Sport Line, Limited Edition Added to Honda Civic Type R Lineup

4 years, 10 months ago - 21 February 2020, autoevolution

All-wheel-drive is still nowhere to be seen, but Honda didn’t forget about its promise of making the Civic Type R more of a grand tourer.

Sport Line is the designation of this derivative, featuring a low-deck rear spoiler instead of the high-level wing to improve the rearview visibility and the car's silhouette.

"Designed to appeal to a customer who seeks a stealthier look from their performance hatchback," the Euro-only Sport Line also features 19-inch alloys, a black interior, and additional soundproofing materials. Also available in Racing Blue for the exterior paintwork, this version is joined by a special edition that Honda calls... wait for it... Limited Edition.

Aside from the lack of inspiration with the naming, the Limited Edition is indeed limited to 100 examples for Europe and 600 for the United States. All of them are finished in Phoenix Yellow, and each boasts a serialized plaque to remind the owner about the car's exclusivity. What else does this fellow have to offer?

Honda has managed to drop 18 pounds of unsprung weight by switching to BBS forged aluminum wheels. 28 additional pounds have been shaved off by reducing soundproofing materials, the rear wiper, tonneau cover, and rear heater ducts. In other words, Honda paid attention to Colin Chapman's famous mantra.

Different tuning for the dampers and a recalibrated steering system pretty much round off the list of goodies, so let's talk about what hides under the hood. Like every other Civic Type R, the Limited Edition soldiers on with the 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo four-cylinder engine. Because it packs 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, there's no difference whatsoever from the previous model year.

LogR, on the other hand, is all-new for the 2020 model year. A data-logging app that "helps drivers improve their skills with exclusive in-depth data," this piece of software goes onto your smartphone. Three main functions are featured, namely the Performance Monitor, Log Mode, and Auto Score. While driving the car, interactions with the LogR are made through the infotainment system.

Last, but certainly not least, the 2020 CTR is $695 more expensive than the previous model. The most affordable specification costs $36,995 excluding the $955 destination charge, bringing the total to $37,950 right off the bat. Look forward to the Limited Edition arriving at dealers for the 2021 model year.