Honda Civic Type R Bows Out Of Europe & UK With Ultimate Edition Special

Malaysia-spec Honda Civic Type R (FL5) launched in 2023 pictured. News broke today that Honda is pulling this model out of both Europe and UK due to tightening emissions laws.

Bad news for Japanese performance car fans in the Old Continent. Thanks to ever-tightening emissions laws, Japanese automaker Honda will no longer be able to sell its FL5-generation Civic Type R hot hatch beyond 2025.

Before you ask, the hot hatch is being pulled out of both the European and UK markets due to the stricter new Euro 6e-bis emissions standards that takes effect starting 2026 onwards – standards that the FL5 simply cannot meet.

Predictably, the Type R stands as one of Honda’s highest polluters on sale – it emits 189 g/KM of CO2, which is significantly higher than the regular Civic model’s 114 g/KM figure.

Announced exclusively for the European and UK market is the Civic Type R Ultimate Edition final-run special, and just 40 units in total will be allocated.

With that, the H-marque is marking the hot hatch’s exit from this region this year fittingly with a final-run special. Announced today was the Honda Civic Type R Ultimate Edition, and just 40 units in total will go on sale – 30 unit allocated across Europe and reportedly just 10  unitsset for the UK.

All units come dressed in the hot hatch’s signature Championship White paint, but it gets offset further with contrasting red racing stripes. Inside, there’s a rich array of carbon fibre details and décor via the door scuff plates and around the centre console.

Each unit also sees owners gaining a gift box containing a numbered emblem, carbon key ring, special car cover, and a set of custom-made floor mats. Otherwise, things appear unchanged from the base FL5 Type R model many are familiar with.

All 40 units see minor styling additions to set it apart, and it includes red racing stripes on top of its Championship White base hue. Each owner also gets a gift box with exclusive accessories.

That last fact applies mechanically too as this special see no changes on this front. It still boasts a signature 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo petrol mill outputting 325 HP and 420 NM to the front wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission.

No prices were mentioned, and Honda didn’t disclose how all 40 units will be sold across Europe and the UK.

Limited allocation saw the Civic Type R sale in Malaysia done using a lottery ballot scheme back in 2023. Could Honda do the same with this Europe and UK final-run special?

If anything, we could perhaps see a lottery ballot scheme applied as how the automaker’s Malaysian arm practiced when the hot hatch first arrived in Malaysia back in 2023 with an RRP of RM399,900. Limited allocations for that year prompted said sale method.

For European and UK Japanese sportscar fans, they’re now just left with Toyota’s GR Yaris and GR Corolla in this space, with the latter set to see expanded production in the UK soon too.