Skip advert
Advertisement

Get it while (if) you can – is the Fk8 Honda Civic Type R the new 911 GT3?

Swindon’s closure has meant the Honda Civic Type R has become hot property with pre-reg cars hitting £10k over asking

There have been plenty of parallels drawn between the FK8 Honda Civic Type R and a 911 GT3 before, relating to the way it drives and its level of driver engagement, but who would have thought the same would be said of getting hold of one? Honda’s decision to end UK manufacturing in Swindon has also effectively halted Civic Type R production for the EU market, causing frustration for dealers who have customers lining up at the door, therefore pushing up the prices of the few models in stock within the dealer network. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Certain models, especially later facelift cars, are currently being sold with substantial premiums over their as-new price, with Sport Lines currently sitting at around £5000 - £7000 above list, and GTs at up to a staggering £10,000 more. Unsurprisingly, the Limited Edition is also fetching some high prices on the used market, with one recently selling for a shade under £50,000 at auction here in the UK, and other examples in Australia and Hong Kong going for as much as £80,000. 

This has also had a dramatic effect on the second hand market, with early examples from 2017 onwards having barely lost any value from new, still regularly floating in and around £30,000, only a few thousand less than retail.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

The official line from Honda is that the model is still in production, but the Swindon plant’s planned shutdown was the only source for the Type R for European customers, and with the imminent launch of a new-generation Euro-spec Civic only months away, there’s little reason to source more stock from other plants.

This is a similar, albeit slightly deferred, story to the Toyota GR Yaris, another reasonably priced performance car that has become hot property on account of its difficulty to get hold of. While not ideal for those keen to get behind the wheel, it does somewhat substantiate the notion that if manufacturers build brilliant affordable performance cars, people will buy them, throwing into question the cynicism that many (mostly European) manufacturers currently feel about these types of performance cars. 

The good news is that Honda is committed to bringing the next generation Honda Civic Type R to European markets, but the decision of where it’ll be built is still undecided. This factor will then have a follow-on effect of establishing how long we’ll have to wait to see the new model in the UK, but whatever the result, the new car’s similarities to the FK8 will hopefully make it just as brilliant as the current model. 

So the gauntlet is set for all the other manufacturers. The Volkswagen Group has all the right components to make something of the current Golf GTI closer to that of the Mk7 GTI Clubsport S, Cupra’s Abt connection and penchant for high spec components could once again culminate into a new model built in the image of the previous Cupra R, or what about a final flourish for the Megane RS with a new Trophy-R? Despite its divisive looks, the Honda Civic Type R has proven the point that if you build it and it’s great, people will come. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

​Best hot hatchbacks
Best hot hatchbacks 2024
Best cars

​Best hot hatchbacks

Traditional hot hatchbacks are dying out in 2024, but the models that remain are some of the best everyday performance cars you can buy
28 Mar 2024
Honda Civic Type R (FK8, 2017 - 2022): a sure-fire future icon
Honda Civic Type R FK8
Features

Honda Civic Type R (FK8, 2017 - 2022): a sure-fire future icon

The FK8 Civic Type R is a hot hatch with engineering obsession on a different level, making it one of our top 25 cars of the last 25 years
28 Mar 2024
Renault Sport Megane R26.R (2009): the most significant hot hatch of the last 25 years
Renaultsport Megane R26.R
Features

Renault Sport Megane R26.R (2009): the most significant hot hatch of the last 25 years

For much of the last 25 years, Renault ruled the hot hatch world. The ultimate expression of its brilliance, the R26.R
27 Mar 2024
The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024