Lapped up by British hot hatch lovers in the 2000s, but the Japanese market had the EP3 even better…
By Cam Tait / Wednesday, 11 October 2023
It was only eight years ago when Honda decided to finally give us a Civic Type R that was on par with those sold in its home market. The original EK9 was never officially sold here, and its approach in the mid-2000s was so extreme that it built two different cars for each market. Europe got a slightly underwhelming FN2 hatchback, while the JDM received an ultra-cool four-door FD2 saloon that, apparently, was a fair bit better than what we got.
What of the EP3, then? The car that started the Civic Type R craze here in Britain and is still considered one of the great hot hatches of the 21st century. This was a proper hero car growing up, so the Civic Type R mega test we put together last year proved the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. It was light, agile and had the utterly addictive noise of a VTEC engine coming on cam just shy of 6,000rpm was just as good as hoped. Which was handy, because there’s naff all grunt below that, so all the more reason to keep the revs up.
That, as I’ve come to learn, was the watered-down experience. I know that opens me up to a pelting of eggs, but, you guessed it, the Japanese version was even better. The big difference (underneath, at least) was the addition of a helical limited-slip differential; the same one found on the EK9 that, for some reason, was absent on European cars. The chassis was stiffer, too, with beefier anti-roll bars lending to a more track-focused set up. Even the engine was different, with the K20A (not the Euro-spec K20A2) packing a different exhaust manifold, intake, flywheel, high-lift cams and a retuned ECU. That amounted to an extra 20hp over the boggo EP3, pushing the JDM car up to 215hp. So more power and a better chassis to make use of it. Sigh.
The most striking change is clearly the Championship White finish, complete with matching wheels. The colour synonymous with nutty Hondas has been offered on every UK-bound Civic Type R since, even if as a special edition on the follow up FN2, but annoyingly not the EP3. And it’s all the more frustrating because it looks so damn good in it. Step inside and you’ll find red Recaros and red floor mats, as opposed to the part red, part black cabin on Euro cars. A small difference, sure, but the new FL5 proves that a Type R really suits a full red interior.
What’s especially nuts is that both Euro and JDM-destined examples were produced in the same factory, on the same production line, in Swindon. So this rather fetching 2002 model was assembled here in the UK, shipped off to Japan where it’s been thoroughly enjoyed by the same owner for the last 21 years, before finding its way back to Blighty. Better late than never…
And, yes, that does mean it comes at a premium. Being in near-stock state (just a 5Zigen muffler for extra parp) and with only 50,490 miles on the clock, the seller is looking for £15,990. Granted, EP3s are gradually on the up at the moment, but a higher mile example can still be had well below five figures. And being a Honda, there’s not a huge amount to go wrong, except for rust. That shouldn’t be a problem on a freshly imported JDM car, and although it’s top money, it’s widely believed to be the better of the two EP3s. If you’re a stickler for the best of the best, you need look no further.
SPECIFICATION | HONDA CIVIC TYPE R (EP3, JDM)
Engine: 1,998cc four-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 215@8,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 144@7,000rpm
MPG: 31.7 (Euro spec, NEDC combined)
CO2: 212g/km (Euro spec)
Year registered: 2002
Recorded mileage: 50,490
Price new: N/A (Japan)
Yours for: £15,990
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