2023 Civic Type R FL5 - Reviews Compilation (Articles + Videos) ✍🏻 🎥

[Clark_Kent]

Those are kind of sad improvements given you can add forged wheels and cup 2s as accessories now. To me, power and weight savings would have to be the way.

You can go faster without adding power. You'd be surprised how much weight reduction, better tires (Cup 2 Connect or Cup 2 R), and suspension improvements materially impact performance. The FK8 Type R LE had the same power as the standard FK8 Type R and is objectively faster around a circuit. It may not be immediately noticeable on the street. Take the C&D Lightning Lap as one data point. The FK8 Type R LE was more than 3 seconds faster around VIR than the standard Type R.

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[KidIcarus]

You can go faster without adding power. You'd be surprised how much weight reduction, better tires (Cup 2 Connect or Cup 2 R), and suspension improvements materially impact performance. The FK8 Type R LE had the same power as the standard FK8 Type R and is objectively faster around a circuit. It may not be immediately noticeable on the street. Take the C&D Lightning Lap as one data point. The FK8 Type R LE was more than 3 seconds faster around VIR than the standard Type R.

The LE also has that bespoke LE specific tune or ECU.
Remember when AC and Stereo units were optional on R's as a way to cut weight? LOL.

 

[Clark_Kent]

The LE also has that bespoke LE specific tune or ECU.
Remember when AC and Stereo units were optional on R's as a way to cut weight? LOL.

Yes! They did the same with the S2000 CR. You could opt out of A/C and radio because racecar lol.

 

[KidIcarus]

Yes! They did the same with the S2000 CR. You could opt out of A/C and radio because racecar lol.

Oh man, Love those CRs with the paint matched tonneau covers so damn

 

[mbaapk]

Id say scuttle all the sound deadening, strap on street stiff motor mounts, cf wheels, specific ecu and an intake. Chop it to 2,800 pounds. Make it a complete nightmare to be in that spanks the stock version.

 

[KidIcarus]

Id say scuttle all the sound deadening, strap on street stiff motor mounts, cf wheels, specific ecu and an intake. Chop it to 2,800 pounds. Make it a complete nightmare to be in that spanks the stock version.

Oh man, things like pre installed stiffened motor mounts, rigid collars, short shifter, lighter wheels, LE tuned ADS unit and ECU sound like a pretty good proposition already.

You could even go as far as they did with the GR Morizo and delete the rear seats and rear window mechanisms, added 5pt harness mount lol.

I understand that there are niche buyers, but paying more for tangibly less always seemed so weird to me.

 

[KidIcarus]

A cautionary tale, please reallocate if necessary.

Seems like he runs his ctr pretty hard and keeps it well maintained, it isnt stock.

 

[TDC50]

Man that guy can TALK. Probably could have said all he needed to say in under 5 minutes.
looked like an aftermarket radiator but couldnt completely tell

 

[Clark_Kent]

Man that guy can TALK. Probably could have said all he needed to say in under 5 minutes.
looked like an aftermarket radiator but couldnt completely tell

Yes, the radiator is aftermarket.

What was most striking was his willingness to continue pushing the car with oil temps creeping over 300°F. The look of sadness and bewilderment with coolant shooting out of the turbo is a poignant reminder of knowing the limitations of these cars.

 

[urbo73]

Yes, the radiator is aftermarket.

What was most striking was his willingness to continue pushing the car with oil temps creeping over 300°F. The look of sadness and bewilderment with coolant shooting out of the turbo is a poignant reminder of knowing the limitations of these cars.

I probably will get flamed for this, but here goes. People need to forget the marketing from Honda, BMW, Porsche, and all other auto manufactures of high performance street cars. All these cars are just that - street cars. Fast, great handling, but street cars in the end. They are not meant to be on track for more than a few laps, not matter what journalists, YouTubers, and marketing teams say. Can they do 1-2 laps on track without issue? Yes, most can. Can they do 30min sessions (or even 15min sessions) of very hard driving without issues? Not in my experience. Years ago I raced in SCCA Formula Ford 1600 and then Spec Miata for a few years. A very expensive hobby, but I was single and it was great fun. It also was very eye-opening to what my street cars could do in comparison. I would drive to the track in my M3, my 911SC, my Cayman S, etc., and I would take them for a few laps to see what they could do in stock form. And the answer was not much before they started falling apart - heating, brakes, etc. Of course I could drive them slower, which is what most do at HPDE events anyway when they think they are 10/10ths, but I didn't see the point in that. And of course I could start the modifying game - pads, fluid, tires, suspension, cooling, etc. - it never ends. And in the end, you still aren't close to a proper race-prepped car, but you have spent a lot of money and screwed up your street car. Still, people do it all the time and learn the hard way. My advice was, and is, to get a dedicated track car that's properly set up and prepared for track use. In the end it will be cheaper and better.

I may take my R to a track at some point, but without mods, because they are pointless. It will just be for fun and not pushing crazy to destroy the car. It will be just for simple, 6/10ths fun. That's really the best way IMHO and from experience.

So know the limits of your street car and drive well under them if you don't want to eff it up.

 

[Clark_Kent]

I probably will get flamed for this, but here goes. People need to forget the marketing from Honda, BMW, Porsche, and all other auto manufactures of high performance street cars. All these cars are just that - street cars. Fast, great handling, but street cars in the end. They are not meant to be on track for more than a few laps, not matter what journalists, YouTubers, and marketing teams say. Can they do 1-2 laps on track without issue? Yes, most can. Can they do 30min sessions (or even 15min sessions) of very hard driving without issues? Not in my experience. Years ago I raced in SCCA Formula Ford 1600 and then Spec Miata for a few years. A very expensive hobby, but I was single and it was great fun. It also was very eye-opening to what my street cars could do in comparison. I would drive to the track in my M3, my 911SC, my Cayman S, etc., and I would take them for a few laps to see what they could do in stock form. And the answer was not much before they started falling apart - heating, brakes, etc. Of course I could drive them slower, which is what most do at HPDE events anyway when they think they are 10/10ths, but I didn't see the point in that. And of course I could start the modifying game - pads, fluid, tires, suspension, cooling, etc. - it never ends. And in the end, you still aren't close to a proper race-prepped car, but you have spent a lot of money and screwed up your street car. Still, people do it all the time and learn the hard way. My advice was, and is, to get a dedicated track car that's properly set up and prepared for track use. In the end it will be cheaper and better.

I may take my R to a track at some point, but without mods, because they are pointless. It will just be for fun and not pushing crazy to destroy the car. It will be just for simple, 6/10ths fun. That's really the best way IMHO and from experience.

So know the limits of your street car and drive well under them if you don't want to eff it up.

This is 100% correct. I've voiced a similar sentiment in the past and it was met with some push back. These are street cars, full stop. Brand management at these companies (really their agencies) are very good with a budget in the millions. The use of sizzle reels of cars on the track, actors driving them wearing helmets, track suits, and racing gloves, introduction of data logging apps/tools, etc. are all established marketing strategies that are clearly working. These high performance street cars are track or race inspired; however, they are not track ready, not by a longshot. Even with your garden variety modifications you will still run into issues on the track. If you've ever driven a car on a proper track, and the JCPenney parking lot (AutoX) or somewhere in Mexico (insert local interstate) does not count, none of this should sound foreign.

 

[007]

I probably will get flamed for this, but here goes. People need to forget the marketing from Honda, BMW, Porsche, and all other auto manufactures of high performance street cars. All these cars are just that - street cars. Fast, great handling, but street cars in the end. They are not meant to be on track for more than a few laps, not matter what journalists, YouTubers, and marketing teams say. Can they do 1-2 laps on track without issue? Yes, most can. Can they do 30min sessions (or even 15min sessions) of very hard driving without issues? Not in my experience. Years ago I raced in SCCA Formula Ford 1600 and then Spec Miata for a few years. A very expensive hobby, but I was single and it was great fun. It also was very eye-opening to what my street cars could do in comparison. I would drive to the track in my M3, my 911SC, my Cayman S, etc., and I would take them for a few laps to see what they could do in stock form. And the answer was not much before they started falling apart - heating, brakes, etc. Of course I could drive them slower, which is what most do at HPDE events anyway when they think they are 10/10ths, but I didn't see the point in that. And of course I could start the modifying game - pads, fluid, tires, suspension, cooling, etc. - it never ends. And in the end, you still aren't close to a proper race-prepped car, but you have spent a lot of money and screwed up your street car. Still, people do it all the time and learn the hard way. My advice was, and is, to get a dedicated track car that's properly set up and prepared for track use. In the end it will be cheaper and better.

I may take my R to a track at some point, but without mods, because they are pointless. It will just be for fun and not pushing crazy to destroy the car. It will be just for simple, 6/10ths fun. That's really the best way IMHO and from experience.

So know the limits of your street car and drive well under them if you don't want to eff it up.

Your words resonate deeply, and I couldn't agree more. Truly, this should be framed.

Like you, I've been down that road and came to the same realization. Modifying cars often sacrifices their inherent civility for what, in most cases, is a marginal gain on the track.

It's always amused me how many "track-ready" cars spend the vast majority of their lives on regular roads. In the pursuit of track performance, they're often transformed into jarring, noisy, impractical machines that can barely navigate a pothole without a crisis. And let's not even talk about the issues introduced by modifications.

Engineering is a delicate balance of forces. When you adjust one component, the stress has to be absorbed somewhere. This doesn't evaporate just because you've upgraded a part. Instead, other parts of the car bear the brunt, leading to accelerated wear and potential failures.

Modifications always come with trade-offs. Take brakes, for instance. Upgrade for track performance, and you might end up with pads that screech embarrassingly at every red light, with reduced initial bite in everyday driving conditions. In my opinion, stock brakes are perfectly tailored for street use - quiet, durable, and effective right from the first press.

I'm content in the knowledge that my car is a stellar street performer. I don't need it to be a track beast masquerading on city streets. That's an illusion I've happily left behind.

 

[TW00Si]

I probably will get flamed for this, but here goes. People need to forget the marketing from Honda, BMW, Porsche, and all other auto manufactures of high performance street cars. All these cars are just that - street cars. Fast, great handling, but street cars in the end. They are not meant to be on track for more than a few laps, not matter what journalists, YouTubers, and marketing teams say. Can they do 1-2 laps on track without issue? Yes, most can. Can they do 30min sessions (or even 15min sessions) of very hard driving without issues? Not in my experience. Years ago I raced in SCCA Formula Ford 1600 and then Spec Miata for a few years. A very expensive hobby, but I was single and it was great fun. It also was very eye-opening to what my street cars could do in comparison. I would drive to the track in my M3, my 911SC, my Cayman S, etc., and I would take them for a few laps to see what they could do in stock form. And the answer was not much before they started falling apart - heating, brakes, etc. Of course I could drive them slower, which is what most do at HPDE events anyway when they think they are 10/10ths, but I didn't see the point in that. And of course I could start the modifying game - pads, fluid, tires, suspension, cooling, etc. - it never ends. And in the end, you still aren't close to a proper race-prepped car, but you have spent a lot of money and screwed up your street car. Still, people do it all the time and learn the hard way. My advice was, and is, to get a dedicated track car that's properly set up and prepared for track use. In the end it will be cheaper and better.

I may take my R to a track at some point, but without mods, because they are pointless. It will just be for fun and not pushing crazy to destroy the car. It will be just for simple, 6/10ths fun. That's really the best way IMHO and from experience.

So know the limits of your street car and drive well under them if you don't want to eff it up.

valid and based on my personal experiences modding my S2000 for HPDE events I would say you’re absolutely correct. But I would just add, HPDE are just that, take it for what it is. Making oneself a better driver. In the process, have some fun because some cars can’t be driven hard on the street, we would put others on the road and pedestrians in danger.
What I would add is that all it took was one HPDE event to experience limp mode and throwing codes in my FK8. Where as many sessions with the S2000, no issues. I chalk it up to the possibility of NA versus turbo and modern electronics. People can mod however they want. They will learn over time what they want and whether it’s worth it.

 

[FLRib]

 

[michaeljf]

https://www.motor1.com/news/682680/honda-civic-type-r-moose-test/

Given the FL5 has more weight, a longer wheelbase and wider tyres than the FK8 it shouldn't come as any surprise that in the moose test the FL5 managed 74km/h while the pre facelift FK8 (2017) did it at 78km/h.

On a flowing track with more open corners the results have been different and that's where the FL5 has the edge.

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