LOOK: 2023 Honda Civic Type R Leaked Before July 21 Debut

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is upon us, and after numerous teasers showcasing the hot hatch undergoing testing, the production model is finally ready to make its global debut. However, the Japanese automaker managed to accidentally leak the upcoming hot hatch way before its launch.

The leaked photo is a thumbnail that was first posted at Honda’s Welcome Plaza Aoyama web page, which was spotted by Palmer8, a member of Civic11Forum. The leaked photo showcases the Type R’s front quarter shot, and it pretty much confirms our expectations from the upcoming hot hatch. Its styling is definitely more subdued compared to the outgoing model, but we think this is in its favor since the previous model’s numerous fake vents aged pretty fast.

We know that the 2023 Honda Civic Type R will carry on with the outgoing model’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, but we still don’t know if this will feature any sort of improvements in power. For perspective, the outgoing Honda Civic Type R currently produces 320 hp and 400 Nm of torque. This is sent through a six-speed manual with rev-matching capabilities, driving the front wheels with a limited slip differential.

Rumors from Japan have suggested that the upcoming Civic Type R will reportedly come with an automatic for the first time, but nothing has been confirmed at this point. If that’s the case, then this will be a first for Honda’s hot hatch. The possibility of this happening isn’t that far-fetched considering that this same engine powers the American market Accord—albeit at a slightly lower state of tune.

The release of the next-generation Civic Type R coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Honda Civic nameplate, which first went on sale on July 12, 1972. On the other hand, the Type R brand will celebrate its 30th anniversary in November of this year, starting from the NSX Type R model launched in 1992.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R will make its debut on July 21, which means we don’t have to wait that long to finally see the next generation of Honda’s iconic hot hatch.