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Honda Civics stuffed with DOHC VTEC engines have earned a reputation for being the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the compact car world.  Behaving not much differently from its more docile stablemates, the Civic undergoes a transformation once you spin the engine past 6000 rpm.  The second VTEC cam profile engages, the engine note turns into a Formula-One soundtrack, and you have about 2000 more rpm to go before reaching for the next gear.  Suddenly the unassuming little Honda can give a BMW 325i a run for its money, at least on this side of 100 km/h. 

If that’s so, then let’s welcome the good doctor whose ingestion of elixir has left him permanently in Mr. Hyde mode: the Civic Type-R.  This is no less than a racing version of the Civic, somewhat detuned for road use.  Or looked at another way, just a few tweaks and a rollcage away from being track-ready. 

The first and most important of the racing parts can be found under the hood, in bright red finish.  This powerplant can put your typical SiR engine to shame.  Powerful as it is, the SiR’s is the lowest rung on the DOHC VTEC hierarchy at 157 bhp.  The standard Civic Type-R’s 1.6 liter is tuned for 187 bhp, but this one has been stroked to 1.8 liters. Output is 207 bhp or 115 bhp / liter, higher per displacement that of a Ferrari 360 Modena.  That figure nearly matches the 120-bhp / liter benchmark for a normally-aspirated roadcar engine.  Of course that record also belongs to a Honda VTEC, the S2000’s.  The Civic’s engine starts up silently and quickly settles to a growling idle.  The deep exhaust note alone is an open invitation, seemingly taunting us to go out and play.

On the open road, this is indeed one engine you can play with.  Acceleration is instantaneous with the slightest dip of your right foot—no need to wait for the VTEC changeover point.  Or so it seems. Then you do activate the second cam profile at 5700 rpm, and suddenly the past was merely prelude: you enter an entirely new scale of acceleration. Warp speed, captain?  The engine eagerly obliges as the tach needle spins clockwise in a blur and the car catapults forward. 

In this car, 5000 rpm is not where you shift up; it’s where you shift down.  Downshifting at that speed spins the engine to about 7000, giving a renewed burst of acceleration.  This works with upshifting, too—the five-speed manual has well-spaced gears.  Shifting at about 8500 rpm keeps the engine in racing mode, allowing unhampered progress through the gears. As the tach spins past 8000 rpm you might have visions of pistons flying out through the hood, but not to worry.  The engine redlines at a certifiably insane 9500 rpm.  But given that this is a VTEC, it’s as unbreakable as the Terminator, so you’re free to redline it whenever you wish. 

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