What If Someone Decided To Give The Honda Civic Type R An LS4 V8?

The LS series of small-block V8s from General Motors are among the most iconic engines ever released, and one of the most interesting is the LS4.

GM’s LS4 displaces 5.3-liter and is unique in that it was offered in front-wheel drive configuration. It could be transversely mounted and powered vehicles like the Chevrolet Impala SS, the Monte Carlo SS and the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP and has gone on to become quite popular among enthusiasts looking to engine swap their front-wheel drive performance cars.

Taking inspiration from hot hatches with this engine, Abimelec Design has imagined what an FK8-generation Honda Civic Type R could look like with an LS4 V8 under its hood.

The Civic Type R comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but with a bit of work, the LS4 V8 could be made to fit in the engine bay. Back in its heyday, this engine was good for 303 hp and 323 lb-ft (437 Nm) of torque, similar to the 306 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) output of U.S.-spec Type R models. We guess that with some more modern internals, the LS4 V8 could be modified to over 350 hp without the need for forced induction.

If there’s any modern hot hatch that could handle the torque of this V8, it would probably be the Civic Type R. After all, Honda’s engineers managed to eliminate all torque steer from the hot hatch and the car can certainly deal with more grunt than it already has.

Note: This is a render by Abimelec Design and is neither related to nor endorsed by GM or Honda