R for RACING... (Honda Accord Type-R)

Member Name: Barthezz

Product:	Honda Accord Type-R
Date:	14/11/01 (7878 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb handling, amazing engine, great racing looks

Disadvantages: Air conditioning doesn't come as standard, looks bog standard underneath the car

After some careful thinking and consultation of the house teenager (that’s me!) my parents decided to trade their Honda Civic in for the Honda Accord Type R. My parents hadn't a clue about the car before I told them about it.

At a relatively cheap price of £22000 brand new, this car was well worth the money. From its very sporty and stylish looks on the outside to what hides beneath the bonnet of this masterpiece.

We chose vesuvius red as the colour for this car. I felt it made the sports bodykit stand out in the crowd. Under the arches, a rather large set of 17-inch alloys in the design of split five spokes. On the behind of this Type R accord, a very sporty looking twin exhaust system, the tailpipes being finished off in aluminium. This car doesn’t have the Type-R sign after its name just for the sake of it. Under the bonnet is a 2.2 litre VTEC engine. Honda makes the best engines due to their ability to produce the most horsepower from the smallest engines.

If I said this beast produced 220bhp at 7,200rpm you would probably think “How??” Well Honda took a look at the 2.2 litre engine they dropped in the Honda Prelude and went down to some work. They raised the compression ratio, balanced and lightened the internals of the car, and gave the ports and valves a lot more flowbench time. At around 1,400kg it isn’t exactly a light saloon, but the engine manages to shift this thing from 0-60mph in around 7.2 secs with a top speed of approximately 148mph.

The thing that I love most about this car is what I call the “twin engine”. Around town, when my mother drives around like a Sunday driver :-) the engine sound is nothing dissimilar to the normal Accord. But when my Dad steps into the car….things really start to hot up! At 5,800rpm the VTEC engine kicks in. The induction note gets lower, and as you get to just under 7,000rpm, a racing car scream sounds from under the bonnet until
you get to the 8,000rpm cut out :-(

Inside the car, comfort is a top priority, something you realise when you sink into the hugging Recaro racing bucket seats. The seats also have spaces near the top to allow for full harnesses to be fitted. With a chunky Momo steering wheel, there is plenty to hold on to, essential when you’re thrashing this thing! The dials have a racing design, being white with red pointers.

The handling of this car is another positive point. With the suspension uprated with shorter springs and the specially valved dampers, this car handles a dream. The thing is, if you happened to look underneath the car, you’ll find that it looks pretty bog standard. Nothing is painted or polished which is a little disappointing. The Brembo brakes on this car are excellent, with 300mm vented discs on the front and 260mm solid discs on the back.

Overall, an amazing piece of machinery for the price. I highly recommend this car. Mind you…it ain’t for the faint hearted!!

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