Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition becomes official safety car for 2021 World Touring Car Championship

Once again, the Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition has been appointed as the official safety car for the 2021 FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) season, marking its second consecutive showing as the championship’s safety car.

Apart from the new roof-mounted light strobe, there’s basically no changes to the car, so the eye-catching livery on this Sunlight Yellow example remains identical to the season before. It’s created by Belgian artist Vanuf, who said the design was inspired by the “aggressive philosophy” behind the Civic Type R Limited Edition. Vanuf has also designed a number of official liveries for other Honda touring car programmes.

Powering the car is the same 2.0 litre VTEC turbo mill, which makes 320 PS at 6,500 rpm and 400 Nm of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. This is paired with a six-speed manual transmission that drives the front wheels, allowing for a zero to 100 km/h sprint time of 5.7 seconds.

What makes the Limited Edition variant special is that it weighs less – approximately 47 kg lighter compared to the normal CTR (GT spec) that’s sold in Europe. Unique features such as the lightweight 20-inch BBS forged alloy wheels help shave 8 kg from the unsprung mass, paired with Michelin Cup 2 tyres.

The rear wiper, tonneau cover, infotainment display and air-conditioning system have all been removed as well. The amount of sound-deadening materials used in the roof, rear hatch panel, front bumper and dashboard have also been kept to a minimum.

Like the rest of the facelifted Type R range, the Limited Edition also gets a revised exterior and aero package, while the suspension has been refined for better compliance and response. An upgraded braking system with two-piece floating front brake discs and new brake pads also allows for better thermal efficiency to reduce brake fade.

WTCR director for Eurosport Events, Xavier Gavory said: “We are extremely pleased that Honda has extended its commitment as Official Safety Car Partner to the WTCR ? FIA World Touring Car Cup with the Civic Type R Limited Edition for 2021.”

“The Civic Type R is a fantastic fit as the Official Safety Car not only because of its iconic status, but also because its qualities ? which include its excellent safety rating, affordability and dynamic appearance ? fit perfectly with the principles upon which the WTCR was established,” he added.

GALLERY: 2020 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition – WTCR Official Safety Car