By Julian Cardenas and Sheldon Angelo Cruz
The giant Japanese automaker Honda has a long history of success dating back to its inauspicious beginnings 74 years ago.
With the insight and quirkiness of its founder Soichiro Honda, the firm demonstrated to the world what the nation of Japan was capable of by providing it with its spectacular vehicles and its fantastic VTEC system, a reliable and economical engine that went on to power motorbikes, boats, and cars.
Honda astonished the world with their outstanding motorsports performance – bagging several drivers and constructors crowns during the 80s under the hands of some racing icons such as the legendary Ayrton Senna, and just recently with reigning back-to-back F1 champ Max Verstappen, demonstrating that their engineering prowess would take them to global heights.
Then, one day, they made the decision to apply their extensive knowledge and expertise to building high-performance road automobiles, and in 1992, Honda introduced the NSX. It was a sleek vehicle with a design that evoked the aesthetics of Ferraris of the time, and its 3.0-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine, which produced 276bhp and allowed it to go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, gave it performance to match one.
This sports car also featured a name that would go on to become one of the most recognizable in the annals of JDM and performance cars.
Type R.
The Type R nameplate, now in its 30th year, conveys speed and power to any automobile lover who hears it, much like M does for BMW and AMG does for Mercedes-Benz. The NSX was the first of many amazing Type-R cars that was eventually followed by the Integra Type R, Accord Type R, and what is to become one of the most beloved JDM icons of all time – the Civic Type R, now in its sixth generation.
Over the years, the Type R nameplate attracted many fandoms and admirers from all over the world, even giving rise to a culture of cars called Kanjzoku that is dedicated to the Civic.
Filipino fans such as Carlito De-Leon Jr. and Edrian Masangcay share their story on how they became fond of the fast honda lines.
“As for how the Type R became a status symbol, it’s basically how a beginner’s car such as the Honda Civic or a small sedan such as the Honda Integra can be jacked up in terms of power and torque for daily drives and for track-day weekends. It’s zippy, and you can get one for a price that won’t hurt your pocket,” said De Leon, which was nodded upon by Masangcay, saying: “They are special because they are made and designed for more driving enjoyment and performance over the Honda models on which they are based. The Type R treatment really adds lots of coolness and excitement to any Honda car it gets applied on.”
With the launch of the newly beefed up sixth generation Civic, the Type R identity will undoubtedly remain and live on indefinitely.
Cole Arcega, an admirer of the EK9 Civic and a Type R aficionado, stated his enthusiasm – not just for the badge, but also for the community: “Given how large the community is for Honda lovers, you continuously see a rise in its generational demand – making its vehicles and even replacement parts possess pleasant resale values. I personally believe that it’s not just a community today, but rather, a culture”
And this statement bares truth as the current civic and its recent predecessors continue to hold onto their values and followings.
Arcega, De Leon, Masangcay, and the rest of the local Type R community play a major role in continuing the line of fast Hondas. They have formed their own unique car culture that highly appreciates Honda’s talent as a car manufacturer. The Type R’s 30th birthday is more than just a significant landmark for the Japanese automaker – it honors the vehicle that encouraged a new generation of auto enthusiasts to purchase, modify, and operate Honda vehicles.
And if we were to further discuss its magnitude, we can just simply label it as the “Type R effect”.