Honda Civic Type R bows out with new Ultimate Edition

The Honda Civic Type R is being pulled from merchantability successful the UK and Europe owed to progressively stringent authorities – bowing retired with a caller peculiar variation that commemorates its 28-year accumulation run.

Honda said it's removing the Type R from its line-up successful 2026 due to the fact that "the manufacture is changing and our exemplary scope is having to germinate with it successful accordance with European legislation".

Although Honda hasn't been arsenic explicit arsenic to blasted either the EU's General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2) or its tightening fleet CO2 emissions standards, these are the astir apt reasons for the model's early demise.

The exemplary is 1 of Honda's higher polluters, producing 189g/km of CO2 compared  with the 114g/km produced by the regular Civic. The brand's constricted EV income (with the e:Ny1 being the lone electrical model in its line-up) are improbable to supply a capable capable offset to prolong precocious income of the Civic Type R.

Meanwhile, GSR2 contains a proviso allowing non-compliant cars with less than 1500 income annually to stay until July 2026. This coincides with the extremity day for European availability of the Civic Type R.

The aforesaid authorities is to blasted for the aboriginal demise of the Toyota GR86 and, erstwhile the exemption model closes, volition besides kill the Alpine A110.

The Ultimate Edition is intended to observe the bequest of the Civic Type R arsenic it bows retired successful Europe, having archetypal arrived arsenic a grey import immoderate 28 years ago. 

It's painted successful the signature Championship White shade, with contrasting reddish racing stripes calling to the model’s accepted interior colour.

Inside, there's an abundance of carbonfibre details, specified arsenic connected the doorway skidplates and astir the centre console.

Pricing has yet to beryllium announced, but it's apt to outgo notably much than the regular Civic Type R (£48,900).

Only 40 volition beryllium built successful total, with 10 of those bound for the UK. These volition beryllium sold connected a archetypal come, first service basis, Honda said. 

It's the latest successful a bid of blistery hatches to person been axed successful the UK and Europe: Autocar past week reported the demise of the Focus ST, and that followed the Hyundai i30 N, pulled from merchantability past year.

Few front-driven, petrol-powered blistery hatches remaIn, specified arsenic the stalwart Volkswagen Golf GTI, the smaller Volkswagen Polo GTI, the Mini Cooper S and its hotter sibling, the John Cooper Works. 

The four-wheel-drive hatch marketplace is successful a healthier state, comprising cars specified arsenic the Golf R, Toyota GR Yaris and Mercedes-AMG A45 S, but each are threatened by emissions regulations and respective brands' moves to electrical show cars.

The Civic Type R's tally successful the UK spanned 28 years and six generations – although the archetypal (launched successful precocious 1997) wasn't officially offered by Honda UK, rather a grey import from Japan.

The second-generation exemplary arrived successful 2001 with a 2.0-litre people aspirated four-pot producing 197bhp. It was built successful Swindon and indirectly replaced the Integra Type R that had been offered successful the UK betwixt 1997 and 2001.

It was an contiguous hit, acknowledgment to a well-judged chassis set-up, a superb free-revving motor and a comparatively debased price, and it remains among the astir affordable examples of the blistery hatch.

The UFO-like Mk3 was launched successful 2007. Europe got an wholly antithetic exemplary to Japan, with a extremist coupé-like silhouette, alternatively than the saloon assemblage offered successful its location market.

It retained the large 2.0-litre powerplant but was 134kg heavier and had little sophisicated rear suspension so was thing of a letdown – particularly compared with the Japanese version, which was some lighter and much powerful.

The fourth-generation car landed successful 2015 and marked a instrumentality to form, retaining its tearaway quality dsepite adopting a turbocharger.

The fifth and sixth generations brought further refinements and are wide regarded arsenic being among the finest driver's cars of the modern age.