When a prototype version of the new Honda Civic Type R was first spotted testing, it sported a third, smaller tailpipe squeezed between the two centrally mounted exhausts.
This third exit featured on the concept model as well, before finally making it through to the production version unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.
There has been plenty of speculation regarding the third pipe’s purpose, including the possibility of a Ferrari F40-like setup, where the central pipe guides out gases released from the turbocharger’s wastegate. Some also speculated that it would serve no purpose at all (other than adding to the “interesting” styling).
But Honda’s assistant project lead on the Civic Type R recently explained to CarThrottle that the extra pipe does indeed have a function.
“The three tailpipes each have a function. At low revs, exhaust gas is streaming out of all three pipes in order to create a very dynamic, ‘roaring’ sound,” Hideki Kakinuma told the publication.
“At mid and high revs, the middle pipe creates a certain negative pressure, which reduces the booming noise in the cabin. We can amplify the exhaust sound, but by controlling the exhaust flow we can also reduce the noise we want to avoid in certain operational conditions,” he explained.
And now Honda has released a short video punting the new Civic Type R ahead of its release in the United States, and the advert closes with the vehicle’s exhaust note. Take a listen below and let us know what you think of the 2,0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine’s new soundtrack…
