There's no doubt that the latest Honda Civic Type R is a truly tremendous affordable performance car, but the way it looks certainly isn't for everyone. While many people around the world might relish the way a Type R performs, some may be put off by its over-the-top styling. But it now appears that Honda has got the memo as a couple of Type R models have been seen testing with styling that appears to have been toned down a little.
Even though the latest Type R was only launched last year, a couple of versions with light camouflage have been spotted testing at the Nurburgring. There was a red one with a new, smaller rear wing, and a white one trying but failing to hide some subtle bodywork enhancements.
The white car still has the giant rear wing that's such a polarizing feature for many potential buyers, but it's possible to spot a number of other subtle tweaks to the styling. The main changes at the front are some lower outboard grilles, both of which have a new plastic divider in them. Whether this feature is functional or aesthetic is unclear, but they do look as though they could house some sort of lights, but that seems unlikely as the current round fog lights remain in situ.
Some big fake openings also appear at the back of the car, and these too have those plastic dividers. As the changes appear on the whole to be relatively minor, it wouldn't be a shock to see them implemented on the production car in the fairly near future. There's also the possibility Honda is trying out ideas for special edition Type R models, in which case it could be a while before they come to market.
Honda has made no secret of wanting to appeal to a wider and younger demographic than it traditionally has done in the past, but it may have gone a little too far with the current styling of the Type R. If Honda does move to tone things down a little with the Type R's styling it would surely only increase the appeal of the model, but anyone hoping for something as subtle as VW's Golf R is likely to be disappointed.
