2018 Honda Civic Type R owned by Max Verstappen goes under the hammer

MANILA: The FK8 Honda Civic Type R is already a revered model, and this particular 2018 example will be further sought-after since it was previously owned by two-time F1 World Champion, Max Verstappen. He has won the titles under the Red Bull team that also uses Honda power units for its race cars.

This 2018 Honda Civic Type R has been put up for auction by Catawiki. It has been driven 36,000 miles (57,000 kilometers), is completely stock, and only shows minor signs of wear and tear throughout its widened body. It is finished in Championship White, and it appears reasonably well-maintained with a full history of maintenance.

What only makes this Civic Type R unique is that it was owned by Verstappen, and that the F1 driver’s signature adorns the hatchback’s dashboard.

As part of a promotion with the European auction site, CarNext, it was first donated to charity and sold there last year. The 2018 Honda Civic Type R is back on the market after only one year with the current owner, who purchased it at the charity auction. This time, the car is being sold with no reserve and comes with a racing suit.

Max Verstappen won the 2022 F1 Japanese Grand Prix and his second world championship title along with it, among the Dutch racer's other achievements. 

This year, Honda's legendary Civic is commemorating two milestones: 50 years of continuous manufacture, as well as 25 years of the high-performance Type-R model, which changed the definition of what a hot hatch should be.

As the first Type R to be sold officially in the country, the FK8 Civic Type R was launched locally in 2018 with much fanfare. Its two-liter VTEC turbo engine produces a maximum power output of 310hp at 6,500rpm and peak torque of 400Nm from 2,500rpm to 4,500rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission equipped with a rev match control system, which blips the revs up to the optimal range upon shifting.

Like its five past iterations, the FK8 Honda Civic Type R’s goal was to be the best front engine, front wheel drive performance hatchback. It is one that can go through the daily commute in ease from Monday through Friday before taking on the circuit on the weekends.

It may have retailed at P3 million, but that did not stop the FK8 Civic Type R from strong clamor. Upon launch, the 100 units initially allocated for the market were snapped up within 48 hours after announcement of availability, reports said. According to Honda Cars Philippines, the positive response is due to "the model's strong following, multiple recognitions, rich racing heritage, and several track records broken in some of the world's most challenging racetracks."

In 2021, the FK8 Honda Civic Type R received a number of updates.

New lower fog light surrounds are added to the front and rear bumpers. It has an updated symmetrical design, smooth surfaces, and sleek styling blades. Furthermore, the front and rear bumpers, as well as the side skirts, retained a carbon fiber effect front splitter, side under spoilers, and rear diffuser with a sporty red accent line that ran around the entire vehicle. Twenty-inch Berlina Black alloy wheels fill the vehicle's enlarged wheel arches.

Furthermore, the updated FK8 Honda Civic Type R featured a new front grille design with a thinner grille beam, which provided a 13% larger air intake area, according to Honda. When combined with the Type R's updated radiator core, this reduced coolant temperature by up to 10 degrees in high-demand situations like track driving, according to Honda internal testing.

Honda’s Sensing suite of driver-assistive functions also made its way to the then-new FK8. Honda Sensing warns the driver of potential hazards by using a monocular camera and wave.

In addition, Honda’s suite of driver-assistive features provides an array of advanced safety features such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

During the update, a bright Racing Blue color was added alongside the Type R-classic Championship White, somber Sonic Gray, and raging Rallye Red.

Returning to the performance aspect of the FK8 Honda Civic Type R, it came with Active Sound Control (ASC) that complemented the Type R’s triple exhaust system’s refined note. With the ASC, the Type R’s audio system provides an enhanced engine sound within the cabin during aggressive driving in Sport and +R modes, refining it during acceleration in Comfort mode and enhancing the driving experience.

The revised FK8 Civic Type R featured improved suspension and braking systems for more responsive and precise handling. Aside from that, the control software for the Civic Type R's Adaptive Damper System has been upgraded to allow for faster road condition evaluation, resulting in improved damper reactions for better handling response and ride quality.

In terms of braking, the hot hatchback is outfitted with Brembo four-piston calipers paired to new two-piece floating 350 millimeter front brake discs and new brake pads up front. According to the company, the Type R's braking system enhancements improve thermal efficiency and reduce brake fade for increased capabilities during high-intensity driving for optimized on-track performance.

The new FK8 Civic Type R had a high center console and Type R bucket seats with red and black suede-effect fabric trim. The dashboard featured carbon center inlays and red accents that extend to the side door panels. The Type R serial number plate was located beneath the gear shift lever.

In the center of the cluster was a seven-inch full color thin film transistor (TFT) LCD display for the instrument display. It displayed various function readouts such as driving mode display (+R, Sport, Comfort), LED gear shift indicator light, turbo boost pressure gauge, throttle/brake input display, and g-meter.

Meanwhile, an updated seven-inch touch screen display audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity sat atop the center console. Honda reported that control functions for the infotainment and climate control systems have been updated with additional physical buttons and tactile knobs for improved usability and functionality.

Along with Honda Sensing, the FK8 Civic Type R included a slew of safety features, including front driver and passenger airbags, side and side curtain airbags, an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and a Multi-View Reverse Camera with Guidelines.

Photos from Catawiki, Honda

Also read: Honda celebrates 25 years of the Civic Type R