This might be the final form of one of the world’s greatest hot hatches. Honda has just unveiled the Civic Type R Ultimate Edition, a swansong for the iconic performance badge – and possibly for the hot hatch as we know it.
Based on the already brilliant FL5-generation Civic Type R, the new Ultimate Edition doesn’t mess with the formula. There’s still a 329hp turbocharged engine up front, still a six-speed manual gearbox in the middle, and still front-wheel drive, because why change something that still regularly humiliates supercars on a track day?
Instead, this version is all about celebration. Just 40 units will be made for Europe, each one finished in Championship White and wearing a numbered plaque. There’s red on the mirrors, red on the Brembo brake callipers, and red stripes along the bonnet, roof and sides of the car. It’s the kind of car that doesn’t whisper about its performance pedigree, but screams it.
And rightly so.
Over the years, the Type R has set lap records at circuits across the world – from Suzuka to Spa to the Nurburgring. Even the Hungaroring, where we – yes, Average Joes – once held the front-wheel-drive lap record. Really.
It didn’t last long. Honda’s own Touring Car superstar Norbert Michelisz reclaimed it in short order, but we’ll take our victory lap all the same.
There’s no extra power in the Ultimate Edition, but that’s not the point. This is a celebration of everything the Civic Type R stands for: driver engagement, motorsport credibility, and a complete disregard for passing trends. It’s a petrol-powered, three-pedal, heel-and-toe anachronism – and it’s all the better for it.
But here’s the rub: we might never see its like again.
The Type R is already one of the last proper hot hatches standing. The Fiesta ST is dead. The Megane RS has vanished. The Golf GTI’s future looks increasingly electrified and sanitised. Even Honda isn’t making promises about another Type R once this generation ends, talking about how its model range is having to evolve with European legislation.
So while the Ultimate Edition might be a collector’s item, it’s also something more: a line in the sand. A message that says, “This is what a proper driver’s car looks like.”
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a Civic Type R – or just want to own one more proper performance car before the world goes fully silent and software-defined – this might be your last chance.
