As other brands delete the diesel option, Honda introduces one on the new Civic.. !!!

• New Honda Civic diesel will start from £20,120 OTR
• Highly competitive PCP offers from £249 a month
• Manual version available in dealers from February with automatic coming in early summer

Honda UK has today announced pricing for the anticipated new diesel Civic manual hatchback. Set to hit retail forecourts next month and with the automatic available in early summer, the entry-level S model with manual transmission will start from £20,120 OTR rising to £24,925 OTR for an EX trim car with the six speed manual gearbox.

Trim levels will mirror those of the existing 1.0 VTEC Turbo petrol model with S, SE, SR and EX trims available. The EX trim is also available with an optional Tech Pack for £600 which adds LED headlights with washers, LED fog lights, wireless phone charging and heated rear seats.

PCP pricing has also been confirmed for the new car, which is built at Honda’s UK manufacturing plant in Swindon; with monthly payments starting at £249 a month on a three year 5.9% APR contract for a Civic 1.6 i-DTEC SE Manual.

The comprehensively revised 1.6 i-DTEC engine will deliver an outstanding combination of performance and efficiency. It produces 120 PS at 4,000 rpm and 300 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm.

“The arrival of the diesel variant completes the line-up for the Civic hatchback in the UK,” commented Phil Webb, Head of Car at Honda UK. “This 1.6 i-DTEC is the most technologically advanced diesel unit we have launched to market and will deliver a very competitive offering for both the retail customer and the fleet market.”

Pricing for the automatic Civic diesel will follow in the summer when the car becomes available.

Grade	Transmission	OTR Pricing
S	Manual	£20,120
SE	Manual	£20,220
SR	Manual	£22,065
EX	Manual	£24,925

USA - The first all-new Honda Civic Type R to go under the hammer for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

• All auction proceeds benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
• Auction goes live at 
• www.bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity.com  on June 7
• 2017 Civic Type R to be first new production vehicle available for purchase on BringATrailer.com vintage and collector car auction site

The very first 2017 Honda Civic Type R in the world, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) 01, will be auctioned online beginning June 7, with all proceeds benefitting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The Civic Type R is the fastest, most powerful Honda of all time produced for the U.S. and the first Honda Civic Type R to be sold in America. Enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the Civic Type R's arrival can visit http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/ to bid1 on the exclusive model with the auction closing on June 15.

"The Civic Type R has long been forbidden fruit for enthusiasts in the U.S., so we thought it would be fun to offer one lucky customer a shot at owning the first of its kind in America while benefitting the leading nonprofit solely dedicated to finding a cure for childhood brain tumors, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation," said Jeff Conrad, Senior Vice President, Automobile Division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The first production 2017 Civic Type R will be the first new vehicle to be sold on the vintage and collector car auction site, Bring A Trailer. This first-ever Honda Civic Type R to be sold in America is the pinnacle fun-to-drive vehicle of the Honda brand and recently established itself as the fastest front-wheel-drive production car in the world, having set a record lap time of 7 minutes 43.80 seconds on Germany's 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife (north loop), more than three seconds faster than the previous record. Video of the new Civic Type R's record-setting lap can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvMm8bVQXY.

The 2017 Civic Type R features the most powerful engine ever offered in a Honda production vehicle in America, a 306-horsepower 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC direct-injected TURBO powerplant with i-VTEC® valvetrain mated to a short-shifting six-speed manual transmission. Type R's fully independent suspension with dual-axis strut front strut and Adaptive Dampers at all four corners can be controlled through three selectable driving modes – Comfort, Sport and +R. Additional design elements of the track-ready Type R include cross-drilled front brake discs squeezed by Brembo 4-pot calipers and a comprehensive aerodynamic package for outstanding high-speed stability and low drag.

The 2017 Civic Type R for the U.S. market will be produced exclusively in Honda's Swindon, UK plant. Its turbocharged engines will be produced in Anna, Ohio, Honda's largest automobile engine plant in in the world, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Honda's Longtime Commitment to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation

Honda is a longtime partner of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF). Since 1991, Honda has supported the organization through many efforts, including its quarter-century sponsorship of Ride for Kids (www.curethekids.org/events/ride-for-kids). This support has helped fund research to understand, diagnose and treat pediatric brain tumors, the top cause of cancer-related deaths in children. The PBTF is the world's largest nonprofit solely dedicated to funding childhood brain tumor research and caring for diagnosed families. Since 1991, it has funded more than $29 million in research to improve quality of life, increase survivorship and ultimately eliminate pediatric brain tumors.

All proceeds from the auction of Type R VIN 01 on Bring A Trailer will benefit the PBTF. More information about the PBTF's mission can be found at www.curethekids.org/mission.

To view and bid on the 2017 Honda Civic Type R VIN 1: http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/

Matt Neal draws level with Andy Rouse to take his 60th BTCC Win at Thruxton.

• Matt Neal claims 60th BTCC victory at Thruxton
• Gordon Shedden is weekend’s highest scorer
• Halfords Yuasa Racing sets pace in Hampshire

Halfords Yuasa Racing enjoyed a successful weekend on ‘home’ soil as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship sped into ultra-fast Thruxton, with Gordon Shedden outscoring all of his rivals on the same weekend that Matt Neal reached a major milestone.

In front of a host of Honda employees – with the brand’s UK manufacturing headquarters just up the road in Swindon – Neal and Shedden locked out the top two spots on the starting grid in qualifying, as the former snared his 16thBTCC pole position and the latter belied maximum ballast to join him at the sharp end of the field. 

Neal converted that into his 60th career triumph in race one – in so doing drawing level with tin-top legend Andy Rouse in equal-second place on the all-time BTCC winners’ list. Shedden followed his Halfords Yuasa Racing team-mate home for the runner-up laurels, as Honda cars secured all three spots on the podium.

A similar result looked to be on the cards in race two as Neal led away again, until a power steering issue sent him darting for the pits at the end of lap two. Upon rejoining the fray, the three-time BTCC Champion posted what was comfortably the fastest lap to underline what might have been.

An early ‘moment’ on cold tyres saw Shedden shuffled back to fourth, but the Scot immediately fought back and was sizing up Rob Collard for the lead when the red flags flew once more – this time for good – on lap seven.

In the day’s finale, from fifth on the reversed grid, Shedden had to dig deep to unseat Rob Austin’s lighter Toyota from fourth position and complete his weekend with another very strong finish, while Neal took no prisoners as he scythed his way through from 29th to tenth at the chequered flag – although he was subsequently demoted to 11th after being adjudged to have gained an unfair advantage in overtaking a rival.

Shedden’s excellent haul saw him vault from fourth up to second in the Drivers’ standings – just 17 points adrift of the lead – with Neal similarly in contention in seventh. Honda has gained ground in the Manufacturers’ classification, as Halfords Yuasa Racing maintains second spot in the Teams’ Table.

Gordon Shedden:

“To qualify on the front row with 75kg in the car definitely exceeded my expectations; every lap was an adventure as I tried to keep my foot in for as long as possible through the faster corners around the back of the circuit – there wasn’t much left in the tank! I got a slightly better start than Matt in race one, but he was a lot lighter than me so I didn’t force the issue too much. It was fantastic for him to take his 60th BTCC win, and a tremendous effort from the boys to get a one-two. 

It was disappointing that we didn’t have another five or six laps in race two because we were clearly quicker than Rob, and then race three was another good finish. You always want more of course, but we left with three very solid results and a strong points haul – and that gives us a lot of confidence going to Oulton Park.”

Matt Neal:

“After the disappointment of Donington, we needed to bounce back and I’m really going to cherish this 60th win. The Civic Type R has always been amazing at Thruxton – we work hard on the aero, and this circuit is primarily high-speed corners. 

‘Flash’ certainly made me work for pole, and to come away with a Halfords Yuasa Racing one-two and a Honda podium lockout on home soil in the first race was a dream – a fabulous result to reward all the guys and girls from the factory who came down to support us. 

I felt a bit wounded after race two, because that was another win in the bag – ‘Flash’ and I could really have made hay out there – but the car was magnificent in race three. The team said to me, ‘why don’t you drop back and see if you can go for fastest lap’, but I thought ‘stuff that’ and had a lot of fun. I just wanted to keep going at the end...”

Drivers’ Standings

1. Tom Ingram 131 points

2. Gordon Shedden 114 points

3. Colin Turkington 112 points

4. Rob Collard 103 points

5. Adam Morgan 96 points

6. Jack Goff 89 points

7. Matt Neal 73 points

Manufacturers’ Standings

1. BMW 259 points

2. Honda 225 points

3. Vauxhall 188 points

4. Subaru 159 points

5. MG 127 points

Teams’ Standings

1. Team BMW 209 points

2. Halfords Yuasa Racing 181 points

3. Speedworks Motorsport 127 points

4. Eurotech Racing 110 points

5. Ciceley Motorsport 96 points

6. Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 65 points

USA - The Honda Civic Type R will get it's US debut at the AutoCon before a full rollout.

• The long-awaited Civic Type R finally comes stateside with an appearance at a hub of automotive performance and tuning

After its global reveal in Geneva earlier this month, the first production Civic Type R coming to America will make its U.S. debut at the 2017 AutoCon automotive performance and tuning convention in Los Angeles on March 26 with an on-stage presentation scheduled for 4:00 PM PDT. 

With 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque¹ on tap from its 2.0-liter DOHC, direct-injected and turbocharged i-VTEC® in-line 4-cylinder engine, the 2017 Civic Type R is the fastest, most powerful Honda ever sold in America.

Featuring aggressive styling to match its performance, the Civic Type R is the "hot hatch" that U.S. compact enthusiasts have been dreaming about.

For East Coast enthusiasts, the Type R will make its debut at the New York International Auto Show on Apr. 12. 

The first Type R-badged Honda will go on sale nationwide in late spring with an MSRP in the mid-$30,000 range.

The new Honda Civic Type R gets its Public reveal at Geneva this week.

• Engineered to deliver the most rewarding drive in the hot hatch segment
• Optimised and refined 2.0-litre VTEC TURBO with an output of 320 PS and 400Nm of torque
• New Type R further refines sporty dynamics of new Civic hatchback heightening driving performance
• Sales to begin summer 2017
• To be built in Swindon, UK, for markets worldwide, including Japan and USA

Honda has revealed the all-new Civic Type R at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, ahead of the model’s European launch in the summer. The new car builds on Honda’s heritage in developing high-performance hatchbacks, and represents the segment’s ultimate expression of dynamic purity.

Sharing the same fundamentals as the new Civic hatchback, the new Type R has been engineered from the ground up to deliver the most rewarding drive in the hot-hatch segment – both on road and on the race track.

Revised 2.0-litre VTEC TURBO engine and 6-speed manual transmission

The 2.0-litre VTEC TURBO ‘heart’ of the multi-award-winning previous generation Type R has been optimised and refined and now produces 320 PS with peak torque of 400 Nm. Throttle response and driveability have improved thanks to optimised engine control settings.

The smooth and precise six-speed manual transmission is further improved by a rev match control system, ensuring no compromise in the Type R’s intimate, rewarding connection with the driver.

A stiffer chassis and revised suspension

The new Type R takes the lighter, more rigid body shell of the new Civic hatchback and adds further use of adhesive in key areas. Compared to the previous Type R, torsional rigidity is further improved by 38%.

The front Macpherson strut suspension of the standard hatchback is revised with new geometry to minimise torque steer and maximise sporty handling. At the rear, the new independent multi-link system of the standard car is improved with the use of unique high rigidity suspension arms.

Enhanced driving modes

An enhanced selection of driving modes give the car greater usability compared to the previous Type R. A new ‘Comfort’ setting sits alongside agile ‘Sport’ and track-focused ‘+R’ modes. Each selection tailors the adaptive dampers, steering force, gear shift feeling and throttle response of the car on demand.

Refined aerodynamics for high-speed stability

The all-new Type R has a more comprehensive aerodynamic package than the previous model, including a smoother underbody, front air curtain, a lightweight rear wing and vortex generators at the trailing edge of the roof line. The muscular, aggressive body has a best-in-class balance between lift and drag, contributing to greater high speed stability.

Produced in Europe, exported to major markets worldwide

Production of the new Civic Type R is anticipated to start in summer 2017 at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) in Swindon – the global manufacturing hub for the 10th generation Civic hatchback.

The Type R will be exported across Europe and to other markets around the world, including Japan and the US. Its arrival in North America will mark the first time that any Honda-badged Type R has been officially sold there.

The UK hits a 17 year high for exports with Jaguar Land Rover leading the UK Charge.

1.7 million cars built in the UK in 2016, an increase of 8.5% and the highest output for 17 years. Exports at record levels for second consecutive year as more than 1.35 million cars shipped worldwide. More than one in two cars exported to Europe, our single biggest trading partner, with demand up 7.5%. Growth driven by multi billion pound investments in previous years – not post Brexit bounce.

UK car production achieved a 17-year high in 2016, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).  1,722,698 vehicles rolled off production lines last year from some 15 manufacturers,1 an 8.5% uplift on total production in 2015 – and the highest output since 1999.2 More cars are now being exported from Britain than ever before, the result of investments made over recent years in world-class production facilities, cutting-edge design and technology and one of Europe’s most highly skilled and productive workforces.  Ten brand new car models began production in the UK last year, nine of them from premium brands which has helped make the UK the second biggest producer of premium cars after Germany and the third biggest car producer in Europe.3   Total committed investment announcements in the automotive sector in 2016 were approximately £1.66 billion across a number of companies. This figure is down from  £2.5 billion in 2015. Production growth was predominantly driven by overseas demand, with global appetite for British-built cars rising by 10.3% to an all-time high of 1,354,216 – a second consecutive annual record. Around eight out of every 10 cars manufactured in the UK is now exported, bound for one of 160 markets worldwide. It was continuing economic recovery across Europe, however, that accounted for the bulk of the growth. Exports to the rest of the EU grew 7.5% to 758,680 and accounted for more than half of all UK car exports.  Furthermore, Europe supplies the majority of components within UK-built vehicles, underlining the critical importance of tariff and barrier-free trade to future UK automotive production. Growth was strong across a number of markets, notably the US – the UK’s biggest export destination after the EU – where demand rose by almost half (47.2%) meaning it now accounts for around 14.5% of all UK car exports.  Notable uplifts were also seen in Turkey, Japan and Canada whilst China, third on the list of export markets, grew by a more modest 3.1% with 88,610 vehicles exported last year. Domestic demand for UK built cars also grew last year, up 2.4% in the year, and the UK remains the second largest car market in Europe, again after Germany.4 One in seven new cars registered by UK buyers is now made in Britain, up from one in eight three years ago. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The tremendous growth in UK production is testament to the global competitiveness of the UK automotive sector.  High class engineering, advanced technology and a workforce committed to quality have helped turn around the industry, making the UK among the most productive places in Europe to make cars.  Significant investment in new plants and products over the past few years has driven this growth, not a post-Brexit bounce. We want trade deals but they must be the right deals, not rushed deals. Failure to do so could damage UK automotive manufacturing beyond repair.” 1. The UK’s 15 manufacturing plants are owned by a range of independent and multi-national-owned companies: Aston Martin (Gaydon); Bentley (Crewe); Caterham (Dartford); Honda (Swindon); Jaguar Land Rover (Castle Bromwich, Solihull, Halewood); Lotus (Norwich); McLaren (Woking); Mini (Oxford); Morgan (Malvern); Nissan (Sunderland); Rolls Royce (Goodwood); Toyota (Burnaston); Vauxhall (Ellesmere Port). 2. 1,799,004 cars were produced in the UK in 1999. 3. New UK models starting production in 2016: Aston Martin DB11; Bentley Bentayga; Jaguar F-Pace; Infiniti Q30; Infiniti QX30; Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible; McLaren 540; McLaren 570; Rolls Royce Dawn; Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer. 4. ACEA data for 2016.