Honda Civic Type R Will Be Manual-Only, Despite CVT Rumors

Don’t believe everything you read. Case in point: the transmission on the

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by Carscoops Staff

January 11, 2017 at 22:53

Don’t believe everything you read. Case in point: the transmission on the upcoming new Honda Civic Type R.

Rumors began circulating recently that Honda would offer its flagship hot hatch with – perish the thought – a continuously variable transmission, like that offered on the base Civic.

Enthusiasts cringed at the idea, because while an automatic-equipped Type R might help Honda win over buyers looking at a Volkswagen Golf R, the CVT is almost universally reviled among purists for its rubber-band-like response and lack of distinct gears to grab and hold.

Fortunately the rumors appear to be false. Car and Driver reports that two spokesmen for Honda negated the reports, asserting that the new Civic Type R will only be offered with a manual transmission – as will the next-step-down Civic Si.

That will come as good news for the “save the manuals” set who have been watching traditional three-pedal gearboxes giving way to faster-shifting automatics that, raw performance stats aside, can take away from the driving experience and the feeling of connection between man and machine.