all but name.

The Starting Point
Built in the United Kingdom, the Civic Type R is already one of the most focused of all Europe's sport compacts. Developed to compete with the Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen Golf GTi, the Type R is a more hard-core effort than either of these competitors. While the VW and Ford use turbocharged engines to provide plentiful torque, the Honda has a high-revving, normally aspirated engine with iVTEC variable valve timing. This Civic engine (just like that of the Civic Si in the U.S.) develops 197 horsepower, although it needs to be thrashed to deliver its best.

The Type R's suspension (MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear) has also been tuned for performance. On smooth surfaces it feels terrific, but on less than perfect blacktop it lacks the easygoing sophistication of its rivals. The steering feel could also be improved, although it's much better than the previous-generation Type R.

These were the raw ingredients with which J.A.S. set to work.

An Italian Makeover
J.A.S. has been tuning Hondas for the past 10 years and it can almost be described as a semi-works outfit. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, this J.A.S. rally-specification car was an official Honda entry, and Christian Klien, the Honda F1 team's test driver, took it up the hill in front of Lord March's manor house.

For the J.A.S. car, the exterior of the Type R has been carried over almost unchanged. If you can look through the bold war paint, you'll find that the only visible alteration is an air scoop above the windshield that helps ventilate the cabin. No matter — even in standard trim, the Type R is a purposeful, good-looking car.

The cabin, by contrast, has been completely overhauled. It begins with a roll cage fabricated from tubular steel, a measure that not only protects the occupants but also dramatically improves the car's structural rigidity. Almost all the other structural elements are then smothered in carbon fiber, including the dashboard, door frames and footwells.

Out go the standard Civic's suede-upholstered chairs in favor of some competition Sparco seats that are not for the wide of bottom. The complicated, highly stylized dashboard has also been wrenched out and replaced with a businesslike digital display, while the transmission's stubby shift lever sits just inches from the steering wheel.

What Makes It Go
The Type R's familiar 1,998cc four-cylinder engine can still be found under the hood, but it's been given the J.A.S. treatment. New lightweight camshafts with a more aggressive profile, stronger pistons, a lightweight (by 13 pounds) flywheel and a free-flowing exhaust system are the keynotes, as well as an oil cooler and a competition-style air filter.

These mechanical changes coupled with a reprogramming of the ECU have raised the power output from the standard Type R's 197 horsepower all the way to 250 hp, and the torque climbs from a paltry 142 pound-feet to 174 lb-ft. It's also interesting that Honda's trick iVTEC variable valve timing system is retained, as not all such systems meet competition standards.

Arguably the biggest mechanical change is the replacement of the Type R's conventional six-speed manual transmission with a SADEV-built six-speed sequential gearbox. It's complemented by a stout Alcon clutch and a limited-slip differential. For rally stages, you can choose from several different final-drive ratios, varying the top speed between 100 and 121 mph.

The suspension now features Eibach springs with Extremetech adjustable dampers and an adjustable front antiroll bar. At the rear, the Honda's twist beam axle has been supplemented with a stiffer antiroll bar. All the rubber bushings in the suspension have also been replaced with competition-style rod ends.

Finally, the standard brakes have been replaced by Brembo discs and calipers. J.A.S. has developed its own master cylinder for this car, and it allows the driver to adjust the brake bias. In the best rally-car tradition, there's also a hydraulic handbrake to help pivot the back of the car around hairpin corners.

The whole conversion costs $120,000.

Driving With an Audience
We might have had a chance to drive the J.A.S. Civic Type R in a lot of places, but it just happened that we had an audience. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of British motorsport's most celebrated occasions. It's always a sellout and more than 150,000 people make their way each year to Goodwood House, the beautiful home of the Earl of March. The hill climb course is literally the Earl's driveway and stretches for more than a mile. It's exceptionally narrow and not a little daunting, which makes the course record of over 100 mph set by a McLaren F1 car look all the more impressive.

As we cruised the J.A.S. car to the starting line, it should be no surprise to learn that this Civic is loud — especially when a thousand eyes are pointed in your direction. The clutch requires precise footwork but the crisp shift linkage is terrific. There's something deeply satisfying about jabbing at the stubby lever and hearing the next ratio snap into place. The steering is light — almost too light — but it's so direct that its reactions are urgent and even abrupt.

On the starting line, we dial up 5,000 rpm and release the clutch. The front wheels scrabble on the wet asphalt as the limited-slip diff does its stuff. Snatch 2nd gear, 3rd, then 4th on the run to the first corner. This car feels much quicker than the standard Type R, as its light-flywheel engine seems to spin into hyperdrive once you reach the higher reaches of the rev range.

Now hard on the brakes for the first corner, a 90-degree right-hander. The pedal is firm, but the brakes still want for the warmer temperature that the pads need to do their best. We turn in a little quick and the car understeers gently toward the grass.

Back on the power in front of Goodwood House. A right kink leads to a sharp left and a long sprint uphill to another, sharper right in front of a flint wall. The gearbox has an automatic shift-without-lift function, so you keep your foot hard on the gas and just grab the shift lever without using the clutch for upshifts. You just bang each gear through, which adds to the sense of speed and drama.

A Double Serious Type R
As new track-dedicated cars continue to be built with more frequency, the 2007 J.A.S. Honda Civic Type R is a great example of what might be done. Competition car or not, this Civic points the way toward how a Type RR Honda might look. All it needs now is public demand, some corporate will and a few million yen.

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpconta...pageNumber=1#1

Interesting, to bad we will never see a Type R Civic.

[IALuder]

hmmm, this could give ford focus a challenge.

[GT40FIED]

Not bad...but it still looks like a doorstop with 4 wheels

[Racing Rice]

I'll agree with you there.. I could definitely find something better to do with $120,000. Like pay off my house and buy a corvette.