In 1961, mechanic Soichiro Honda finally put the first production four-wheel vehicle produced by his company on the road; the Honda T360. Following that, the S500 kei sports car hit the road in 1963. People started to take notice of these awesome little cars, and the rest is history.
Though some people may see Honda as a mundane and boring automaker, they are quite well known for their fiery performance versions, most of them bearing the Type R moniker. Over almost-six decades, Honda has been making four-wheeled vehicles, they've made some truly epic performance cars that every gearhead should drive.
10 Honda Accord Euro R
Most of the time you see an R badge on a Honda, it's on the back of one of their compact models. But for a while, they made R versions of the Accord sedan as well. This applied to both the sixth and seventh-generation Accord models.
Confusingly enough, despite being called the Euro R, the model was only available in Japan. It should also be noted that the seventh generation Accord was sold in the US market as the Acura TSX. The Euro R featured a 2.0 liter (K20) engine with a healthy 220 hp, and a glorious 6-speed manual to boot.
9 NSX (NA1)
The first true supercar to come out of Honda was the NSX in the early 90s - although, it was sold under the Acura brand in the states. Before anything else, it showed the world that supercars don't have to be unpredictable and difficult to live with. As a result, it was a hit.
Nowadays, the NSX is considered a modern classic, and resale values are absolutely everywhere, but the manual versions command a huge price premium over the automatics. With its naturally aspirated V6 engine (which almost didn't have VTEC), a gorgeous design, and excellent performance, the NSX is an absolute icon.
8 Integra Type R
The Civic Type R might be the most celebrated performance Honda... but it isn't the only one. There was also the Integra Type R, sold as an Acura in the US. Manufactured from the mid-90s to the early 2000s, this car is also a performance icon.
As a result of owners modifying, stealing, and crashing these cars, values have also gone insane. A tidy Type R can sometimes cost as much as a ratty early NSX, believe it or not. But, with its incredible performance, awesome exhaust note, and cool design, the Integra Type R has every right to be so valuable.
7 CR-X Si
When it came to Honda's lineup in the 80s and 90s, if the consumer wanted a regular compact car, they would get a Civic. If they wanted a sporty, cool-looking compact, they'd get the CR-X.
In the 90s, during the second-generation CR-X's production run, the highlight of the range was undoubtedly the CR-X Si. Though the Si only had 108 hp, it was very lightweight, and it was all about the high-revving VTEC 4-cylinder and the dynamics, which were stellar. As expected, unmodified and pristine examples are also shooting up in value.
6 Ballade Sports CRX
Truth be told, the second-generation CR-X is the one that gets all the attention. As a result, no one really seems to give the first generation model a second glance. That's a real shame, because the 80s CR-X is just as cool, if not cooler.
By far the coolest iteration of the first-gen CR-X, aside from the Mugen version, was the Ballade Sports. Unfortunate name aside, this was a very cool iteration of Honda's sporty compact. Though it only had 108 hp, it was still reasonably fast, it handled great, and has some of the coolest OEM wheels of all time.
5 Civic Type R (EP3)
Regarded by many as one of, if not the best Civic Type R generation of all time, the EP3 came along in 2001, and it instantly became a hit. Thanks to a freely revving, naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, the Type R put down up to 215 hp.
It also looked very cool, and when you see what its descendants look like, relatively subtle. Thanks to a perfectly sorted chassis and independent rear suspension, it was an absolute hoon to drive too. Surprisingly, prices have stayed almost laughably low, so if you're in an area where they were sold, snag one up while you can.
4 Civic Type R (FD2)
When the FN2 Civic Type R came along in 2006, Honda split up the body styles. The futuristic hatchback version tackled most markets, save for Japan. For Japan, Honda opted to base the Civic Type R on the sedan version.
It was a very close tie between the two siblings, but we've decided to go with the FD2 sedan. For the simple reason, the Civic hatch of this generation wasn't all that good when it came to passenger space. It was still mighty fast, handled great and there was the bonkers Mugen version as well.
3 Prelude Type SH
The Type SH coincided with the release of the final generation Prelude in 1997. "SH" stood for Super Handling, and that was thanks to the Type SH's Active Torque Transfer System. Unfortunately, the system wasn't all that effective, but the Prelude was still a solid handler.
The 2.2-liter VTEC 4-cylinder gave the Prelude 200 hp, meaning a 0-60 time of 7 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph. Not remarkable by today's standards, but it was definitely a big deal back then. The Prelude was an awesome sporty car bargain back in its day, and we're hopeful Honda will bring it back one day.
2 Civic Type R (FK8)
The current generation Civic Type R has been on sale since 2017, and it's the first-ever Civic Type R generation to be officially sold in the United States. It's also the second Type R to have a turbocharger from the factory, and it works wonders.
The 2.0-liter four-pot sends 316 hp to the front wheels, and it also has a truly crazy exterior design. Some might even call it overstyled. Despite the factory cosmetics, the Civic Type R is no ricer. Not only is it really fast, but it's one of the best sorted FWD hot hatchbacks of all time.
1 NSX (NC1)
Frankly, we're struggling to understand why the NSX is failing. It's a brilliant car, especially after the laundry list of improvements that Honda/Acura made last year. Not only is it a great supercar, but it has all the stuff that made the original NSX so good.
The twin-turbo V6 hybrid powertrain gives it a good chunk of power and a lot of acceleration, AWD means excellent handling, and being an NSX, of course, it includes everyday usability. You know, unlike pretty much every other supercar.
For what is sometimes considered a boring automaker, Honda definitely has made some cool performance cars in the past. The Civic Type R is going strong, and there are even rumors of the S2000 returning, and we hope all of that, and more, happens.