The EK9 Honda Civic Type R is part of Rocket League Season 8

Yet more real-world automotive goodness is on the way to Rocket League, and this time it’s not a James Bond tie-in, the latest Ford SUV or a Ferrari.

No, it’s something much more cult. The Japanese domestic market Honda Civic Type R was the third car outside of the NSX and Integra to receive the special performance edition moniker. Model number EK9, to be extra-nerdy, we can go even more in-depth because this is the pre-facelift model built between 1997 and 1998 thanks to the orange-coloured rear indicator lenses.

Turns out watching old Best Motoring episodes wasn’t a waste of time…

Also featured within the Used Car pavilion of Gran Turismo 7, in the real world, this features a banzai 1.6-litre engine generating 176bhp at 8,000rpm. In Rocket League, performance is equalised and it will use the Octane Hitbox.

The JDM special is part of the Rocket Pass Season 8. Players can simply play the game, with no additional cost, meaning players can unlock a windowed paint finish, chocolate chip antenna and a Krush decal.

Upgrade to the paid Rocket Pass Premium for 1,000 credits and you will unlock the Honda. There are further customization items to unlock, and a Tier 35 there’s a ‘tuned-up’ variant of the Civic to acquire.

Alternatively, there’s the Rocket Pass Bundle for 3,000 credits (currently 33 per cent off at 2,000 credits) which includes the Type R and unlocks 12 additional tiers.

For reference, it costs £3.75/$4.99 for 500 credits, £7.50/$9.99 for 1,100 credits, £18.75/$24.99 for 3,000 credits, or £37.50/$49.99 for 6,500 credits.

Alongside the new car, the Sovereign Heights Arena is a new venue for all players and the Haunted Hallows Returns annual spooky game mode will return too.

Rocket League Season 8 will be live on 7th September following a game update on 6th September 2022 across PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.