Honda Civic Type-R opens for orders

Ahead of its launch in mid-2015, Honda is already taking orders for the new Civic Type-R. Buyers who want one can place an order with a £3000 deposit. A final list price hasn't been announced yet but the new Type-R is expected to cost around £30,000.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 280PS. It’s the first turbocharged Civic Type R – predecessors all used naturally-aspirated engines. Performance and torque figures are to be announced, but expect a 0-62mph sprint of around six seconds.

Honda has installed adaptive damping, which changes the suspension characteristics based on road conditions and speed. At low speeds the focus is on comfort – but at higher speeds the dampers firm up to reduce body roll and sharpen handling. Another new feature is a +R button, which changes the engine mapping, throttle response and steering to make the car more responsive when the driver chooses.

Transmission is a six-speed manual, which has been chosen to deliver more control to the driver than a paddle-shift automatic, according to Honda engineers. The new car has been developed and engineered for Europe and will be built at the Honda plant in Swindon