This high-revving feast of VTEC goodness is now heading to classic territory.
Controversial opinion here: I miss the old-school automotive soundscape that would traverse the average UK town centre.
Nowadays we’ve got pops and bangs maps that sound like a bad night at the Somme and those embarrassing fart noises when turbocharged engines and DCT gearboxes get busy outside Next. Then there’s the EV noises, which for some are a contrived choral sound that signals their arrival like some kind of four-wheeled deity.
I was ruminating on this the other day, when a familiar sound tore through the ambient thrum like a chainsaw through plastic – a Honda Civic Type R EP3 screaming its nuts off in third, doing at best about 40mph.
Now, at this point, there will be those who view this with ridicule – but if anything, it sounded refreshing. It sounded mechanical. It sounded far better than an artillery-fire pop-and-bang map.
The other thing I remembered is just how entertaining and good-looking the EP3 is now, especially compared to the enormity of a modern Civic Type R. It may be mocked for looking like a breadvan, but compared to the turbocharged Civics it’s surprisingly discreet – just a cheeky suspension drop and some subtle, chunkier bodykit. It certainly doesn’t shout.
Well, the visuals might not – but the 2.0-litre VTEC engine certainly does. It’s one of my all-time favourite engines – while it may not have much in the way of low-down grunt, the perfectly placed, close-ratio six-speed gearbox means that keeping it in its VTEC sweet spot is an absolute joy, rather than a chore. And once in that VTEC range – boy does it shift, rippling its 197bhp through both the car and you.
Part of that might be down to the interior – though robust it’s not exactly what you’d call a haptic delight. There’s lots of silver plastic that wouldn’t look too out of place on a knock-off Walkman clone of the late 1990s. Then again, if you pride interior aesthetics over engine theatrics, let me point you in the direction of the VW Golf GTI MkIV with a week’s supply of Pro Plus to keep you awake.
There are some downsides to the Civic Type R EP3 that we need to address – first and foremost, the electric power steering. Though the later Premier Edition version retuned the steering for better feedback, whichever era of EP3 will have very little coming through the steering wheel about what’s going on through the front wheels. However, with a wheel at each corner it’s very easy to place, and as long as you’re not trying to bend the laws of physics, you’re unlikely to bend either the bodywork or your bone structure. You learn to put faith in the EP3, and it rewards you with aplomb.
The problem is, a lot of people tried to do just that – the EP3 Type R was phenomenally popular but a lot were thrashed, crashed and trashed, which means finding well-cared-for examples is somewhat of a challenge these days. You’ll have to pay good money for one too – the days of a decent sub £3k Civic Type R EP3 are over. According to Hagerty’s Valuation Tool, a good one starts at £7800 and a concours one will be more than double that.
However, that’s a fine figure to pay for a car that handles so well – it really does feel like a go-kart, again thanks to that wheel-at-each-corner layout. It’s just so easy and eager to place, that the gripes about the electric power steering start to fall away, your mind easily distracted as your cochlea reverberates to the engine at full scream. If you pine for the days of V10 F1 cars, then you’ll love the EP3 Type R.
There are those who look down on it – unlike the original EK9 Civic Type R, it was built in Swindon rather than Japan and nowhere near as hardcore as the original Japanese-only market car. For most people, that’s a good thing as the EP3 is hardly the most luxurious or comfortable car at the best of times.
There is another way though, and it is the JDM-specification EP3 Type R. Built in Swindon, it was shipped to Japan for further refinements, much in the way bands used to do Japanese-market albums with extra tracks in the 1990s.
This is one car you certainly want to play to the end, though: it had a helical limited-slip differential, a more robust suspensions setup and a host of engine mods – high-lift cams, high-compression pistons, a chrome-moly flywheel and an upgraded ECU. The intake and exhaust manifolds were also altered, and the crankshaft assembly fully balanced – it now produced 212bhp, with an even higher VTEC threshold. Oh, and you can also get it in pure white, which you couldn’t on the UK cars.
The result is magnificent, but uncompromising. You could just about daily drive one even now, but it wouldn’t be a lot of fun. However, on a twisting B-road you really can feel that helical diff working away; turn in is so much sharper and, thanks to the suspension tweaks, it really does feel a cut above the standard UK EP3. It’s why a fair few have made their way back to the UK over the years; you can expect to pay at least a £5k premium over UK-market examples, like for like.
The best bit about any EP3 Type R is that for all the mechanical fury and sheer abuse they receive, they are still a Honda. As well engineered as a Grand Seiko watch, the EP3’s few foibles are easily sorted thanks to a knowledgeable community and dedicated specialists. Of course, the newest example is now at least 20 years old so corrosion will be your biggest concern these days, as well as finding one that hasn’t seen the wrong side of a hedge at some point.
However, it is more than worth it – the EP3 Civic Type R is one of the 2000s’ most rewarding cars. It has its flaws, but when that VTEC kicks in you’ll be lost forever in high-revving, naturally aspirated bliss.
Are you an EP3 fan? Let us know in the comments!
