Honda Civic Type R with Michelin Cup 2: Finally Biting Back

Rammert is where I go when I want to really feel what a car is about. The winding forest roads there , slashed into the limestone like veins , climb and fall through dense beech woodland, and when the sun starts to set, it paints everything with golden strokes of drama. It’s a place where a car’s limits become your limits. And this time, I brought something that needed to prove itself: the Honda Civic Type R, now rolling on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. 

It’s not just a facelift or a tune, up. It’s a redemption story. And Rammert, with its dry tarmac and moody silence, was the perfect place to find out if the Civic Type R could make amends for its 2023 stumble. 

The Car That Came Back to Fight 

The 2023 Civic Type R wasn’t slow. But in our world, “not slow” isn’t enough when the competition is stacking up 0, 100 km/h in under four seconds and clawing through bends like AWD monsters. Last year’s Type R disappointed , too stiff, too expensive, and not enough payoff for that €58,900 base price. 

Honda didn’t rework the chassis. They didn’t even tune the dampers or mess with the electronics. What they did instead was go straight for the rubber , and swap the already, sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires for Cup 2 semi, slicks with a custom Honda compound. Sounds small, right? On paper, maybe. But out here, in the Rammert’s coiling tarmac, it makes a world of difference. 

Driving Feel: From Numb to Knife, Edge 

I slid into the red, trimmed bucket seat early in the morning, dew still clinging to the windscreen. This isn’t a car that whispers anything gently. The six, speed shifter feels mechanical, and with the clutch weighted perfectly, I felt at home before I even moved. It fired up with a snorty rumble , that 2.0, liter turbocharged inline, four buzzing with purpose. 

I started in Comfort mode. On Rammert’s smoother stretches, it behaved like a hot hatch with a bit of polish , compliant enough, still tight, never sloppy. But things changed once I switched to Sport. That’s when the steering began telling me secrets about the road. Bumps, crests, transitions , all filtered in cleanly through the wheel and seat. 

And then came R+ mode. 

This is where the Type R used to let itself down. Too stiff, too wooden. But with the Cup 2s wrapping around those 19, inch alloys, the grip threshold shot up dramatically. Corners that used to trigger the stability control now became playgrounds for trail braking and throttle steering. In second, gear hairpins, the front axle was laser sharp, and the rear would tuck in almost intuitively, nudging the car into alignment like it had read my mind. 

ESP still interferes slightly in Sport, but in R+ it backs off enough to let the chassis dance. I pushed harder, late, braking into a tight left, right. The Civic’s nose didn’t just follow the line , it attacked it. 

It’s still front, wheel drive. But it doesn’t feel like it anymore. 

Braking and Weight: Real Gains 

There’s another surprise too. Braking performance has improved. From 100 km/h to a dead stop, the Type R on Cup 2s halts 1.8 meters shorter than it did on 4 S tires. From 200 km/h? Nearly seven meters sooner. And that matters in the Rammert, where some of the descents sneak up on you like ambush predators. 

On the scale, the Cup 2 variant weighed 8 kilos more. A negligible difference. But fuel consumption? That caught me off guard. Despite being a semi, slick, the Civic averaged 1.6 liters less fuel per 100 km than its predecessor during our loop. I didn’t believe it at first , checked it three times. 

Somehow, the stickier tire isn’t just better in corners , it’s less thirsty on these roads. That’s something few would expect. 

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Engine and Transmission: Character vs Raw Speed 

Power remains the same , 329 hp at 6500 rpm and 420 Nm spread between 2600 and 4000 rpm. You feel the shove early, but it’s not violent. It’s progressive, urgent, but never unhinged. The engine sings with a deep tone as it climbs past 6000 rpm, and the final 1000 revs are a treat , the kind of mechanical crescendo that reminds you why high, revving four, cylinders haven’t died yet. 

But the truth is, this engine doesn’t feel as free, revving as the Golf R’s EA888 unit, nor as raw as the AMG A45’s powerplant. It’s got the bite, but not quite the bark. 

Still, the gearbox redeems everything. It’s one of the finest manuals I’ve driven in the last five years. Short throws, tactile clicks, zero slop. Downshifting into a third, gear sweeper, I could blip the throttle with my heel like I was dancing. It’s satisfying in a way no dual, clutch system ever is. 

Lateral Grip and Handling Precision 

Now, about that elusive lap time improvement , just half a second faster than the previous setup. That might sound small, but believe me, in Rammert, I felt the difference everywhere. The rear rotated more obediently under braking. Mid, corner composure was rock solid. And in transitions, the car felt alive. 

What held it back from going even faster? Possibly the fact that it’s still only front, wheel drive. And the lack of an automatic transmission option means you’re always a gearshift away from maximum pace , even if it’s a joyful one. 

But in terms of feedback, trust, and engagement, the Civic is back to what it was always supposed to be. A driver’s car first, numbers be damned. 

Technical Specifications 

For data reliability, we extract all technical specifications from Honda’s official online presence.

Conclusion: More Than a Tire Swap 

Driving the Civic Type R in the Rammert wasn’t just a review. It was a recalibration of expectations. Yes, it’s still not the fastest compact. The Audi RS 3 and AMG A45 are in a different league with their all, wheel, drive systems and higher outputs. But this isn’t about winning drag races. This car is about feel, finesse, and feedback. 

The Cup 2 tires transformed it. Not dramatically in stats, but completely in experience. It’s sharper. Grippier. More alive. You trust it in corners, and it talks back in a language only good drivers understand. 

Honda didn’t reinvent the car. They just let it breathe better on the right rubber. And for anyone who actually drives, not just reads lap times, that’s more than enough.