An all-new Honda Civic Type R will go on sale in 2017 and the Japanese firm is previewing the new hot hatch with a bold Type R Prototype at the Paris Motor Show.
Finished in an eyecatching brushed aluminium-effect paint job, it further enhances the attitude of the current all-new Civic (also launching here at Paris) with more muscular bodywork and many of the radical aero features seen on the current Type R.
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There’s a carbon fibre splitter at the front, complete with wings and red accents, plus more air cooling in the bumper and an air scoop on the bonnet (Subaru fans, rejoice). Smoked light lenses give menace; a red ‘H’ Honda badge depicts it as a proper Type R.
More carbon fibre is used to make the side skirts, which sit between 20-inch alloys: they’re so big, they wheelarches have had to be enlarged to swallow them.
At the rear, all eyes will be on the humungous rear wing that Honda understatedly calls ‘visually striking’. There’s also yet more carbon fibre for the rear diffuser, a central exhaust tailpipe and yet more red detailing.
Honda will reveal the new Civic Type R Prototype at the Paris show later this afternoon – but, based on what we’ve seen here, plus given how the current regular Civic emerged so similar-looking to the bold prototype that previously impressed us, put good money on a new Type R emerging in showrooms looking not dissimilar to this hot hatch star later next year…