Clarkson says 5 words in 2007 and the Honda community still quote those words 12 years on..
Top Gear Magazine awarded the European FN2 Civic Type R its "Hot Hatch of 2007", praising the car's controls and comparing it favourably as a driver's car to its rivals, the Stig qualifying it as "an utter gem".
..and then we all know what happened next.. Clarkson said it "just doesn't feel that quick" and that "all the poise and controllability that you used to get in the old car is just sort of... gone".
That was it.. The damage was done.. Forever marked in EP3 owners minds. "The EP3 being better than the FN2". Because.. Clarkson..
Meanwhile in Japan..
No, no.. Not that..
Honda were not so impressed with the beam rear axle and overall package of the FN2 decided to build their own.. Could they though?
Squint your eyes and yes, it does look like the Civic Hybrid with big wheels and a wing. But in every other respect the FD2 got everything right. Proper suspension, a more powerful engine, much shaper steering and a limited-slip diff. That diff is very tight yet not annoying for day to day driving. It allows much more aggressive throttle inputs out of bends than the UK Type R.
Combine this with the 225hp engine and it's a sublime drive and a rewarding experience behind the wheel..
Only around 13,000 FD2s were built for the Japanese market between 2007 and 2010. Prices haven't really dropped much in Japan, even since the arrival of the FK2/FK8.
Is the FD2 a future classic? Yes, yes it is..
Roll on 12 years (really? has it been that long?) and the FD2 is still very much in demand. With a whole host of tuning and styling options in Japan to choose from, making an FD2 your own isn't too difficult.
We found this car very last minute back in late 2018. Already boasting Mugen Assist Meters (yes, we sell these too) and Mugen Sports Muffler (and this..) our client wasn't happy there. He ordered up Mugen Front Under Spoiler and Mugen Wind Deflectors to finish off the styling. All of this carried out in Japan.
He also has Project MU Teflon Lines and a Mugen Baffled Sump to install shortly.. All supplied by us.
This is an absolute gem of a car. Enjoy the pics!
