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Honda Civic EK9 Type R For Sale — Import From Japan

After the NSX-R and the Integra Type R came the EK9, the first Civic Type R. Honda developed it from the three-door SiR and put it on sale in Japan on August 22, 1997. The B16B engine keeps the SiR's 1,595 cc, but its ports are hand-finished, compression is 10.8:1 and the rev limit was raised to 8,400 rpm. It makes 185 PS at 8,200 rpm and 16.3 kgm at 7,500 rpm. Honda lowered the car 15 mm and stiffened the suspension. Parts of the body were seam-welded, it got larger brake discs and a thicker, red-painted front strut tower bar, and air conditioning became optional. That left the standard car at 1,070 kg, 30 kg less than a five-speed SiR. In the cabin you'll find red Recaro seats with matching red door panels and mats, a Momo wheel and a titanium shift knob. Honda sold the Type R alongside a stripped race base car, and from December 1999 there was also the better-equipped Type R-X. About 16,000 were built, all for the Japanese market.

36available now
1997–2000model years
$14,075–$31,468approx. USD in Japan
45–60 daystypical delivery

Honda Civic EK9 Type R market snapshot

$21,095median price in Japan
$19,110–$24,030middle half of prices
from $17,235shipped to a US port
36 of 36manual transmission
362000 or older and legal to import now

These numbers come from our live Japan dealer stock today. Shipped prices include ocean freight to your nearest US port plus export fees.

Honda Civic EK9 Type R variants

VariantEngineDriveNotes
Type R, early (E-EK9)B16B 1.6L DOHC VTEC I4, 185 PSFWDOn sale from August 1997 until the September 1998 facelift. Power steering, dual airbags and ABS were standard, but Honda also offered cars with the airbags, the ABS or both deleted. Manual air conditioning, power windows and power-folding mirrors were only available in the optional Comfort Package, which brought the weight to 1,090 kg and couldn't be ordered on a delete car. Colors were Championship White, Starlight Black Pearl and Vogue Silver Metallic.
Type R race base (E-EK9)B16B 1.6L DOHC VTEC I4, 185 PSFWDThe competition base, sold from launch in the same three colors. You still get the helical LSD, larger brakes and red strut tower bar. Gone are the ABS, airbags, air conditioning, power windows and privacy glass, along with the Recaro seats, Momo wheel, titanium shift knob and red mats, and it sits on steel wheels in place of the alloys. Power steering was a factory option, taking the weight from 1,040 kg to 1,050 kg.
Type R, late (GF-EK9)B16B 1.6L DOHC VTEC I4, 185 PSFWDFrom the September 1998 facelift, which gave the EK range new front and rear styling and a 2-DIN dash. The Type R also got a revised ECU and a dial-type climate-control panel. Output and the 1,070 kg weight didn't change, and Sunlight Yellow joined the color list.
Type R motorsport base car (GF-EK9)B16B 1.6L DOHC VTEC I4, 185 PSFWDAfter the facelift, the race base car got this new name. Honda catalogued it without power steering, ABS, airbags, power windows, privacy glass or a leather-rimmed wheel. It ran on steel wheels, weighed 1,040 kg and was offered only in Championship White.
Type R-X (GF-EK9)B16B 1.6L DOHC VTEC I4, 185 PSFWDJoined the range on December 16, 1999, with manual air conditioning, power windows, power-folding mirrors, a four-speaker CD stereo, keyless entry and aluminum-faced pedals as standard. Its carbon-look center panel comes in its own color (the standard Type R's is carbon-look too). Weight is 1,070 kg.

Honda Civic EK9 Type R available now

Showing 1–24 of 36 Civic EK9 Type R listings in stock, priced cars first.

What to check on a Civic EK9 Type R

What it costs to import a Civic EK9 Type R

The card prices above are what each car costs in Japan. The shipped price on a card is that car delivered to your nearest US port, with ocean freight and export fees included. We then clear it through US customs as your importer of record and handle the title, so there's no customs broker for you to hire. The full cost breakdown has the details.

Is the Civic EK9 Type R legal to import?

Any vehicle 25 years or older is legal to import into the USA without meeting modern FMVSS safety or EPA emissions standards. Eligibility runs on the month and year of manufacture, not just the model year. If the exact EK9 Type R you want is not yet eligible, we can buy it and store it in Japan until it is. See the 25-year rule explained.

How buying one from us works

We bid at Japanese auctions and buy from dealer stock on your behalf. Before any money moves, the car is physically inspected in Japan, with photos, video, and a condition report, not just an auction sheet grade. After purchase we handle export, ocean freight to your nearest US port, customs clearance, import duty, and US title, so the car arrives ready to register. Typical timeline is 45–60 days from purchase to delivery.

Honda Civic EK9 Type R FAQ

How much does a Honda Civic EK9 Type R cost?

In our Japan stock, the 36 Honda Civic EK9 Type R with a listed price run from about $14,075 to $31,468 before import costs. The median is $21,095, and the middle half sits between $19,110 and $24,030. Shipped to your nearest US port, with ocean freight and export fees included, prices start at about $17,235 and a median car comes to about $24,255. After that we handle US customs as your importer of record and title the car for you.

How many Honda Civic EK9 Type R are for sale right now?

36 in Japanese dealer stock today. It changes every day as cars sell and new ones get listed.

How many Honda Civic EK9 Type R for sale are manual?

Counting the 36 that list a transmission, 36 are manual and 0 are automatic.

Can I import a Honda Civic EK9 Type R to the USA?

Of the cars in stock, 36 are from 2000 or earlier and qualify under the 25-year rule now. Month and year of manufacture are what count, and we check the exact build date before you commit.

How long does it take to get a Honda Civic EK9 Type R from Japan?

Plan on about 45–60 days from purchase. The car is inspected and exported in Japan, spends 3–5 weeks at sea to your nearest US port (East Coast, West Coast, Gulf and Honolulu), and then goes through US customs, duty and title. We handle every step as your importer of record.

What do you check before buying a Honda Civic EK9 Type R?

Every car is inspected in person in Japan before any money moves. On this chassis we look hardest at: Early cars are E-EK9 and facelifted ones GF-EK9, so compare the plate with the front end. Putting the late nose on an early car means changing the hood, fenders and headlights along with the bumper. If the front doesn't match the plate, it's been replaced, and you should find out why; A standard Type R or R-X should still have its red Recaro seats with red door panels and floor mats, the Momo steering wheel, the titanium shift knob, the carbon-look meter panel and the red-painted front strut tower bar (a thicker version of the SiR's). Any piece that's missing needs an explanation; Race base and motorsport base cars left the factory on steel wheels, without ABS, airbags or power windows, though the early race base car could be ordered with power steering. Expect a Type R-X to have manual air conditioning, power windows, a CD stereo, keyless entry and aluminum-faced pedals. Honda also sold the 1997 Type R with its airbags or ABS deleted, and an airbag-delete car has a smaller 350 mm Momo wheel. So missing safety equipment needs explaining, but on its own it doesn't prove tampering; If VTEC won't engage, suspect the oil-pressure spool valve. Its gasket can seep and its filter screen can clog. An engine that cranks strongly but won't start points to the distributor. Ask about oil consumption and watch for blue smoke.

What did Honda change to make the B16B?

The starting point is the SiR's B16A, and the 81.0 mm bore, 77.4 mm stroke and 1,595 cc don't change. Raised piston crowns take compression from 10.4:1 to 10.8:1, and the inside of every port is hand-finished. Honda switched to oval-section double intake valve springs and to valves with thinner stems and slimmer heads. It also lightened the connecting rods, fitted a fully counterweighted crankshaft and enlarged the exhaust. Output went from 170 PS at 7,800 rpm to 185 PS at 8,200 rpm, and the rev limit from 8,200 to 8,400 rpm.

What is a race base or motorsport base EK9?

It's the stripped competition version, sold alongside the Type R from launch. Honda called it the race base car until the September 1998 facelift and the motorsport base car after that. The B16B, helical LSD and larger brakes stay, but there's no ABS, airbags, power windows or privacy glass, and it came on steel wheels. Honda's 1997 equipment list also leaves out the Recaro seats, Momo wheel, titanium shift knob and red mats. An early car weighs 1,040 kg, or 1,050 kg with the optional power steering. The late car is catalogued at 1,040 kg, in Championship White only.

Which colors was the EK9 sold in?

At launch, both the Type R and the race base car came in Championship White, Starlight Black Pearl or Vogue Silver Metallic. Sunlight Yellow was added at the September 1998 facelift, and the Type R-X was offered in the same four. After the facelift, the motorsport base car was catalogued in Championship White only. The Type R's alloy wheels are finished in Championship White whatever color the body is.

Does every EK9 have air conditioning?

Not every one. Honda made air conditioning optional on the standard Type R to save weight, and you could only get it as part of the Comfort Package. That package also brought power windows and power-folding mirrors, added 20 kg and couldn't be combined with the airbag or ABS delete options. Manual air conditioning and power windows became standard on the Type R-X of December 1999, and Honda's 1997 equipment list doesn't include either on the race base car. Check that the system is fitted and blows cold.

Other Honda Civic generations

Civic EF (18) · Civic EG (35) · Civic EK (64)

All Honda Civic for sale ›

Want a specific Civic EK9 Type R?

Send us the year, transmission and spec you want, and we'll find one at auction and quote it shipped to your US port or imported and titled.

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