While the many parts of the world have been able to enjoy the Civic Type R since 1997, the USA has always been stuck with the underwhelming Civic SI, at least until recently. When Honda finally brought the Civic Type R over to the US this year, enthusiasts went crazy. Some people were upset that this new Type R didn’t have a high revving, naturally aspirated engine, but the addition of a turbocharger increased torque by a massive amount. Straight from the factory, the Civic Type R outputs an impressive 306 horsepower and 295 ft-lbs of torque. This puts it right above the Focus ST and GTI, but just under the Subaru WRX. Most people would think that’s enough power, but us enthusiasts always want more. One of the easiest ways to give your Type R more power is with an ECU tune. Vivid Racing’s tuning division, VR Tuned, was able to develop a tune that not only added 13% more power to the Civic Type R but also improved drivability, all without sacrificing reliability. The tuning box is designed to plug right in without modifying any of your factory electronics. After you flash your ECU you can expect your car to make 349bhp, an impressive gain of 43bhp.
