Honda Civic Type R FL5 Modification Guide
When we took delivery of our Honda Civic Type R FL5 way back in January, we were told that only 140 units would make there way to UK shores in 2023. However, that has proved not to be true, with owners still taking delivery of their FL5s everyday.
With more and more of the 11th generation Civic on the road, naturally, enthusiasts are keen to put their stamp on them to make it their own. So, it’s about time that we wrote a modification guide on the most powerful Civic Type R ever produced! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve deep into the world of FL5 modifications, unlocking the secrets to enhancing its aesthetics, power, and handling, while preserving the core values that make it such a beloved vehicle.
For those of you that are reading this with a view to purchase a FL5, then it’s worth reading on, as we’ve already listed the Genuine Honda extras from the UKDM, USDM and JDM markets on our website. Which means that if you’re specifically waiting for a car with a certain extra, then don’t worry, as you can purchase from us and then retrofit it yourself!
If you’re pushing your FL5 to its limits on track, then you’ll be wanting to upgrade the brakes. We have various different Motul Brake Fluids available, which will eliminate boiling the OEM fluid.
Whilst you’re upgrading the brake fluid it’s worth swapping out your OEM brake lines to an aftermarket solution. This will remove the ‘spongy’ feeling from the brake pedal, and make braking feel smoother and stronger. We have options available from both EBC and Spoon Sports.
PBS ProRace pads are made by racing drivers for racing drivers, working at high temperature with excellent pedal feel , consistent braking with low dust and great rotor life. These are one of the best bang for buck pads on the market giving great consistency, longevity and bite at both hot and cold temperatures.
We also have a couple of options available from Ferodo. The DS2500 are our pad of choice for everyday/fast road use, as they aren’t too aggressive and don’t produce too much dust either. If you’re thinking of using your car on track then it’s worth going for the DS3000 instead.
For those of you that want a bit more ‘bite’ out of the brakes, then it’s worth upgrading your brake pads to something more suitable. RP-1 and RP-X (race and track) brake pads will offer a lot more performance.
A brake pad that we recommend and use on most of our race cars, is the Pagid RSL29. The RSL29 features very good modulation and release characteristics, making it ideal for club racing and track days.
If you want to keep it JDM, then Spoon Sports offer uprated brake pads too.
To keep your brakes cool on track, it’s worth considering a set of EBC Titanium Front Brake Pad Shims. These neat components reduce heat transfer through the pads to the caliper by around 90°F!
A relatively simple upgrade that will also change the way your FL5 sounds, is to install an aftermarket intake. There is a range of intakes already available with more being released very soon (including Eventuri)!
We’ve already tested the Ramair Proram Induction Kit on our FL5 and was very impressed with the performance that it had to offer, especially for the price. Being an open intake, the sound is also great too!
Pipercross offer a Panel Air Filter and Induction System Kit for the FL5. The panel filter is a great upgrade, especially when it’s time for a service. The Induction System Kit replaces the OEM airbox, and Pipercross claim that they have seen gains of 10bhp.
If you want to keep things JDM, then you’ll want to consider the GruppeM Carbon Intake. This kit is designed to draw in the maximum volume of ambient air whilst maintaining filtration reliability. It’ll also look fantastic once you’ve popped the bonnet too!
We’ll soon be conducting our very own intake test for the FL5, similar to the GR Yaris one that we carried out. We’ll then be able to see for ourselves what gains each kit offers. Stay tuned as we’ll be carrying this test out before the end of 2023!
If you want to unlock some noise from your FL5, then you’ll want to upgrade the exhaust. Our Type R was actually used as the development car for Milltek Sport. We ended up with the Milltek Sport Non-Resonated Catback with Cerakote Black Tips. Check out the video of this, below.
Cobra Sport are another exhaust option to consider. They have a range of options available, including a Valved Front Flex-Back, Valved Cat/GPF Back and a Full Valved Turbo Back System. Cobra also offer a Sports Cat and Decat Downpipe if you want to unlock even more power!
We also have two iterations of the Kakimoto exhaust listed too. The Class KR exhaust keeps the OEM styling with 3 tips and is aimed at road users. The GT1.0Z Exhaust is perfect for those who want to squeeze all the performance out of their FL5, as not only will it offer better performance, the muffler weighs just 7.4kg; half the weight of the OEM muffler!
First and foremost, it’s important to talk about regular servicing of your FL5 engine. Ideally, you’ll want to change the engine oil and filter before a track day to ensure that the engine runs as it should. We recommend sticking with a Genuine Honda Oil Filter, so you can expect a perfect fit and performance.
When it comes to engine oil, depending on what you’re using the car for, you can stick with the Genuine Honda 0w-20 Engine Oil, or opt for an aftermarket option from the likes of Motul.
If you’re planning on getting your FL5 remapped at some point, then it’s worth considering an uprated BOV. The Turbosmart Kompact Supersonic BOV is an ideal solution to replace the factory plastic unit, and is capable of handling higher levels of boost. It’s constructed of billet aerospace grade aluminium with high temperature seals and is a direct fit upgrade.
For those that want to send their FL5 to the moon, then you’ll likely be considering some more major modifications. Skunk2 Racing have released their Ultra Stage 1 & 2 camshafts. Their Stage 1 cams, are a true drop-in cam that is compatible with stock valve springs and retains stock idling characteristics. You can expect to see gains of around 25-40bhp throughout the power band with these.
Looking for a more serious cam? Skunk2’s Stage 2 camshafts unleashes the full potential of the K20C1. Expect to see gains of around 40-60bhp with these! The valve train will need upgrading with these, but Skunk2 have you covered with their Ultra Valve Spring and Spring Base Kit. We would recommend getting a tune from a reputable tuner when upgrading cams.
There isn’t too many options available yet when it comes to upgrading the suspension of the FL5. We know that the Yellow Speed Racing coilovers from the FK8 will also fit onto the FL5. Their Dynamic Pro Sport kit are perfect for both the road and occasional track and offer excellent value for money too! It’s worth considering purchasing the EDC Cancellation Kit too which prevent any error codes or light from the electronic dampening control system.
Nitron have also produced coilovers for the FL5. They have three different options available; RoadSport, NTR R1 and NTR R3.
If you don’t want to go down the coilover route, there are a couple of options for lowering springs. The first of which are Spoon Sports Progressive 20mm Springs. We plan on installing these to our car in the very near future.
Renowned manufacturers of lowering springs, Eibach, have a couple of options too, with kits for USDM and UK cars respectively. With the UK kit, you can expect to see a drop of 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear. The US kit will see the car lowered by 15mm at the front and 20mm at the rear.
The Civic FL5 boasts an awesome interior as standard, however, we offer a huge range of upgrades to make it even better! Honda have a range of accessories, which are available from various different markets of the world, however, we have listed them all on our website.
Some of the accessories that will stand out the most are the carbon panels and trims. These definitely improve the cabin aesthetic and feature a lovely red weave in the carbon too!
We also upgraded our gear knob, opting for the JDM Red Leather Shift Knob, rather than the OEM metal unit.
A fairly costly, but iconic upgrade are the JDM Red Floor Mats. These are a cut above the rest in terms of quality of material and plushness and are likely to hold their value for years to come.
You can check out all the Genuine Honda extras that we went for in our latest YouTube video!
We offer a range of styling parts, including everything from Genuine Honda to Mugen. One of the options we have gone for on our FL5 is the Genuine Honda Carbon Wing. This really helps to make the rear of the car a lot more aggressive, as well as being lighter than original spoiler too.
If you really want to make a statement, then check out the range of carbon parts that APR Performance have to offer. They have a full Aerodynamic pack consisting of a Front Splitter, Rear Bumper Spats and Side Skirts. They also offer Canards, a Radiator Cooling Plate and a GT-250 and GTC-300 Adjustable Rear Wing too.
We’ll soon be listing the Maxton Designs catalogue for the FL5, so make sure you watch this space to see when they become available.
Whilst aftermarket wheels can be chosen based on their appearance, there’s also the advantage of them being lighter than the OEM counterparts (in most cases). We’ve written a separate blog specifically on FL5 Wheel Fitment, which you can check out below.
Our FL5 has benefitted from a couple of sets of aftermarket wheels so far. The first set we tried were Motegi MR145’s. These were 18″ x 9J ET45 in Satin Black with Yokohama AD09 265/35/19 semi-slick tyres.
We’ve recently just swapped these out for some TSW Imatra’s. These are 18″ x 9.5J ET38 and are also finished in Satin Black with the same tyres as before. We finished this setup by utilising a set of Mugen Black M14 x 1.5 Wheel Nuts.
If you’d like to learn more about modifying your Civic FL5 or need any advice, then please get in contact with us and we’d be more than happy to help!
