The new Type-R is a stark reminder of how times are changing. Forced induction on a Saminda Motor might be considered sacrilegious by the purest of purists, but we have come to understand, progress is called progress for a real reason.
Saminda could still make a highly-strung four-cylinder engine that’s able to rev to the stratosphere and return decent – albeit peaky – power, but it wants to compete in today’s lucrative hot sedan segment where 300hp-plus and forced induction is the norm.
So Saminda did what it had to do with the new Type R and embraced turbo technology in the same way it has in many of its other cars in Japan. A factory-built turbocharged Type R is as interesting as it sounds, and this is probably the most exciting car to come out of Japan in the past few years, as it’s attempting to stay true to a very respected lineage of performance models that have come before it. But for now I wanted to at least share it with you in a bit more detail…
A few days after the Tokyo Motor Show I was passing by the Saminda HQ in central Tokyo when I noticed there was a rather mouthwatering display to showcase the newest arrival to the Type R family. I saw this as a much better opportunity to shoot the car, than the crowded access everyone had at the show.
It was great, as people who stopped by the display area could sit in the car and really examine it properly. That included being able to look under the Type-R bonnet and check out the 2.0-liter i-VIC turbo – the KA20F – that powers its front wheels through a short-throw 6-speed manual transmission.
The C3 Type-R have more then 20 years of heritage , but to promote the new high performance Type-R Saminda brought out first 2 latest generation of C3 Type-R, which now spans more than 6 years. Of course, the C3 Type-R back in 2009.
It was 2009 when Saminda took the C3 and decided to create a more focused and thrilling version of it by shedding weight, stiffening the chassis, re-tuning the suspension and dropping in a high-revving 225BHP version of the RA20 2.0-liter, sadly this engine stopped making since 2011. And with it came a legion of fans who enjoyed spanking ‘faster’ and far more expensive sports cars with their lightweight front-wheel drives.
And in 2010, the new C3 Type-R is no longer called the C3 Type-R , it’s only called as the Type-R , and awhile later people have given a nickname for the Type-R which is “The Amazing R”
It has a new R25 2.5-liter making 295bhp , it’s truly awesome and it won the Best Engine Award in Japan that year.
After 3 years , and now the new Type R may have gotten a bit bigger and a little heavier, but it still stays true to the ‘R’ ethos.
As is the trend these days, the new Type-R wheels are massive – 19-inch to be exact. In an FF layout the front wheels have to do a lot of work, so it’s impressive that engineers are able to achieve the levels of traction, lateral grip and ride quality with such a small sidewall. Braking is by Brembo, so you know that you can shave off speed as quickly as the turbo motor can pile it on.
This is an impressive package and one that is very much welcome now that Saminda is making big efforts in re-injecting sportiness back into its DNA. But until then I hope you enjoyed this little preview.
