Honda’s legendary ‘red H’ is a true mark of excellence in the books of any automotive enthusiast or keen driver. It signifies the best of what Honda has to offer – driver-focused, performance-oriented, race-bred machines.
 

With the exception of the NSX-R halo car in 1992, all cars adorned with the ‘red H’ have also worn a ‘Type R’ badge. This combination was a hint at what was in store for the driver; a combination of a lightweight chassis, brilliant handling, and a revvy engine that screamed all the way past 8,000rpm.
 

It was first in the 1995 ‘DC2’ Integra Type R that the everyday Joe could sample this. With a specific power output of over 100bhp per litre, the Integra Type R offered an unmatchable power output for years to come. Driven normally, they would seem rather pedestrian, but rev the VTEC engine up past the number 8 on the tachometer – and you’ll witness the Type R’s Jekyll to Hyde transformation as maximum power kicks in and the chassis comes alive.
 

While not always the fastest cars in their class, automotive purists all lauded Type R models for what they were. The analog, visceral driving experience was something that just made them special – nothing could beat a well-executed heel-toe downshift, the perfect line through a corner, or simply the howl from the engine as it changed over to the VTEC cam profile.

Their actions thus cemented the status of the 2007 ‘FD2’ Civic Type R as a future classic. With its relatively modern technology and the VTEC engine with an 8,600rpm redline, it became highly sought after as Honda’s final naturally aspirated, analog, Type R.
 

This Honda Civic Type R here belongs to Tze Khoon, a purist through and through who purchased the Civic for its manual transmission. As his first car after a lifetime of riding motorcycles, he’s a fan of its razor-sharp handling.
 

Tze Khoon’s Civic Type R is ninth generation of the Type R nameplate, but only the third-ever Civic to wear the hallowed badge. Known by its chassis code ‘FD2R’, it’s powered by a 2.0-litre ‘K20A’ i-VTEC engine mated to a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission.

For starters, the heavy factory fitted wheels were replaced with a set of wider Advan Racing RG-2 wheels. As these were forged wheels compared to the factory fitted cast wheels, it resulted in unsprung weight savings of over 2 kilograms per corner!
 

From the get-go, the Civic Type R was fitted with Bridgestone tyres at the factory, wearing POTENZA RE070 tyres as original equipment. However, when the original set wore out, Tze Khoon elected to continue using POTENZA tyres to extract the car’s handling potential. Two sets of POTENZA Adrenalin RE003 in the 235/40 R18 size have since served duty on the car, with each set giving him nearly 50,000km of mileage.
 

“I like how the RE003’s sidewall is hard enough for me to feel the car when cornering. When I drive in the rain, the car doesn’t feel like it’s floating, even at highway speeds of 80-90km/h!”
 

Attracted to the POTENZA Adrenalin RE003’s tread pattern, he loves how they offer the best of both worlds in terms of handling and everyday performance.

To complete the handling package, a track-focused BC Racing ER-Series coilover set replaced the factory damper and spring setup. Offering separate adjustments for compression and rebound, they allowed Tze Khoon to set the car up to his precise standards and set multiple personal best lap times.
 

During his time with the Civic, the experiences Tze Khoon has had with it are not just limited to the track. In fact, it’s been on multiple road trips typically to Kuala Lumpur. However, it’s also taken him on a convoy drive to Phuket, Thailand – a whopping 2,700km round trip!

Autobacs Venture Singapore Pte Ltd (Ubi)

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