Subaru WRX vs Honda Civic Type R: Upstart Car Not Enough To Topple Rally-Bred Tuner?

Oct 05, 2016 12:00 AM EDT | Mariechris Felipe

The Honda Civic Type-R debuted at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and instantly catapulted itself to stardom with its beastly look and more radical design that its predecessor. The Type-R reminds us of another powerful car, the Subaru WRX STI, and we cant help but compare the two.

Will the power of the upstart car topple the rally-bred tuner? Find out who will win at the battle below.

Looks Department

Since Honda presented the Type-R, many people are saying that it looks a lot like the Subaru WRX STI. We don't. Yes, there are some similarities, but aside from a passing similarity because they're both flashy sport compacts, they really don't look alike.

The front and the profile is the only thing that this two may have in similar. Both cars feature high beltlines and have lower fascias defined by large inlets and a deep chin spoiler. The kick-ups on the lower rear portion of the side windows are reminiscent of each other too.

But after that, everything else is different. the Subaru WRX STI has proud, pumped-up fenders while Type-R's fenders are not that pronounced. The WRX is a sedan, while the Type-R is a hatchback. The rears, though both have enormous rear wings and diffusers are far different as the Type R has much more radical aerodynamics.

The "boomerang-style" headlights of the Civic look nothing like Subaru's simple but sophisticated design too. Last but not the least, we should also mention that the Type-R has that distinctive, Ferrari-esque, triple exhaust tip, which Honda said in an interview that they are not props and all will have its function

Performance

The Subaru WRX STI is a car created for the races. This model has defended the honor of Subaru in the World Rally Championship and has been driven by such illustrious figures as Collin McRae, Carlos Sainz and Peter Solberg so it is really a beastly car. It rides a turbo 4-cylinder b 400 hp power that allows it to reach a maximum speed of 290 km/h.

While nothing is confirmed yet for Honda, everything points that the Type-R will to mount the same block VTEC 2.0- liter turbo but boosted to 350 hp. With this new powerful engine, the Type-R can complete 0-100 km/h in just over 5 seconds. In addition to this, its maximum speed would be increased up to 300 km / h.

The Verdict

While the Subaru WRX has an impressive look too, no doubt the beastly Honda Civic Type-R wins this battle at the aesthetic and look department, as people just cant help but admire the awesome design Honda made for this beastly car.

For performance, engines and whether the upstart car can topple the rally-bred tuner, we say that it is too early to judge. The Subaru WRX STI is one of the most beloved by fans of cars to use for racing so it definitely has a monstrous performance on it. However, we believe that Honda has something big stored for us at the new Civic Type-R. We all just need to wait for its release before these two awesome cars battle it out at the road.

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