Why The Honda Accord Type-R Is A 90s Hero
Introduced in 1998, the sixth-generation Honda Accord was a cut above the usual rep-mobile riffraff. It looked good, there was loads of space, it's VTEC engines were powerful and economical, and it was beautifully built. But it wasn't exactly exciting. It appealed more to pensioners and taxi drivers than to thrusting young reps on the management fast track. The Type-R changed all that.
To create the Accord Type-R, Honda applied it's tried and tested Type-R formula. The 'shell was stiffened, the weight stripped (sunroof, air-con, rear 'leccy windows and most of the soundproofing were thrown out) and the suspension and brakes beefed up. Recaro seats and a bodykit with a huge spoiler finished it off. But the centre-piece, naturally, was the engine. And what an engine. A 2.2-litre, VTEC-equipped 'four', with a stonking 210bhp. That revved to 8000rpm.
Perhaps surprisingly, the bald performance stats made slightly disappointing reading. 0-60mph took 7.2 seconds, while top speed was 143mph. To put that into perspective, the 168bhp Ford Mondeo ST24's stats were 8.0 seconds and 139mph. Not far off, for a deficit of 42bhp. But as always in Type-R-land, the numbers didn't tell the whole story.
No, the real story happened somewhere north of 5500rpm when the VTEC kicked in and the previously-plenty-powerful Accord took off like a rocket. Then a corner would arrive and a whole new story would unfold.
Turn the super-fast steering and the Accord would go exactly where you pointed it. The limited-slip differential up front would just grip and grip until the tyres blew, while the stiffer body and lower suspension meant the rear was resolutely tied down. It wasn't dramatic, but it was the kind of car that would get round pretty much any bend a lot faster than you expected. Really, you had be complete numpty to crash it.
With it's poverty-spec interior and £23,000 price tag, the Accord Type-R was always a niche player. The Mondeo ST24 and the Impreza Turbo were over two grand less, so it lost out to both the reps and the enthusiasts. Tellingly, though, around two-thirds of the 1800ish sold in the UK are still on the roads. Chalk that up to unbreakable build quailty and an engine that's still fighting fit with 150,000 miles on the clock.
With good ones costing around £2000-£3000, the Accord Type R makes a great left-field choice if you need something fast and fun that'll carry your mates. It has a bit of a cult following too.
We recently brought you 3 Heroic Hondas We Must Protect From Ricers. The Accord Type-R makes a fine fourth choice.
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