I know the looks are divisive but has anyone got a FK8 Type R and care to share any findings regarding living with it day to day?
Are they super in the reliability stakes like other Japanese cars (even though they are built in Swindon) or just average?
I have a black FK8 type R. I put a couple of pictures in the show us your motors thread if you feel like searching my posts. I’ve owned it since September 2018 and I still absolutely love it. I’ll try and summarise some key things about owning one -
looks - it is a very marmite car. People either love it or hate it. I personally love it as it’s just so unique and aggressive looking. They are quite rare, so people aren’t used to seeing them and they get a lot of attention, especially from petrol heads. The day I bought it, driving home and stopped at traffic lights and a paramedic lady chatted through the window saying how nice it was. Yesterday I pulled up by a couple in a remapped AMG A45s (crazy good car) and he said my car was his wife’s dream car she wants to buy.... go figure.
performance - launching this car is not easy. The power is too much for the front wheel drive really. Not good for traffic light Grand Prix. Even if it’s slightly wet it will wheelspin through third gear. However from rolling in second gear it’s a beast and has incredible speed through the gears. From rolling it will be very equal if not a tiny bit quicker than hot hatch competition/ fast saloons that have a stated 0-62 in the late 4 seconds.
the handling and feel through the wheel is second to none and the all round driving experience is phenomenal. You can use comfort (lighter steering, softer suspension and less responsive throttle), sport (middle ground option) or + R mode which is the hardest and most responsive setting. I always have it in +R and still find it very comfortable and not too bonebraking unless there is a pothole.
the interior looks great and I’d rather high quality with fantastic seats that are very comfortable. The infotainment is a bit rubbish but it does the job and doesn’t bother me.
it is a big car. It isn’t really a hatch back in my view. Loads of room in back seats and the boot is huge.
some minor issues -
It can go through tyres very fast. Don’t use the continentals it comes with. Get Michelin PS4s for it, they are a much better option. The tyres are a big, low profile unusual size and are expensive. Circa £220-£240 per corner.
Fuel economy is not great. I get about 29mpg on a motorway journey if I’m lucky. Less for driving round town.
If you curb your alloys, due to the red stripe round them they cannot be dipped like normal alloys.
My car suffers from an occasional 2nd and 4th gear crunch which is a known issue if you do your research. Mine has done it since I bought it but it’s so infrequent I can’t be bothered to get it sorted as I know the dealership will try and fob me off. Towards the end of my 3 year warranty though I will take it in to report the issue. I wouldn’t let this put you off. Like I said it’s very infrequent and only happens when you are flying and changing just before the redline. Probably happened to me about 12-15 times in 2.5 years.
All in all I love the car to pieces and whilst I normally drive it very spiritedly. I have done a couple of long journeys (eg. Hertfordshire to Lake District) and it was a pleasure to drive.
feel free to message me if you want to know anything further.
