Honda Civic Type R (EK9)

In research before development, a team racing Civics in production-car racing told them they wanted at least 10 more horsepower. Shinchi and his team set a target of 185 PS or more. Coming from motorcycles, they were good at high revs, but since it would be the entry-level Type R, they struggled to also deliver low- and mid-range torque. At the high end the compression ratio was raised from 10.4 to 10.8, and at the low end the valve timing was refined and intake and exhaust flow increased.

The target lap time at Tsukuba Circuit was one second behind the Integra Type R. To make up for the 200 cc handicap in displacement, cornering and braking performance were raised thoroughly. Told that its attitude was poor on entry to 130R at Suzuka, they changed the shape and height of the chin spoiler on the production car. They also asked Keiichi Tsuchiya to help with the setup, and it improved with every run.