That middle exhaust pipe has a function that might surprise you

A detail of the Type R’s design many have picked up on is the unusual exhaust layout. Gone is the quad exit of the FK2, replaced with three centre-mounted pipes, with a smaller one in the middle of the trio. So is it just an aesthetic thing? Were the designers massive Ferrari F40 fanboys? Well no, actually. To explain what it does, let’s hand over to Kakinuma-san:“The three tail pipes each have a function. At low RPM exhaust gas is streaming out of all three pipes in order to create a very dynamic, ‘roaring’ sound. At mid and high RPM, the middle pipe creates a certain negative pressure, which reduces the booming noise in the cabin. We can amplify the exhaust sound, but by controlling the exhaust flow we can also reduce the noise we want to avoid in certain operational conditions.”This is jolly good news. The outgoing Type R didn’t have a particularly exciting exhaust note, and on long motorway journeys, the booming of the pipework did get particularly irksome. So if it’s been reduced, it’s another sign - along with the much improved trip computer system found on the standard Civic hatch and the new comfort driving mode - that the new Type R will be much, much easier to live with than the old one.