---
title: "Four Generations of Honda Civic Type R, One Awesome Drag Race"
description: "The new Honda Civic Type R is, by all means, a nine-to-five workweek hustler that can also let it all hang out on the weekends—rendering it one of the most fun and versatile cars money can buy."
date: "2018-01-21"
modified: "2018-01-22"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/17852/four-generations-of-honda-civic-type-r-one-awesome-drag-race"
categories:
  - "Honda News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Civic"
  - "compact"
  - "Drag Race"
  - "Hatchback"
  - "honda"
  - "Honda Civic"
  - "Hot Hatchback"
  - "sports car"
  - "Type R"
---

# Four Generations of Honda Civic Type R, One Awesome Drag Race

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/01/honda-civic-type-r-drag-race.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The new Honda Civic Type R is, by all means, a nine-to-five workweek hustler that can also let it all hang out on the weekends, rendering it one of the most fun and versatile cars money can buy. Honda's magical recipe for fun cars isn't a new one, which means that many awesome hatchbacks came before the [new Type R](<https://www.thedrive.com/video/16701/the-2017-honda-civic-type-r-review-the-hot-hatch-that-cannot-be-unseen>), and now you'll get to see them in action—together.

This [video](<https://youtu.be/iX1EfVoDuFc>) brings us a field of five Honda Type Rs from four different Civic generations ranging from 2001 to 2017, and it shows us just how far technology has come in nearly two decades. On the left side of the drag strip is an EP 3 Civic Type R, followed by an FN 2 Type R, an FN 2 Mugen, an FK 2 Type R, and lastly an FK 8, otherwise known as the only U.S.-bound [Honda Civic](<https://thestore.thedrive.com/>) Type R.

https://youtube.com/embed/iX1EfVoDuFc

The first race is a standing [quarter-mile drag race](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/16501/watch-a-fox-reporter-botch-a-review-of-the-civic-type-r>), which unsurprisingly the new FK 8 conquered in just 13.9 seconds courtesy of its 306 horsepower on tap. While none one of these hot hatches were designed for drag racing, it simply wouldn't look good if an older-generation car beat the current flagship. A rolling-start race and a braking test delivered nearly identical results, but with wider gaps in performance.

Given the right import documents and [monetary funds](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/17803/new-york-might-charge-cars-11-52-to-enter-manhattan-and-drivers-should-love-it>), which one would you call your own?

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)