Bringing The Heat: 2023 Honda Civic Type R Packs 315 Horsepower

When Honda took the wraps off of the 2023 Civic Type R last month the automaker promised it would be “the most powerful Honda ever sold in North America,” but it notably refrained from quoting any power statistics until today. In a press release, the automaker dropped the car’s official stats in a press release this evening: 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.

True to its word, that’s 9 hp and 15 lb-ft more than the previous-gen Type R and indeed the hottest Honda-branded U.S. model ever. However, as Honda fans have lamented before, it still won’t be quite as spicy as what you can get in Japan. 

A Japanese-market brochure for the car, leaked on the internet forum CivicXI this past weekend, indicates that Japan’s Type R’s will get 326 horsepower. As with the previous generation and many other foreign-market hot rods, the difference is likely down to American emissions regulations. 

Beyond the power stats, Honda’s release did tell us more about how the Type R has been developing and its final specs, but curb weight and pricing info are still a mystery.

The Japanese Civic Type R will weigh around 3,150 pounds, which is a little more than the previous-gen model, and it’s likely the U.S. version will gain a few pounds in translation. Still, fans can probably expect it to weigh less than Volkswagen’s 3,400-pound Golf R or BMW’s 3,500-pound M240i. It’s likely to be faster than Hyundai’s Elantra N and Kona N models as well, but also more expensive.

Honed on racetracks from Suzuka to Germany’s Nürburgring, the new 2023 Civic Type R gets a bigger grille opening and radiator as well as a larger-diameter radiator fan to help keep the engine cool while hot lapping for hours at a time. Type R owners really do take their cars to track days, even if they’re usually closer to Mid-Ohio or Lime Rock than the Rhineland.

The turbocharged 2.0-liter K20C1 four-cylinder engine is an updated version of the one in the old car, retuned for more power the old-fashioned way—by increasing airflow into and out of the engine by means of a redesigned turbocharger and exhaust system. A lighter flywheel saps less force and Honda has retuned the rev-matching system for even more precise control. 

The final drive ratio is now 3.842:1 instead of  4.111:1, which might mean quieter cruising and better gas mileage (another stat we don’t yet know, but it will drink 91 octane).

Honda has widened the front track an inch and the rear by half an inch, and added much chunkier stabilizer bars than the stock Civic on both the front and rear. The CTR’s bulging fenders and big wheels make it 3.5 inches wider overall than a regular Civic hatchback.

The 2023 CTR will roll on standard 19-inch wheels, smaller than the previous generation’s standard 20-inch units (and possibly lighter) and use 265/30 R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber.

July’s initial CTR teaser pictures depicted the car only in Championship White, the trademark color of Honda’s stripped-down Type Rs since the creation of the first NSX Type-R 30 years ago, but tonight’s release brought images of the car in the other colors, Rallye Red, Boost Blue, Crystal Black Pearl and Sonic Grey Pearl. 

Expect even more teased details to emerge over the next couple of months, including final pricing. The 2023 Civic Type R is due at dealerships late this fall.