Here's something for our Australian readers: The Civic Type R is coming your way this summer.
As if our fellow car enthusiasts in Australia don't already have it good enough (with the high-power Commodores, Falcons, Utes and assorted Ford Europe imports), now Honda UK's going to start exporting its Swindon-built Civic Type R 3-door to Australia. When sale kick off in July, Oz will be the first non-European market to receive the Honda Civic Type R hatchback. It's also scheduled to make the trek to Eastern Europe, with sales in Russia and the Baltic states beginning by the end of the year. This Honda Civic Type R is an altogether different vehicle than the just-introduced JDM Civic Type R, which is based on the sedan.
Pricing should be in the vicinity of $40,000 Australian dollars (around $32,000 USD). The Honda Civic Type R generates 201 horsepower at 8,000 RPM from its 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC powerplant, makes the run to 60 in around six seconds, and has a top end of 146 mph. It went on sale in Europe in March. As for United States, the most recent rumors point to 2010 for a possible US-market Honda Civic Type R sedan.
