More and more hot hatch manufacturers are either ditching the manual gearbox altogether or offering an automatic transmission as an option (Renault, for instance, has confirmed that the new Mégane RS will be available with a dual-clutch). So, why has Honda not followed suit with the new Civic Type R?
Well, powertrain project leader, Yuji Matsumochi, told motoring.com.au that the decision to stay exclusively manual stems from a need to preserve the Type R’s optimal weight distribution.
“We produced [a] six-speed manual transmission only for Type R because the engine achieves 400 N.m and 320 PS [235 kW],” Matsumochi-san told the Australian publication.
“The Type R being a lightweight front-wheel drive means there is a need for lightweight powertrain systems. So, the engine has big power and relatively heavy weight, so the transmission needed to be lightweight,” he explained, referencing the reworked 2,0-litre turbocharged VTEC unit.
“If we tried to have an automatic transmission or DCT [dual-clutch transmission] for over 400 N.m, then the powertrain would be [a] very heavy weight, which would mean additional front weight, and [that would] upset the weight balance,” he added.
Matsumochi-san went on to suggest that the manual cog-swapper – which features a 7% lower final gear ratio and a rev-matching function – in the latest iteration of Honda’s hottest five-door hatch is smooth and easy to use.
“So we decided just to have the six-speed manual transmission. And the six-speed manual transmission is very fun to drive, and easy to drive. It’s easy to control, for sporty driving, and easy to shift up and down – so easy and so smooth.”
Back in early April, the latest Type R set a new lap record for front-wheel-drive production vehicles at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany, grabbing back the unofficial title from the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S.
- Read our early driving impression of the new Civic Type R!
