There’s plenty of love for the Honda Civic Type R around the world. However, whereas many hot hatch competitors (we’re looking at you, Volkswagen Golf R) offer all-wheel drive, the plucky Civic still sends all its power to the front. Honda engineers are straight-up wizards for making it perform as well as it does, and FWD burnouts can be fun. But we know folks are yearning to sling an all-paw Civic around a track.
Devin Niemela on YouTube got tired of waiting. The video featured here is a 25-minute compilation of a properly enormous 2021 Civic Type R project, converting the car to AWD. And when we say enormous, that’s no exaggeration. Perusing the YouTube channel, there are no less than 65 videos devoted to the build. That doesn’t include dozens of extra clips showing the car in action, out of action, background info, engine builds, transmission builds, and other related tidbits that make this project even more impressive.
Speaking of engine builds, this isn’t just an all-wheel-drive Type R. It’s an 800-horsepower Type R, courtesy of a K24 engine swap that was built, then rebuilt after a failed timing sprocket destroyed the top end. Still, that’s an easy fix considering all the custom fabrication that went into the all-wheel-drive conversion. A Honda CR-V served as the donor vehicle, giving up its front subframe and differential for the procedure. After much cutting and welding, the AWD Civic came to life.
But wait, there’s more.
This is actually the third life for the black Civic. Its first life ended in an unknown collision that left it well and truly thrashed. Devin purchased the car and rebuilt it as a “normal” Type R, meaning it was merely tuned like crazy while still turning the front tires. Before that could happen, crushed metal and twisted frame rails needed mending and that’s never an easy task.
We have nothing but respect for this build. About the only thing left at this point is an LS swap. The world’s first V8-powered AWD Civic Type R? Yeah, that has a pretty good ring to it.
