Radical New Prod Releases In Auto This Week

TUNERS & YOUNG ENTHUSIASTS REJOICE! All-new Honda Civic Type-R

The Honda Civic is one of the most popular and recognizable nameplates in automotive history. Now, similarly to past generations, Honda is turning it up from a reliable daily commuter to a track-ready pocket rocket. Meet the newest Honda Civic Type-R, one of the hottest tuner cars in the game that has seen generations of success and fame.  

With the performance compact segment picking up steam again among enthusiasts, and driver-focused cars become more popular, it’s no coincidence that Honda is going all-in with their newest Civic variant. The Civic has changed over the years, and from the outgoing generation to this one, the biggest change appears to be Honda’s design language, now far more restrained and mature. There are far less wildly aggressive angles and wings on top of wings and shark fins like those that covered the outgoing 10th generation. Critics have largely enjoyed this, along with the significant boost in power and performance, featuring (rightly) the most powerful engine ever found in a Type-R: expect well over the 306 horses of the outgoing model from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder with an automatic rev-matching six-speed manual. On the inside, expect all the features from the top-trim civic along with grippy bucket seats. Pricing is not confirmed yet, but expect it to be somewhere slightly north of the $38,000 price tag of the previous model.  

BATTLE OF THE TITANS: Ford’s Raptor-R set to take on Ram TRX 

The latest battle in the decades-long horsepower wars is on, now in the form of oh-so-American pickup trucks. Since its 2010 debut, the Ford Raptor has seen unprecedented performance truck success with no competitor whatsoever- until recently. With Ram’s release of the TRX, a V8-powered behemoth with 702 horses, the reign of the Raptor was thought to be over, simply because the TRX featured two more cylinders than the Raptor, far more power, and similar offroad capability. With the new Raptor R, Ford plans to take back the crown and give the Raptor what it always should have had: a massively powerful V8 engine (the same one found in the Mustang GT500) with 700 horsepower, 250 more than the base Raptor. However, what has also increased is the price tag, now sitting at a cool $109,000, a ginormous increase over the base Raptor. With a re-tuned suspension, thicker driveshaft, and components to handle the power boost and extra weight, this truck is ready to conquer anything you throw at it. With the end of the gas-car growing ever-near, automakers are releasing some of the best of the best internal combustion has to offer, and the latest entry from Ford’s performance division is undoubtedly no exception. 

BLAZING PERFORMANCE RETURNS: Chevy’s New Blazer SS EV  

THE HOTTEST FROM HYUNDAI: New Ioniq 6 Builds on Hype From Prophecy Concept 

As a brand, Hyundai has made seismic waves in the car industry rebuilding its reputation from the ground up. Everything from their latest cars, SUVs and Ioniq electric models to their performance N-division have all seen popularity and praise from critics and the public, notably for their styling and bang-for-buck value inside and out. Building upon this trend, Hyundai’s latest Ioniq model, the Ioniq 6 EV, takes virtually all of its design cues from the beautiful Prophecy concept released back in 2020 that stunned the world. This has turned Hyundai’s Tesla Model 3 competitor into a gorgeous sedan complete with an extremely low drag coefficient of 0.21 and a planned 400 miles of range for top-end trims. Not much is known about pricing and power yet, however, critics expect the sedan to start around $42,000, slightly more than the Ioniq 5’s $40,000 starting price. Given that it's riding on the same battery and powertrain as the Ioniq 5, power figures should be similar, with lower-end models having around 168hp and higher-end dual-motor models having over 300hp. What’s also expected is cloud-like comfort and ride quality that is sure to blow the Model 3’s doors off, as well as a release for the 2024 model year. Stay tuned as more information comes out. 

That’s the exciting news from this week! Stay tuned for more releases, industry news, upcoming auto events, and F1 news every Thursday right here on Andrew’s A-List.