Harder and softer versions of the car are also being considered
The Honda Civic Type R made the trip over the ocean into the US for the first time in history, and already people are asking why it only has front-wheel drive. Not that there’s anything wrong with that for Euro enthusiasts, but it seems that in the US if you don’t have AWD, you’re not taken as seriously.
Automotive News reports that an all-wheel drive version is being considered, in order to really challenge the Ford Focus RS, VW’s Golf R or the Subaru Impreza WRX. The source quotes Hideki Matsumoto, the Civic’s chief engineer as saying “We’re hoping that by gradually putting out more [variants] that we’ll be able to maintain a more stable sales volume.”
He first mentions a more toned down version of the current front-wheel drive model, one which would focus more on “the grand touring aspect” (thus making it more accessible for a wider audience), as well as a more hardcore version for those looking to take the car to track days often.
Whether or not the all-wheel drive model will materialize (as it requires extensive reengineering and redesign) is debatable, but the more hardcore track-focused version is definitely coming as it was announced when the car was first revealed.