Honda Accord Type R | Spotted

Whatever happened to the Honda Accord Type R? Think about it. Pretty much anything Honda makes with an R badge is lapped up by enthusiasts. It has rarely missed with numerous generations of Civic Type R, while the DC2 and DC5 Integras are considered some of the best front-wheel drive performance cars of, well, ever. And don’t get us started on the NSX-R, because it’ll just make values creep up even higher.

Granted, Honda would never release a new version of the NSX-R (the Type S was as close as it came) and while the Integra name has officially returned, it comes with an Acura badge and won’t be sold outside of the States. But that hasn’t dented their respective legacies, making it a little bizarre that, even though Honda has continued to build the Accord – albeit as a wafty Toyota Camry rival –the old Type R isn’t necessarily held in such high esteem as its stablemates.

This despite the fact it had all the right ingredients to be an absolute classic. A screaming VTEC engine up front producing 212hp (making it more powerful than the EK9 CTR and DC2 Integra Type R) which, of course, is sent exclusively to the front wheels through a six-speed manual. The chassis was also sublime, as had come to be expected with Honda’s previous Type R offerings, although it tends to be only diehard fans that favour the hot Accord over its more sought-after siblings.

It didn’t help the model’s cause that it faced stiff competition at the time from other performance legends. When it launched in 1998, the Accord Type R had to compete with the V6-engined Ford Mondeo ST200 and the rally-inspired Subaru Impreza WRX Turbo. The Accord Type R easily holds its own against them – to the point where it’s arguably the sweetest car of the lot to drive – but that didn’t earn it bragging rights back in the day, and the popularity deficit is still reflected in today’s market. You’ll at least be paying mid-teens for a GC8 Impreza Turbo and it wasn’t that long ago when we featured an ST200 for a little under £13,000. With that in mind, this 2001 example looks like a bit of a bargain at £6,250.

Okay, so it’s got a few miles on the clock (105,090 to be exact), but this is as Honda after all. If anything, it’s barely run in. Plus, it doesn’t seem to have spent most of those miles being ragged around on track days. The paintwork looks tidy for a 21-year-old Honda and, sidenote, red does a brilliant job of telling people this ain’t no ordinary Accord. The interior is remarkably clean given its age and we can only assume that the previous owner covered most of those miles with no passengers. Either that, or they’re bloody good with a hoover.

Need a little more persuading? It’s got green-on-black Recaro seats, which are arguably some of the coolest to come out of the golden era of JDM. What’s more, as the ad keenly points out that, like other Type Rs, the Accord comes with a red rocker cover. A bit like a Ferrari Testa Rosso, only with four doors. And made in Japan. And much cheaper.

 Engine: 1,994, four-cylinder
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): [email protected],200rpm
Torque (lb ft): [email protected],700rpm
MPG: 29.4
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 2001
Recorded miles: 105,090
Price new: £23,250
Yours for: £6,250