The Fastest Honda Civics From Every Generation

The Honda Civic was introduced in the early 1970s. Since then, the Civic has become the best-selling car for reasons such as its fuel efficiency, practicality, ease of maintenance, and comfort. However, over the years.

Honda has released performance-oriented models for the Civic under the Si and Type R badges, which has helped them become famous for another reason: speed.

In the video, the YouTube channel Throttle House reviews the 2023 Honda Civic Type R. By giving a brief overview, they have talked about its exterior, engine, styling, interior, conclusion, and outtakes.

 1st Gen - 1979 Honda Civic CVCC Hatchback 

The 1978 Honda Civic CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) came with a 1.5-liter inline-four engine producing 60 horsepower and 77 pound-feet of torque, which translated into a 0-60 mph time of 12.5 seconds and a top speed of 95 mph. The engine was mated to a 4-speed manual transmission, and as always, FWD was the only drivetrain available.

Being the first generation of the Honda Civic, it was only sold in hatchback form in the US, with a marketing tagline: "Honda, we make it simple. This was because in 1973, in the first year of its release, the oil crisis struck, and people turned to vehicles that offered better fuel economy.

The CVCC was originally an optional engine that made 53 hp and then 60 hp in 1978, which also brought minor visual changes. There was an RS version of CVCC, but that was only for Japan.

2nd Gen - 1982 Honda Civic 1500 3-Door GL 

The 1983 Honda Civic 1500 3-Door GL was equipped with a 1.5-liter inline-four engine, like the CVCC, but made 79 horsepower and 89 pound-feet of torque. This reduced the 0-60 mph time to 10.8 seconds and reached a top speed of 100 mph. Like the Civic CVCC, the Civic was offered with a 4-speed manual transmission and FWD as standard.

The standard second-generation Civic 1500 came in base and DX trims. The DX trim came with partial cloth seats, carpet, a rear window defroster, intermittent wipers, and a cigarette lighter. The 1500 GL added a rear window wiper and washer, a tachometer, a clock, side body moldings, and radial tires. However, the 1500 engine needed a 2-way catalytic converter to meet U.S. emission standards and required unleaded gasoline to function.

 3rd Gen - 1987 Honda Civic Si 

The 1987 Honda Civic Si followed the CRX Si and came with the same engine and specs as the CRX Si. This car had a 1.5-liter Inline-4 engine with 91 horsepower and 93 pound-feet of torque, a 0-60 mph time of 10.5 seconds, a top speed of 111 mph, and a 5-speed manual transmission.

The third generation of the Civic saw the Si model for the first time, along with the 5-speed manual transmission. However, the Civic Si in Europe saw a much more powerful version, which made 133 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque from the same 1.5-liter engine. There was also a Civic Wagonvan (wagon), which came with a part-time 4WD and is the only Civic model to ever feature a 4WD or AWD drivetrain.

4th Gen -  1991 Honda Civic Si 

The 1991 Honda Civic Si was equipped with a larger 1.6-liter inline-four engine that produced 108 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque and was the fastest of its generation, setting a factory 0-60 mph time of 8.1 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 16.2 seconds, and achieving a top speed of 121 mph.

The 4th gen Civic was the first time Honda offered more than two trims on the Civic, i.e., DX, LX, EX, and Si. The Si model came with premium features like a power sunroof, dual manual side mirrors, a larger exhaust, a dash clock, an upgraded interior, color-matched bumpers, and front and rear anti-roll bars as standard.

However, power steering or automatic transmission were not on offer; the 5-speed manual was standard; and air conditioning and fog lights were dealer-installed accessories.

 5th Gen -  1992 Honda Civic Si 

From 1992 to 1998, there was the CRX Del Sol, which in the U.S. was called the Honda Civic Del Sol. However, it wasn't a Civic, even though it was based on the same platform. That said, the 1992 Civic Si hatchback was again the fastest Civic of its generation, doing 0–60 mph in 7.5 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 16.3 seconds, and reaching a top speed of 119 mph.

Powering the 1992 Civic Si was a 1.6-liter inline-4 VTEC engine, which made 125 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque. This was the first time that the VTEC engine was introduced into the U.S. market by Honda; earlier, only the Japanese and European markets had the VTEC engine.

Also, this Civic Si had a 9000-rpm tachometer and a 7,200-rpm redline. Along with this, it came with body-colored door handles, a power moonroof, power side mirrors, and disc brakes on all wheels.

6th Gen - 1999 Honda Civic Si

The next Honda Civic model is the 6th-gen Civic. In 1999, the Civic Si returned to the Civic lineup and was available as a coupe model only. It also got an improvement in performance, being able to do 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 127 mph. It was the fastest Civic of the sixth generation. This performance came from a 1.6-liter inline-4 engine borrowed from the Honda Del Sol that made 160 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque.

Compared to the Del Sol, the engine did receive a larger throttle body, a fully counterweighted crankshaft, better pistons, strengthened connecting rods, and a larger exhaust system. Unlike the 5th generation Civic, which had the Si model from the start, the 6th generation got the Si model for only two years (1999 and 2000), and in other parts of the world, it was called the Type R.

7th Gen -  2005 Honda Civic Si  

The 2005 Honda Civic Si was introduced in hatchback form but used the same 2.0-liter inline-four DOHC engine, producing 160 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque as the previous generation. In terms of performance, it was slightly slower than the previous generation, as it did 0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds, a quarter-mile in 15.9 seconds, and a top speed of 132 mph.

The difference in performance is chalked off to a heavier body, but as it featured a MacPherson strut double-wishbone front suspension, its handling was improved. Along with this, it also had a higher top speed than the 6th generation.

The 2005 model did receive minor changes in appearance, which included revised headlight and taillight designs, new standard side skirts, larger 16-inch wheels, silver interior accents, and the option of a Honda Factory Performance upgrade.

8th Gen - 2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan

In 2007, Honda introduced the Civic Si Coupe along with the Civic Si Sedan. However, in 2008, the Honda Civic Mugen Si was released following its SEMA announcement the previous year. It featured the same 2.0-liter i-VTEC inline-4 engine producing 197 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque as the standard Si sedan, went from 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds, and had a top speed of 130 mph, the same as the Si sedan.

The Civic Mugen Si was a limited production model of 1000 units and offered track-tuned Mugen suspension, 18-inch forged alloy lightweight wheels, a full aero kit with an adjustable rear spoiler, a rear diffuser, and a sport-tuned cat-back exhaust system. It only came in Fuji Blue Pearl. Even though the straight-line performance was the same, the Mugen Si did go around the racetrack a few seconds faster.

 9th Gen - 2015 Honda Civic Si Coupe 

The 2015 Honda Civic Si coupe was the fastest Honda Civic of the 9th generation, doing 0–60 mph in 6.5 seconds and the quarter-mile in 15 seconds, going to its top speed of 135 mph. This generation of the Si also featured the largest engine to go in a Civic Si, a 2.4-liter i-VTEC inline-4 that made 205 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque.

The 2015 Civic Si coupe for the model year received a power upgrade of 4 hp and 4 lb-ft to give it 205 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque when Honda returned the exhaust system. Honda also offered the new optional 7-inch infotainment system, the Honda LaneWatch blind spot monitoring system, smart entry, and push-button start as part of the standard equipment for the Si model.

10th Gen -  2021 Honda Civic Type R 

The Honda Civic Type R is the fastest Honda Civic made to date, as it does 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, the quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds, and can achieve a top speed of 169 mph. To achieve such numbers, the Honda Civic gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 that makes 306 hp and 295 hp of torque.

The Civic Type R is based on the Civic Hatchback and includes an aero kit, an air intake on the hood, and 20-inch black wheels with red accents. The 2020 model year saw the addition of the Boost Blue color, an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, and a new shift knob. The 2021 Civic Type R saw the Type R Limited Edition, which was 28 pounds lighter, with lightweight wheels, recalibrated steering, and tuned dampers.

 11th Gen - 2022 Honda Civic Si 

The 11th generation of the Honda Civic is on sale, as is the fastest Civic Si, and for this generation, the 2022 Civic Si is available in sedan form. The 2022 Civic Si's official numbers have not yet been released by Honda, but according to third-party testing, it does 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 137 mph.

The Civic Si comes with the rev-matching technology from the 2019 Honda Civic Type R for better track performance. Even though the 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 makes 200 hp, 5 hp less than the previous Civic Si model, it does have a stiffer chassis and suspension for track days, which Honda claims will reduce lap times. The Si, like the 2019 Civic Type R, does come with its own unique interior theme in red, making it worth buying.

 11th Gen - 2023 Honda Civic Type R

Based on the 11th-generation 2024 Honda Civic, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R is the fastest Civic ever made. Powered by a recently enhanced 2.0L turbocharged engine that makes 315 HP and 310 LB-FT of torque, it runs 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Running at a speed of 106 mph, it completes a quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds. It has a top speed of 169 mph.

After beating the 2019 CTR, the 2023 CTR is the new champion. It benefits from a larger radiator and enhanced brake cooling. Furthermore, Honda has increased the rpm. At 6500 rpm, it generates 315 HP. While 310 lb-ft of torque can be achieved in the 2500–4000 rpm range, the six-speed manual transmission is also more rewarding.