2017 Civic type R takes on the Camaro SS and the Mustang GT

As mentioned in my last post, I was going to look into the New Civic Type R vs the Camaro and Mustang.

This came about because the quoted range for the Civic R is 2.48 to 2.8M and a search in the local car marketplace showed a 2015 Camaro with 5T kms on the odometer for 2.695M and a 2013 Mustang with 10T kms on the odometer for 2.45M.

So clearly, if I were a prospective car buyer and I had 2.8M burning in my pocket, I would take a look around to see what else I could get for that sort of money. Actually there are several other interesting cars like a BMW 630i Convertible or a Porsche 996 but to keep things organized, lets focus on American muscle first.

I grew up in an era where American cars were king and the European cars were just becoming popular. At this time, Camaro and Mustang were a whole lot of GO but not much when the road starts winding.

All that has changed today.

In fact, the Camaro is giving the Nissan Skyline R35 a run for its money on the TRACK! I myself was shocked when I watched the video. Sure, it’s the Z/28 but the Skyline was a Track Edition. 

Here’s the video:

What I am trying to say, is that American muscle has come a long way and if the Camaro can give Godzilla a run for its money, then imagine what it would do to the Type R Civic. In the handling department, maybe the Mustang may be the better match for the Civic. 

When Road and Track tested the2016 Camaro SS and Mustang GT, the SS dominated the GT in the handling test. That’s not to say that the Civic or Mustang handle badly. They handle well, but the Camaro Z/28 and the GTR track edition are on a different level.

So let’s look at the specs:

Clearly the Civic is bringing up the rear here as well.

Lastly, there is collector value. Camaros and Mustangs are always become classics in time. They are cult cars and will remain to be such in the futures. These new models are destined to become even more collectible because they herald the time when Camaro and Mustangs could finally go head to head with supercars on the track.

This is not to bash Honda. After all, the Civic Type R is a formidable car which will surely result in huge sales given the number of Honda afficionados out there. In its own way, the Honda will probably be a cult car too since the red R logo has a way of igniting passion in the hearts of enthusiasts.

Like many of the future articles here, this is a thought exercise. A daydream put to pen and paper, or in this case, keyboard and blog. In a perfect world where I had unlimited money, I would buy all three of these cars. Sure there is some overlap, but each of these cars have a certain character that sets them apart from each other.

In a semi perfect world where I would have 2.8M to spend on a sportscar, then I would buy the Camaro SS. It’s a subjective choice which goes beyond specs. It’s a mix of what I expect from a car and how the car as a whole, appeals to me.

Sure, it’s a brand new Civic against pre-owned American muscle but as I have learned, time and again, the second hand car market has much to offer if one would expand their buying horizons.